The other day I was working out from home in Hayes’ playroom while she played around me. When I was warming up she looked a little confused, maybe even concerned, then decided to join in a bit, swinging her arms from side to side like she was part of the workout. She would look back at me and giggle, then back at the screen, then back at me again. It was incredibly cute. And incredibly different than what my workout would have looked like two years ago.
The way I exercise has changed a ton throughout my life, but in this season, at home workouts are the very best thing for me, my family, and my priorities. What’s amazing about at home workouts these days is that you don’t have to compromise many of the benefits of group fitness with at home workouts. Technology, and the increased quality of at home workout options, gets us as close to the gym as we can possibly be.
I was a skeptic. But here I am telling you all of the reasons I love me an at home workout. If you haven’t, you should definitely give at home workouts a try (or another try).
I get to workout whenever it’s convenient for me
This one is HUGE. Convenience is probably the number one reason why I workout at home right now. I always plan on working out first thing in the morning, it’s the safest time of day to consistently do something for me without anything getting in the way — especially since I no longer hit the snooze button.
But I know that some days, especially as a mom, something is bound to compete with my time, even at 5am. If we have a sick baby or if I need to breastfeed, a 5am workout might not work. But because I workout at my house, if my scheduled workout time doesn’t work out, I can shift. If I wake up early and I’m wide awake, I can workout. If Hayes takes an unexpected nap in the afternoon, I can workout. I’m literally a change of clothes and a play button away from a workout at any moment. As a working mom that still has high aspirations for daily self-care, I can’t beat that.
My cost per workout is extremely low
There are lots of affordable gym options today, but when it comes to fitness studios, it’s still a pretty price per workout. Maybe at home workouts don’t have the same overhead as fitness studios and gyms do, but I know we see monthly cost savings in our subscription memberships.
We subscribe to Peloton and to my virtual gym + accountability group through BeachBody. When I was paying for workouts outside of the house, I spent about $10 per class for my workouts. Now that I’m working out from home, I spend about $1.50 a class for my Peloton workouts and about $0.50 a class for my virtual gym (based on how many times a month I take a workout class on each). You can’t beat it!
Side note: If I wasn’t finding success with my at home workouts, the cost of a fitness studio or a personal trainer would be worth it to me. But I am finding success with my at home workouts so the fact that I’m spending less money and maintaining the fitness level I was hoping for is a huge win. You have to be willing to put in the work.
The commute is as simple as walking to the basement
I started to realize that my workout time wasn’t just the hour workout (which obviously was the most fulfilling part) it was the time it takes to drive to the studio, the wait time before class starts, and the drive home. Depending on the traffic at that time of day my hour-long workout was easily 2 hours. For me, working out at home includes a 30 second commute to the basement, another 30 seconds to get my workout set up, usually 30 minutes for my workout, and another 30 seconds to get back up from the basement.
When time is your most valuable resource, this matters!
I still get a killer workout
Three things contribute to a killer workout for me: the atmosphere, the instructor, and the workout. Some things are hard to replicate at home, but you can get darn close these days!!
The atmosphere
Being in a studio with dim lighting, loud music, and other sweaty humans around you brings a certain sort of hype to your workout that I might never be able to fully replicate, but I am proud of the workout atmosphere I have created in our basement. I’m usually working out from home when it’s still dark out (dim lighting, check), but my husband and daughter are asleep so I don’t blast music out loud. I do workout with my headphones on and jam. out.
The dark lighting and only the sound of my workout in my ears helps me get in the zone to be totally locked in for 30 minutes of me time.
The instructor
The number of times my virtual instructor has asked me to relax my shoulders when mine were bunched up against my ears, or told me not to to quit now when I had nearly convinced myself to do just that IS BANANAS (b.a.n.a.n.a.s.). It’s literally like they are right next to me.
And these days, the instructors for at home workouts are their own little pocket of celebrity. You can workout with them and follow their life on social media for extra fitness inspiration and connection. I love working out with Elise from my barre class and Cody from Peloton and getting an extra dose of motivation keeping up on with them on social.
Side note: I am very diligent about good form. I think the one benefit of in person workouts that is hard to replicate at home is the instruction you get from a professional. Don’t brush off form instruction, it is important to make sure you stay injury free and get the most out of your workouts!
The workout
Working out from home gives me a seriously good workout. And if I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure that was possible. The workouts are just as tough as the workouts I would have in studio. Plus, I can pick a different workout whenever I want to adjust the intensity, instructor, style of workout, or music. It’s flexible to the season of life I’m in and whatever mood I’m in that day.
Right now, I need low impact exercises because of a lingering femur injury and I use to dance ballet when I was younger so Barre Blend has been a perfect low impact fit. It’s definitely a different kind of sweat than I’m use to but it leaves me shaky, tired, and sore the next day! And I’ve always loved spin class. Peloton really does a fantastic job of offering a variety of workouts — both for difficulty, music, and instructor style. I’m obsessed.
I love the at home workout community
Before I started working out at home, I did not understand the power of the at home workout community. It all seemed a little forced and hokey to me. But I was definitely wrong.
Technology facilitates a very natural community to accompany at home workouts. My virtual gym has a challenge tracker app that allows you to post your workouts and nutrition alongside your accountability group in a feed much like Instagram or Facebook. It’s seriously motivating to get your workout in when you see that everyone else in your accountability group has already logged for the day. And being in touch with that community throughout the day helps me keep my wellness goals top of mind. The accountability and community has exceeded my expectations.
No one is watching
This workout is for me! It’s part of my self-care routine and it’s making me physically and mentally stronger. So, I love that working out from home allows me to embrace my workout in whatever way feels right. There’s no one watching me mess up a new exercise or awkwardly dance to the music in between sets. It feels like less of a fail when I’m doing my barre leg lifts and my leg is struggling to stay a few inches off the ground. And — I love that I can wear whatever the heck I want and not worry about it, which is especially helpful now that I’m pregnant and half of my workout clothes don’t fit me.
It’s official, I’m obsessed
Working out from home gives you an amazing combination of flexibility and accountability while still putting you through a tough workout. If you have any interest at all in working out from home and getting access to my accountability group, I’d love to chat! Shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram. If you’re just looking for quick info, check out this post for details.