Staying Fit While Working from Home: Tips and Tricks for Your Home Workouts

Never before in history has working from home been such an easy option for some many people. Over the past 3 years, Home-Office has become a widely understood and used work style for millions of people around the world. However, as I can personally attest to, staying active while working from home and finding the time to workout can prove to be more difficult than one would expect. It's nevertheless important to maintain a healthy lifestyle even while working from home. Sometimes this means we need to get creative with our workout schedules, while other times sticking with a tried-and-true classic is the way to go.

So even if you can’t make it to your gym,?here are 5 helpful tips to help you stay fit?while working from home:

1. Body Weight Training and Calisthenics

This is nothing new, but could quite possibly be an even better option than a gym workout. Using just your body weight, you can do exercises like?push-ups, squats, and lunges. Not only do these exercises improve strength and flexibility, but they also help?build lean muscle mass. Combined with intermittent fasting (to be explained later on the list) body-weight training is used by some of Hollywood’s top celebrities to trim down for those sleek movie roles.

There are many great bodyweight exercises, but here are five of the best ones that can work for most people:

1. Push-Ups: Push-ups are an excellent bodyweight exercise that works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. They can be done with different hand positions to target different muscles, and you can modify them to make them easier or harder.
2. Squats: Squats are a great exercise that work your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. They can be done with your bodyweight or with added weight, such as a kettlebell or dumbbell. They can also be modified to make them easier or harder.
3. Lunges: Lunges are another excellent exercise for working your lower body, including your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. You can do them with just your bodyweight or with added weight, and you can do them in different directions to target different muscles.
4. Plank: Planks are a great exercise for your core muscles, including your abs, back, and hips. You can do them in different variations, such as side plank or plank with leg lifts, to add variety and challenge to your workout.
5. Burpees: Burpees are a full-body exercise that combines strength and cardio. They work your arms, chest, legs, and core, and can help improve your endurance. You can modify them to make them easier or harder, and you can add them to a circuit workout for a challenging cardio and strength workout.

2. Step Aerobics

Another oldie but a goodie, step aerobics is a great cardio workout that you can do at home. Since the 1980s, when step aerobics triggered a real fitness boom, the sport has been popular for home use. This is because the exercises, which work the entire leg and gluteal muscles, build endurance, and coordination and strengthen muscles. All you need is a step platform and some upbeat music to get your heart pumping. While some trainers have recently questioned the effectiveness of “cardio-only” workouts, there is no denying the fact that an increased heart rate helps burn calories.

3. Hula-Hooping

Yes, it may sound crazy, but not only is hula-hooping a fun childhood pastime, it's also a great workout for your core muscles. Hula-hooping challenges those pesky abs, lower back, and love-handle zones through coordinated and repeated flexing of muscles. Another advantage of hula-hooping is that it is extremely low shock and puts very little pressure on ankles and knees. This makes it a great option for anyone with weak or injured legs. Plus, it's an affordable option for those on a budget and easy to do in groups. Don't worry, the impending laughter will only work your stomach harder as you watch friends and family struggle to keep the hoop rotating.

4. Kettle-Bell Training

Kettle bells are seeing a surge in popularity as of late. What was once the forgotten piece of workout equipment relegated to the dusty corner of broken-down gyms, kettle-bells are now being used as more than a simple weight-lifting tool. This is mostly due to their versatile shape and handle, which allows them to be used for a wide range of exercises, from swings to snatches to goblet presses and more. Another reason kettle-bells are so popular for home workouts is that you only need one or two of them to get the job done, which means they don't take up much space when they aren't in use. One word of advice, however, don’t overdo it on the weight. Better to choose a lighter weight that you can easily control and hold on to than a heavy weight that may cause you to lose your grip and injure yourself or someone else.

5. Intermittent Fasting

Last but not least, although not a workout in itself, intermittent fasting can be a helpful tool for weight loss and improving overall health. It involves fasting for a set period of time (usually 16–24 hours) and then eating during a designated window of time. Intermittent fasting is more than simply “only eating during the day” though. In order to do it correctly, I would suggest doing some research and finding a plan that fits your body size, weight, and shape. It's also important to note that while intermittent fasting can be a helpful tool for weight loss and improving health, it may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those with a history of disordered eating or certain medical conditions. If you are considering trying intermittent fasting, it is recommended to consult with a healthcare professional first.

?No matter what option you choose, staying healthy and active while working from home is possible for anyone. What is important is to find a plan that works for you and your body type; one that keeps you motivated, and one that might even be fun! Remember, NO man (or woman) is an island. Finding friends or family to join in with you will help keep you honest and motivated, and who knows, maybe along the way you'll even make some new friends and start your own workout group or hula-hooping club. When that happens, be sure to come back to TeamShirts to have your?custom club T-Shirts?printed!

Aw heck, why wait?!?