Running a bit behind this week, but that happens! Life has been taking over a bit the past couple weeks and I haven’t been able to prioritize writing as much as I would prefer. However, I am giving myself some grace. Nothing bad happens if I don’t get to write everyday. I do my best, and while writing daily is my ideal scenario, sometimes, I just have to go with the flow, re-prioritize and keep moving forward.

So this week, I want to share some of my favorite ways to workout at home. Gym memberships are great and I think they can be really motivating. And of course, some people really enjoy group fitness classes or the equipment found only at a gym. For me, I stopped going to the gym because the cost of the membership was too much for my budget at the time. I didn’t love working out at home at first, but I have learned to love it for many reasons, including:

• I can work out in my pajamas
• I don’t have to drive anywhere, which saves me at least a half hour to spend doing something I enjoy, or working on school-work
• I have a large variety of workouts and don’t have to worry about being judged by anyone else

My home gym works amazing for me and I have no desire to go back to a gym. I have been slowly creating my own home gym situation which includes a yoga ball, resistance bands and a few free weights. I also get creative and do a lot of exercises on the stairs since I don’t have a weight bench. These modifications took a while to get used to, but I’ve made them work for me.

Some of my favorite resources for home workouts are:

Beachbody Workouts:

I have never used any of the Beachbody nutrition products, have never followed a full program start to finish, and DO NOT claim to be an expert on these programs, but I love the workouts. My favorites are the Insanity series, Hammer and Chisel and Piyo. I love the interval training of Insanity, the low-impact functional training of Piyo and the strength behind Hammer and Chisel.   The short duration of each workout is about 30-45 minutes, which can easily fit into my day AND effective. You can still buy individual programs, or Beachbody now offers the “On-Demand” option for just $8.95 per month, with a 14-day free trial.

Youtube-ers

I have found sooo many good workouts on Youtube. The women I follow are inspiring and offer a variety of workout options. Many of them utilize the gym regularly, so you have to sift a bit through the workouts to find ones that you can either modify for a home gym, or utilize the equipment you have at home. My favorites are:

Hannah Bower: This girl is so real. She isn’t trying to hide anything and I really enjoy that. She offers a nice variety of weights, HIIT training and functional mobility. She doesn’t post workouts as often as some of the others, but they are all really awesome. Even the 20-minutes ones. I am always surprised at how much she kicks my butt. Plus, she is pregnant too! It is nice to have the extra motivation. She also offers a variety of workout guides on her website. Hannah Bower Guides

Whitney Simmons: This gal is really fun to listen to. Her workouts typically involve weight-based training with a small amount of HIIT here and there. What I love about her workouts is that she is always suggesting a new move you have probably never done before. The variety is refreshing. She also offers some easy meal-prep suggestions, with recipes.

Sarah’s Day: Sarah provides a lot of body-weight and functional training workouts, which are much harder than you’d think. She also eats a paleo/plant based diet, blogging about fun and easy nutrition ideas. She offers e-books for purchase on her website if you want a longer-term guide to follow for workouts. Sarahs Day E-Book

I am sure there are many other qualified individuals out there to get ideas from, but these are a few of my favorites.

Last, I have been recently introduced to the phone app Down Dog. My sister-in-law suggested it to me and it is rock-solid. It is a yoga app that offers a variety of intensity levels for yoga sessions lasting anywhere from 10-60 minutes. It is really easy for a quick nightly yoga session and provides a great workout if you’re looking for something more intense. I currently have the free option, but you can purchase a membership for more access to more classes. 

Ultimately, whatever works for you is what you should do. But, I am here to tell you that working out at home rocks and it can save you quite a bit of money 🙂