The biggest struggle for most beginners at home is not doing simply doing workouts but staying consistent. Things can get boring even if you're following a great workout program, occasionally switching things up certainly helps with fitness ruts. With home workouts you're missing on the social aspect of fitness for the most part, so you need to get a little creative to entice yourself to movement.
Gamifying your current routine is a great way to both keep accountable and stay motivated. Recording your fitness achievements and challenging yourself with realistic goals are some of simpler ways to keep your mind engaged. An example of this would be setting a step goal per day or doing an specific exercise for a step amount of reps/time per day; recording your plank hold time for a week is a prime option. My own personal gamifying challenge is to take the stairs every time, choosing to stand or walk during your daily routine can be also a nice daily goal.
If you're not too keen on gaming solo, many running and walking apps offer all types of challenges with people from all around the world. I've used the Nike Run Club for their guided runs and ZenLabs and Just Run for the 5K and 10K plans. And for those wanting to stay indoors, the Nerd Fitness Journey app also offers options for bodyweight challenges at home. Infographic lovers will certainly enjoy the Darebee website, full of workouts challenges presented in visually pleasing images for free. The website also hosts a forum for accountability for users to share their progress.
Besides using gamifying strategies, you can simply make your workout feel less monotonous by changing your workout environment. Changing your usual location or even working out in the yard can be a nice way to spice things up. If you follow videos with no instruction and just music, try muting it and playing your own music to motivate you. I've recently started to listen to podcasts and unrelated YouTube videos during my workouts, I've noticed I zone out less than when listening to my own music, allowing me to focus more on the workout while enjoying funny stories.
While some of these easy tips might help you feel less bored, sometimes you're just too done with everything to keep going. Taking a few days off to reset regardless of your workout plan can help you regain motivation. During these off days, you can either choose absolute rest, try different light movement such a walk or a short hike or you can be adventurous with fun activities like indoor rock climbing or rowing a boat. If adventurous escapades are not to your liking or budget, you can have a lot of fun at home with creative workouts with the help of YouTube. Here are some recommendations of fun, simple workouts to get energized and motivated.
For music and dance lovers
Ballet workouts for your inner fairytale princess: Kathryn Morgan is a professional ballerina creating follow along ballet and barre classes for all levels on her channel. With just your body and a sturdy chair, you can try any of her detailed classes inspired by Disney, musical theater and more. You won't be auditioning for the Bolshoi Ballet anytime soon, but you'll certainly live out your ballerina dreams at the comfort of your home.
For musical fans to star in your home stage: Emkfit is a YouTuber from Canada with some of the most fun workouts on the platform; ranging from HIIT inspired dance videos to pop music to musical inspired dance parties. If you're a musical theater fan, she has a full playlist dedicated to the genre, with movements inspired by the plays and even fun wardrobe changes along the way. Low impact modifications are provided for those not wanting to jump.
For testing your rhythm along with good beats: Created by twin sisters from the US, the And8Fitness channel has vibrant dance workouts with actual choreography. Unlike most YouTube dance routines simplified for non dancers to follow along, these choreographies are just as demanding as real dance classes. Breakdown videos explaining all the moves for each class and modifications are listed in the description box.
For TV and movie fans
Channel your inner hero at home: The popular Austrian trainer Growing Annanas has created a short workout series inspired by fictional characters. Using her signature HIIT inspired format, Anna brings heroines like Katniss Everdeen and Kim Possible to life with fun routines based on their signature moves.
. Workout as your favorite Disney and Marvel characters: Kyra Pro runs a wonderful channel full with enjoyable workouts inspired by music, soundtracks and more. By creatively using bodyweight moves, Kyra has created many fun routines themed after Disney characters, comic book superheroes and more. You can browse her home workout list to find themed workouts and also check out her superhero inspired playlist.
Fight your way out of boredom with Taebo: Home workout legend Billy Blanks is the creator of Taebo, a martial arts/boxing inspired workout method ideal for home cardio. In the video below, Billy has teamed up with the Cobra Kai TV series to bring the Taebo action to the dojo. By just using your body and optional light weights, you can feel ready for action with this cheesy yet effective workout. And if you love the Taebo method, Billy's YouTube channel has many of his classic and new videos for free.
For (literally) fighting boredom
Kick your way up to motivation: If you want more kicks than those in Taebo, this short kickboxing workout by Hong Kong based kickboxer Utah Lee will certainly spike your heart rate up. Be prepared to sweat with this vigorous high impact workout, the rush of endorphins at the end will be worth it.
Challenge yourself with combat inspired moves: BodyCombat is an exercise format created by the Les Mills fitness company, combining movements from different martial art styles for high energy routines. A few BodyCombat routines are available on YouTube for free, this shorter video is just a snippet that will leave you craving for more.
Try military training inspired routines at home: Be Military Fit was created by military veterans to bring some of the methodology used during their training to home workouts. In this high impact bodyweight workout your endurance will be tested by explosive moves and fast paced intervals. A playlist with all their free workouts is available here.
For sports fans
Training and conditioning for better performance: Evolve Functional Fitness is a channel dedicated to functional workouts inspired by different sports. With specific routines for each sport and general routines for fitness conditioning, these workouts are a wonderful choice for any sports fan. In their playlist section, workouts are sorted from agility to tennis and even golf.
Use sports inspired moves to get fitter: Some of my favorite workouts by trainer Sydney Cummings are her sports themed routines. By emulating moves from different disciplines, Sydney creates fun workouts that make you feel like an athlete, no matter your actual performance. She also has a full athlete themed program here, dumbbells are required.
When it comes to fitness, something can be better than nothing. So, try different ways to move your body that you actually enjoy from time to time. Trying all types of workouts has made stay consistent for years, plus I'm always finding new fun ways to enjoy movement.
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