How to Start Exercising at Home and Stick with It? Simple Tips to Help You

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The beginning of a fitness journey may be hard and often full of mistakes. This usually happens with at-home workouts as most beginners get easily ashamed and worried about what other people in the gym might think of them. However, the truth is that the other people normally focus as much as possible on what they are doing and don’t have the time to judge others. And the second fact is that everyone who works on themselves deserves recognition. And it doesn’t matter if that person is at the beginning of his journey or has been exercising for years.

Regardless, if for any reason you don’t want to go to the gym, there’s nothing wrong with that. You can easily work out at home and maybe over time you will work your way into the gym. The truth is that many famous bodybuilders have started training at home. A good example is Simeon Panda, who was brought to home workouts by a classmate who started in a garage. And as you know, Simeon is one of the most influential bodybuilders in the world today.

Beginner tips for home workouts

If, as in the case of Simeon Panda, your first steps lead to home workout, we have some interesting tips to help you start your fitness adventure.

1. Set fixed days and time for exercise

Strong will and self-discipline are the key to success and you should apply their principles from the very beginning. However, that doesn’t mean that overnight you will become Chris Hemsworth or another Hollywood star who trains in hardcore mode. Start by setting firmly the days and times you will exercise. Think of it as an urgent meeting or appointment with a doctor.

If someone then asks you if you can meet at 4PM and you have an exercise scheduled at that time, you will have to apologise and postpone the meeting with them, because your schedule is set in stone.

How to plan your home workout correctly

Consider the following questions when choosing an appropriate time to exercise [1]:

Do you like more exercising in the morning or would you rather sweat in the afternoon?
How much time can you spend on home workout?
Is it necessary to tailor the exercise time to the needs of others, such as your children, partner or another family member?
How do you ensure that no one disturbs you during your workout?

Feel free to take a planner or diary in which you write down the specific days and times you will be exercising. Then try to stick to your plan and do not look for excuses. You don’t have to exercise for an hour every day and you don’t even have to buy any expensive equipment. For example, if you have little time, plan an intensive circuit training with 5 complex exercises that won’t take you more than 20 minutes. That is not so much, considering that each day, despite excuses or busyness, has 24 hours. So you can definitely find a few minutes for exercise. [2]

For example, you can get inspired by 6-Minute Abs Workout at Home.

2. Create enough workout space

If you have already assigned enough time to exercise and you know there’s no way out of it, ideally you should create enough physical space for it as well. The room in which you are going to workout can also affect your motivation. It is good to make sure that there will be enough light, thanks to which you will feel more energetic.

Also keep in mind that you will need enough space to perform various exercises. Therefore, you should not exercise in a cluttered room where you risk tripping over something. A mirror can also be a great help at the beginning of your journey, so that you can see yourself during the exercise. This makes it easier to maintain proper posture and technique, which is crucial for achieving results. In practice, you might just need to make some space in the living room. Try to move a few chairs, sofa, table and so on. However, if you have a spare room in your house, that will work even better. [5]

3. Start with full-body training

Once you have the space ready, you should set goals for yourself. When you have the perfect plan in your head, it’s time to take action. A great start for beginners is full-body training, which includes complex exercises such as squats or push-ups. It is an effective way to target all muscle groups.

Thanks to full-body training, you will also learn the basic movement patterns of individual exercises, which is important for beginners. After mastering the right technique, these exercises will help you build strength and muscle mass. You can try to do full-body workouts three times a week, for example on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This will give you a good start and enough time for regeneration between each day. Always start your training with the toughest exercises that require the most energy. [4] [6]

Our article 12 Bodyweight Exercises that Will Get You in Shape will help you set up your training routine. It contains specific exercises and a sample training plan. You can find one of the examples in the following table. You can adjust it in accordance with your capabilities and fitness level:

Exercise	Number of Repetitions	Number of Cycles
Squats	10	3 – 5
Push-ups (women / men)	8	3 – 5
Backward Lunges	10 (each leg)	3 – 5

4. Pay attention to the length of the training

Beginners usually use time as an excuse, but there are also those who embark on it with great enthusiasm. Straight from the first workout, they tend to be over-motivated, but physically their body is simply not in such a shape that they could manage an intensive one-hour workout according to a YouTube tutorial featuring a fitness pro. In this case, only two scenarios can occur. You will either not finish the training because you won’t be able to carry on. Or you will have a hard time fighting it, but the next day you will not get out of bed and the muscle pain will be with you for another 3 days. The scenarios are different, but the result in the form of frustration will be the same.

Therefore, it is definitely better to start lightly, even with a 15 or 20-minute workout and you will see how you feel. This will make it easier for your muscles to get used to the new training load and you will most likely be able to exercise again the next day. And that’s what you want, right? After all, in the beginning it’s not about going 1000%, it’s about turning the workout into a hobby. Only with long-term exercise you can effectively make the body stronger and lose weight. [7]

5. Don’t make it too hard for yourself

The workout itself shouldn’t be too demanding either. Your start depends mainly on what condition you are currently in. Some beginners can do a few sets of several push-ups, while others can’t do even one. If this is the case for you, don’t panic or cry. It will be much better if you adjust individual exercises according to your initial fitness level.

In the case of push-ups, you can try doing them on your knees and gradually work your way up to the normal ones. This is how most basic exercises can be adjusted. Squats are no exception. You can start by sitting down and getting up from a chair. Going up the stairs or doing housework at a faster pace can also be a great start for beginners. Everyone has a different starting position at the beginning. [3]

6. Invest in some essential fitness accessories

You can also do the above-mentioned full-body training with your own weight. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt to own a few pieces of basic equipment that will help you practice specific muscle groups even better. Great helpers can be, for example, hexagonal dumbbells or a classic set of dumbbells with adjustable weight. However, when exercising with equipment, be careful not to damage your floor.

You can protect the floor, for example, with an exercise mat, from which you can assemble a firm and comfortable surface for each workout. You can then use, for example a kettlebell or a suspension trainer. And if you don’t want to have calluses after the workout, fitness gloves will also come in handy. Elastic resistance bands, which can act like weights, are also a great tool.

If you would like to get even more inspired, be sure to read our article Must Have Accessories for Your Home Gym.

7. Get inspiration from online trainings

A professional trainer is always the best choice for beginners. They will teach you the right exercise technique and tailor the training exactly to your needs. Nevertheless, many beginners might have a problem with approaching somebody directly about it. If you are one of them, you can get inspiration from online tutorials. Nowadays, you can find them everywhere, but you should make sure that they come from proven sources, ideally under the guidance of a professional trainer.

You could try, for example, video tutorials on our YouTube channel where you can also find a lot of other useful information. However, the ideal workout inspiration can also be found in blogs, specifically in the exercises and trainings section. We would like to recommend specifically:

If you really don’t want to go to the gym at the beginning, you can work out at home or in the garden or street workout park. Over time, you will gain confidence that will make it easier for you to go to the gym.

Conclusion

After all, getting into a home workout may not be as difficult as it seems at first glance. As mentioned in the tips above, sometimes you only need to adjust a few things in your life and it can result in an incredible journey and a great fitness adventure. Remember to take small gradual steps that will lead to big goals. Patience, consistency and, above all, the joy from the exercise are important. Good luck!

What are your favourite home workout exercises? If you liked the article, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.

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