Keeping fit is very important in this day and age where unhealthy food is getting more and more popularized. People feel so fancy when they eat unhealthily, ‘Let’s go for KFC’ or ‘Yesterday I ordered pizza today I’ll do fries.’ Gaining weight is so easy, especially for those with a low metabolism. However, the hardest part arises when you try to lose weight.
In a bid to lose weight, we are often driven by the gym misconception. Believing it’s only at the gym where those extra calories can be majestically and quickly burnt out. We assume that if good money is spent then definitely results will be seen. Although the gym may seem promising, it is not the sole solution to weight loss.
First, you will be at a high risk of injury due to poor form; the gym is all about form as you interact with the equipment. Second, there is a lot of time spent getting to the gym and at the gym. You may have to wait for equipment if the gym is crowded. To top it all off, it is costly, from gym memberships to personal trainers. To avoid all this, you could be more economical and use the resources available to you right at home.
Start small by walking a few meters on the first day, then a few more on the second. This helps to loosen up the ankle, calf, and thigh muscles so that when the actual workout begins your body is already accustomed to the ‘exercise sting.’
If you have stairs at home or in the neighbourhood, consider incorporating them into your workout routine. Climbing up and down stairs helps strengthen your leg muscles and improve resilience. If there are no stairs around, you could look for a hill to scale.
It’s important to get your feet off the ground during workouts. A cost-effective way to do this is by doing jumping jacks, ‘apart-together ‘as we locally know it. This exercise engages the upper and lower back muscles, it also works on the shoulders and waist. Another effective method to get your feet off the ground is jumping rope. While it requires persistence, jumping rope works miracles on belly and thigh fat and strengthens the shoulder blades. Be warned: you may feel soreness in these areas the day after skipping rope.
The other thing you could do to keep fit is to arrange a ‘jogging club’ with your neighbours… could be friends. Sometimes jogging or doing exercise in general with a group helps with motivation. And one definitely needs motivation to keep fit.
Download a workout App! With countless options available, Strava stands out for tracking distance, pace, and heart rate, making it perfect for those who love to stroll or cycle. Google Fit, Apple Health and MapMyFitness also fall under the same bracket. If you are looking for a more vigorous routine, apps like Lose It, Sweat and JEFIT have exactly what you need. For instance, JEFIT offers personalized diet plans, something you won’t find at your local gym (no offence to the devoted).
Lastly, workout routine videos are also extremely helpful to those who are looking for consistency. Using videos is very economical compared to going to the gym, or attending aerobics class. All you need to do is download the video before the stipulated workout time, then set it up on a big screen where you can easily follow the moves. It also gives the impression that you are not alone in your weight loss journey—there are thousands fighting just as hard as you.
If this is a history paper, this is where I say ‘conclusively the advantages outweigh the disadvantages’. Home workouts allow you to switch environments as much as you like unlike in the gym. Additionally, exercising in the confines of our homes is the most comfortable, allowing one to privately perform those potentially embarrassing workout moves wink with confidence.
Home workouts offer a much more tailored experience to suit any lifestyle or goal. Remember, for all the effort you put into exercising, eighty per cent of success should be focused on eating the right food. Stay healthy not ‘cool’.
