It’s cold outside; your running shoes are sitting by your front door calling your name, but the howl of the wind is making you look instead to that blanket on the couch and that book you’ve been reading. You know you’ll feel better once you exercise, but the idea of making your way to the gym; knowing how long it will take you to get there, having to brace for the cold weather, and frankly just the bother of the whole thing has you leaning more towards that book and comfy couch.
Wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle, one that includes exercise, does not mean that you have to leave your apartment to do so. There are plenty of ways to stay fit all within the comfort of your apartment. Depending on where you reside in your building, however, may influence the type of workout you select.
For example, if you live above someone, using a treadmill that sounds like an elephant stomping around to your neighbor below may not be ideal. You will also want to take into account the time of day you perform your exercise routine, early morning or evening when more of your neighbors are around, might call for a quieter regime.
Let’s look at some of the top ways to maintain your workout regime, stay on a healthy track, and ultimately give you more time to snuggle up with that book as a post-workout reward.
Dust Off Those DVDs
We all have a few lying around, and maybe it has been a while since you thought of using them, well now is the time to pull them out again. Personal trainers and exercise gurus make DVDs for a reason; so that you can have a fitness instructor in the comfort of your own home, and you don’t have to go anywhere to get a great workout in.
Because the instructor knows that you are likely using his or her DVD in your home, you can expect the workout to not take up too much space; this is a bonus if you don’t have a large living room. Also, you don’t have to worry about how ridiculous you look, as you’re the only one in the room. Plus, you get the advantage of having it feel like the instructor is your own personal trainer, a cost that really adds up at a gym.
YouTube Your Workout
If you don’t actually have any workout DVDs (or, let’s be real, a DVD player) lying around the house, there are plenty of exercise videos on YouTube, and the great thing is, they are free. Take the time to search through a few and find one that you like; one that motivates you, and one that offers multiple classes, so that you aren’t stuck with the same one each time. Once you have found what you like, hit play and start that workout!
Grab Some Equipment
Have a small corner in your apartment with some weights and turn on the TV and start pumping some reps. Or put on your favorite pump-up song and workout along to the music. The great thing about weights is that they don’t take up a lot of space and can often be hidden under a couch or in a closet until the time comes when you need them.
Another great piece of equipment is a stability ball. Not only can you combine your efforts with a ball, using it like a bench, there are also a lot of exercises that can be completed with the ball alone. Exercises that strengthen your muscles and core all which can be done with minimal sound, therefore not a bother to your surrounding neighbors.
Climb Those Stairs
Although you would have to technically leave your apartment, you wouldn’t have to leave your building, so this one still makes the list. Apartment buildings have stairs, lots of them, so why not take advantage and go up and down a few flights?
This type of exercise will get all your juices pumping, and it’s great for your heart as well as strengthening your leg muscles. To make it even more challenging, carry some weights up and down the stairs, or even a couple of cans of food if you don’t own any weights. Each time you climb, aim for completing more flights at once to increase the difficulty.
Get Your Namaste On
Pull out a mat, create some ambiance with music and incense, and get into Downward Dog already. Yoga is a great mind and body workout. It requires minimal space, about the size of your mat, and can be easily altered based on your mood.
If you are feeling sluggish on a particular day you can go for a more relaxing style, one that stretches the body and will bring in a sense of calm. If you are wanting to invigorate your body and feel like you want a challenge, you can go for a style that moves quickly and into challenging positions. With the variety of videos online and apps that offer classes, you may even find that it beats going to the gym or a studio.
Avoid Mindless Snacking
Just because you choose to stay in your apartment instead of going out to exercise doesn’t mean that it’s an excuse to be a couch potato. Make a conscious effort where the food that enters your body is healthy and that it won’t be counterproductive to the exercise you have put in.
One of the best ways to ensure that you don’t eat a lot of bad food is to plan ahead with your meals and avoid the snack aisles in the grocery store. If you don’t walk by it, you can’t buy it. If you find that you become ravenous after a workout, make a healthy snack before you begin so that it will be ready for you after your exercise.
There are a lot of advantages to working out in your apartment that will still leave you feeling fit and fabulous. Not only will you save money on a gym membership, but you can also use the travel time you would have spent going to the gym back into your workout.
Having a gym membership does not mean that you are guaranteed to stay fit, putting the effort in, does. If you’ve been having a hard time getting motivated lately to go out and get to the gym, either because of the cold, the commute, or simply because of a time constraint, start adding some workouts in all within the comfort of your own apartment.
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