At-home Workout Options
Morning friends! Happy Monday <3 What are you excited for this upcoming week?
It’s our anniversary (Thurs) and Friday we leave for the Healthy Living Summit, so it should be a good one 🙂
I busted out the Vitamix for bfast this morning:
-almond milk
-frozen organic cherries
-1/2 frozen banana
-1 T raw cacao powder
-handful of spinach
and am about to head to a class I haven’t taken in forever: spin!
Let’s hope my favorite teacher isn’t still being forced to play lame-o music. We’ll see what happens…
Since I’m going to a *real* gym this morning, it definitely made me think about my workout options in Valdosta, which were rather limited. A la Tim Gunn, I made it work 😉
For weights, I’d hit up a small local gym close by –the one that I worked at- [because the base gym, which is free, was so far away] and for most of my cardio, I’d either use the equipment at the little gym, go for an outdoor run, or workout at home.
We had even transformed one of our guest rooms into my own yoga room, since Valdizzy didn’t have a single yoga studio.
And I loved it.
Before living in Valdosta, I had no idea how to go about working out at home, and it helped me discover an entirely different set of options.
Here are some of my faves:
1) DVDs. Workout DVDs have been around so long for a reason- there are a lot of REALLY good ones out there. My all-time faves: Turbofire, Physique 57 and Insanity, and I also love the Core Fusion and Shiva Rea DVDs. The only bummer is that doing the same ones over and over can get boring (and if you’re like me, you’ll eventually know what the instructor is going to say before they say it), but if you have another fitness DVD fanatic friend, it’s fun to switch and borrow with them. One of my clients in Valdosta, blog nickname: Tinkerbell, was the queen of fitness DVDs- she always lent me some from her stash 🙂
2) Bodyrock or internet workouts. Bodyrock is an incredible resource for at-home workouts. While I wouldn’t recommend Bodyrock everyday, it’s a great way to switch up your routine, for free, with minimal equipment. I also love Cassey’s Pop Pilates videos 🙂
3) Resistance bands and bodyweight exercises. If you don’t want to invest in a set of free weights (which are majorly expensive), resistance bands can be a perfect substitution. They also don’t take up very much space, so you can stash them away when you have guests or take them with you to travel. You can also get in an effective exercise just using your bodyweight: you don’t need anything but yourself to do squats, lunges, burpees, push-ups, planks, mountain climbers, plie squats, etc. etc.
4) The great outdoors. I actually miss my outdoor workouts and runs in Valdosta. The scenery was beautiful, and the lack of gym options really forced me to get outside and fall in love with working out in the fresh air. Find a safe nearby running trail, or hit up a local track. *Here’s* one of my fave track workouts [Day 2 Speed workout] 🙂
The scenery here isn’t too shabby, though 😉
5) Podcasts, which are especially awesome for at-home yoga practice. My all-time fave is YogaDownload.com (the 20 minute podcasts are free!) and I also like Dave Farmar and Yoga to the People. Check out iTunes – there are a ton of yoga podcast options.
Do you have a gym membership? Are at-home workouts in your routine? What’s your fave?
See ya later today, friends <3
xoxo
Gina
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Happy Anniversary week 🙂 My parents anniversary is Thursday too.
We converted our entire unfinished basement into a home gym. With a treadmill, yoga mat, bench, corner home gym, punching bag, stability ball and more I honestly don’t miss the gym much. I do wish sometimes I had the option to take classes like body pump that gyms offer but most of the time I love the flexibility of working out at home.
For gyms/yoga studios/bootcamps I hit up groupon and similar sites for discounted rates as well as trying new things out. I used to work out solely at home since the Uni I was attending had the worst gym ever. Alternated between JM 30 day shred dvd and running in the park nearby. I’ve also used my previous buildings staircase early in the morning to get some cardio/step machine in ;P
We have a gym in our apartment complex (there are a LOT of retired people in our complex, so it’s kind of like a “health club” instead of a traditional apartment gym – cardio room, weight room, basketball court, racquetball courts, outdoor tennis, putting green, and so on and so forth) + a well-lit .75 mile paved loop around the park in our complex, so I use those facilities rather than getting a gym membership. The .75 mile path is my saving grace for winter workouts since it’s well lit and close to people/home, so I don’t have to slog away on the TM in the early morning darkness 🙂 Some of my fave at home workouts are the Bob and Jillian DVDs, love ’em!
I have a gym membership near my work office (for moming/occassional after work sessions), and at home I have a room with a bench, a mirror, and free weights. I also do a bit of yoga at home and go bike riding at a nearby trail on the weekends. I get really distracted at home so I find that I work out best away from home. Workout DVD’s never get finished as I am constantly thinking about what I need to do around the house…
Thanks for the tips, Gina! My gym doesn’t have any classes, so I am VERY appreciative of workout DVDs. Instant Netflix is great for that 🙂
working out at home is just great! during the winter I could use the attic over my flat and I had a yoga mat, my punching bag, a stepper and the usual stuff (skipping rope, weights) up there. So I was used to do a lot of bodyrock workouts and save the time to go to the gym. very nice especially if you want to have your quick workout-fix in the morning before you go to work.
Thanks for the tips! I love workout DVDs. My heart rate gets going more on the elliptical at the gym, but crawling out to my living room and popping in a tape saves me probably 45 minutes on a morning-workout morning.
I like pilates DVDs, since I can flub it up and practice in the happy privacy of my apartment. And I have a hilarious Bellydancing for Weight Loss DVD that I discovered with my roommate in college. The “weight loss” part just means they took bellydancing and turned it into pretty good cardio! I’m hurting by the end, but still giggling.
Happy Anniversary Week! 🙂 I enjoy running outside and I also have a pilates dvd that I like to do in a crunch but otherwise I love going to the gym!
Great post, Gina! About a year ago, I quit the gym and gave up my membership. I did the gym thing when I trained for my fitness show but after that was over, I realized I am way more of an outdoor cardio (run or walk) girl, plus at-home yoga. The gym was just something to drive to and be bothered with and I wasnt really enjoying the workouts.
I dont do too many DVDs b/c I just rock my own yoga flow/practice based on what I feel like, what my body feels like, and how much time I have. I dont go to many yoga classes anymore, either. I just do it all….at home!
The beauty of at home is on your own schedule and time table, doing whatever you want, have time for. And oh yeah, it’s pretty much free.
After the birth, the fact that you can and do work out at home will prove soooo incredibly helpful for you! Becoming a mother is what turned me into an at-home workout lover!
I <3 Jillian Michaels videos and Nike training club. They are low in equipment and high in results. They are also a ton of fun!!!!
I try to switch up my gym workouts with outdoor runs and Jillian Michaels DVDs. Although I totally get what you’re saying about knowing what the instructor is about to say. I have her entire shpeal memorized at this point ; )
SO EXCITED FOR HLS THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!
I love doing Body Rock IN the gym haha…gym rat here. But I’m a private in-home personal trainer so it’s funny. If I workout at home it’s usually pilates or yoga!
i love the looks i get from people when i do bodyrock at the gym 😉 awesome.
Yogis Anonymous has wonderful live streaming video classes and their site also gives you free access to past classes:
http://yogisanonymous.com/live.php
Bodylastics — they make great resistance bands — has *all sorts* of live (and archived) fitness classes online. I love their pilates workouts:
http://www.liveexercise.com/home-workout/pilates/
I like to make up my own workouts using the equipment I have at home; dumbbells, kettlebell, etc. It’s great because I can pick and choose all my favorite moves!
Thanks for the YogaDownload.com podcast tip!
I’ve been meaning to get my hands on some good workout DVDs! I also want to get the Zumba wii game…I hear it’s not too bad. I have pretty much refused to get a gym membership…I just hate how pushy the people are who work there…def a turn off. I really like this independently owned fitness studio that I go to…mostly boot camps, weight classes and running clinics. It’s a great atmosphere and works for me. But I would def like to have more workout at home options since sometimes I just don’t feel like making the drive. The condo building I live in has a small gym and I use the treadmill sometimes, but even that gets boring :/
let me know if you get it! we have a wii and i want to get more dance games 🙂
i alternate between outdoor cardio (runs or walks) and indoor strength training ( Physique 57 dvds are my favorite!) although sometimes I turn up some music and speed clean my apt and count that as my workout : )
I love the at-home things–(Shiva Rea has some good workouts) but I have to say I am enjoying my new gym membership. I just did a Zumba and RIPPED review today on my blog. I know you teach Zumba…are you a RIPPED gal too? Does it get any easier?
http://www.healthgirltv.com/2011/08/zumba-and-ripped-review-workout-recap.html
i’ve never heard of ripped! gotta check it out 🙂
Happy Anniversary week! What a great post…I love at home workouts. I used to work out at home in the morning before work and it was great because everything I needed was right there!
I workout at home all the time except for when I take spin classes! You should do some of your focused on posts on at home workouts…like jillian michaels, jackie warner, and jari love (whom I love), and maybe even bodyrock.
Happy Early Anniversary 😀 !! How exciting 🙂
This post was so crazy good Gina and came at the PERFECT time. It is pretty ironic because I was actually going to message you about some at home workouts. I am currently on vacation (well, away from my parents home and busy moving into a new apartment for Uni) and am having a hard time to make it to the gym. I can fit in quick workouts, but wanted some suggestions and you did just that 🙂 I love Pop Pilates too! 🙂 I like looking at BodyRock routines for ideas, but have never done one that they have put together. How often do you schedule these into your routines? I know you mentioned you don’t recommend them every day. Is that because they work the same muscle groups on consecutive days very regularily?
Anyways, I just REALLY wanted to thank you Gina 🙂 I think I will do Pop Pilates in my hotel room tonight then go for a little swim 🙂
Have a great one!
Meg
yep and they’re also interval training- your heart needs alternating days of intensity
i’d do one every other day, 2-3x a week max
🙂
I used to have a gym membership for 5 years but cancelled it recently in order to save some money. So I am trying to become a work out at home girl and it is tough! I haven’t tried dvd’s yet but I plan to. My bf recently bought a treadmill to so that has helped, and I take our dog for walks/runs too. I like running outside but I hate running in my neighborhood, there are so many hills! and no sidewalks, it’t not the best place to run… I’m working on that one. Good post! 🙂
YAY loved the shout-out to yoga to the people…im a teacher in training there this summer 🙂
Exercise on Demand or I have P90x.
I have a membership and love it because i see others which help me get motivated to work out
i do not have a lot of space in my house but would love to have more space so i can get lazy and do workouts.
of course biking and all outside! xo
Happy Anniversary week!!!
In a month, my BF and I will be dating 4 years!
I really like to mix it up. What I am REALLY in to at the moment is yoga podcasts (Power Vinyasa Flow 4 from yogadownload.com is my current favourite) and wii Just-Dance. I’m always breaking it out when visitors come around, much to their dismay. ;-/ Can’t help myself. Even though my gym only fell down in February (earthquake), I had not been to it for about 6 months before that. I am so very over the getting there, parking, hoping someone doesn’t nick your ipod while you are in the shower, praying for hot water, crossing fingers for a ‘good’ zumba instructor thing.
LOVE just dance! 🙂
OH, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Next year you will probably get a babysitter and then decide to stay in and get an early night anyway.. 😉
I work at a gym so I workout there and teach classes but I absolutely love going for runs outside! I finish my run with an amazing high that you just can’t get from a treadmill!
i love going to the gym but sometimes home work outs are all that can fit into my schedule. Like you- I enjoy using workout DVD’s.
Nice! I do not own a gym membership, nor have I ever. I have only worked out at home! I have done lots of pilates, and P90X (which really is awesome, by the way) I like to create my own weight routines at home with resistance bands, and I think jumping rope is an awesome at home cardio option! Cheep, and can be done whilst you catch up on all the celeb gossip. I also practice yoga at home, because if you can’t lead yourself in a class after taking yoga teacher training, I don’t know when you can!
I love working out at home as I also work from home. I adore walks and getting outside heaps too, but I just love jumping on my rebounder in front of Glee episodes or in the sunshine on the patio :).
I’m also running a free Strong Is Sexy Fitness Challenge with the Pure2Raw twins at the moment and LOVIN’ getting my bodyrock workouts on :). In case you are interested in checking it out, the plans are at http://www.caseylorraine.com/strong-sexy/. Just delete the link if you would prefer not to post it, just wnated to share cos it’s LURVE for me and got me motivated like nothing else!
I am struggling right now because I don’t have a gym and due to this I have made a ton of excuses to not workout. You put forth some great ideas, I really appreciate it. I love your blog! 🙂
That’s funny that you referenced Tim Gunn and his “make it work” quote. I just did a post about going out to eat and staying with friends as a vegan and how I “make it work” food wise. http://cinnemon-cinnemon.blogspot.com/2011/08/make-it-work.html
More importantly though, I love the stay at home workouts review. Great options!
Why wouldn’t you recommend bodyrock for everyday?
because it’s very intense and most workouts are interval style- your heart is your most important muscle and needs rest just like everything else to become stronger. it’s a better idea to alternate intensities each day
Aww Gina thanks for mentioning my vids!!!
I always work out at home as I am trying to save money. DVDs do get boring after a while but once you have already mastered the moves I just mute them and play my ipod instead!
I have not really tried yoga/pilates dvds- I may try one to change my routine up a bit.
Hey, I’m new to you blog, found it through KERF and must say I love yours too so glad she posted the link. I’m currently working on loosing a mayor amount of weight (40 pounds) after being extremely sedentary for 8 years (college/grad school/marriage + any other excuse I could find). I actually liked working out at the gym until I signed up for a boot camp 3 month course and the trainer kept using me as an example of the person who couldn’t do the workouts (even before I even had a go at them) and he constantly reminded me of how much work I needed to do to loose the weight (even though I pushed myself and never complained). So no more gym for me, I’m sticking to at home/outdoors combo.
Hey, I’m new to you blog, found it through KERF and must say I love tours too so glad she posted the link. I’m currently working on loosing a mayor amount of weight (40 pounds) after being extremely sedentary for 8 years (college/grad school/marriage + any other excuse I could find). I actually liked working out at the gym until I signed up for a boot camp 3 month course and the trainer kept using me as an example of the person who couldn’t do the workouts (even before I even had a go at them) and he constantly reminded me of how much work I needed to do to loose the weight (even though I pushed myself and never complained). So no more gym for me, I’m sticking to at home/outdoors combo.
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