Are you putting in the effort but not seeing the results you desire from your workouts? As a stay-at-home mama, finding time and motivation for exercise can be challenging. In this guide, we’ll explore practical ways to get the most out of your workout, helping you burn more calories in less time. Let’s make your fitness journey enjoyable and effective!
1. Home Sweet Workout
Sometimes the drag of having to go to a gym can quell the urge to workout. The truth is that the less excuses we have, the more likely we are to actually DO the workout. If you don’t have to drive anywhere or pack a bag, it is so easy just to start and get it done. No time wasted, no petrol spent.
Sometimes you don’t feel like working out, and having to go to the gym will reinforce your reluctance because it is inconvenient. But, if you workout at home, it’s just a case of rolling out of bed. No more gym excuses! Say goodbye to traffic jams and hello to workout jams.
So, get the most from your workout by doing it at home. It eliminates excuses, and Start with a promise to yourself: just ten minutes. Often that ten minutes leads to another ten minutes…but even if it doesn’t, 10 minutes still makes an impact.
2. Warm up and stretch
Get the most from your workout by taking care of your muscles. Warm-ups are like morning coffee for your muscles – essential! Plus, it’s a gentle nudge to your body saying, “Hey, we’re about to do something awesome.”
Limbering up your muscles not only protects against injury, but it primes them for the best possible workout, AND makes you more likely to do it. It is another way to ease yourself into a workout that you do not feel like doing. It wakes your body up, and makes the idea of working out seem more feasible.
If the idea of a full-force workout is daunting to you, warm up, then see how you feel.
3. Jammin’ with Music
The funnest way to get the most out of your workout is to pump up the music and let your blood dance to the beat. My theory is that upbeat, positive music makes your blood come alive. It makes you forget the workout intensity and start to enjoy the pace of matching your body to the music. It makes the intensity fun.
If you are feeling sluggish and unmotivated, put on some happy, bouncy music, and see if you can keep your feet still! Putting on music won’t only help you actually enjoy the workout, it can urge you to do it, too. It makes the whole workout go by more quickly, and if the words and the music are inspiring, it makes you more likely to push yourself.
4. Slowly does it, Mama!
To get the most from your workout, it is better to do the moves slowly and carefully rather than quickly and improperly. Doing lots of reps is not going to be effective if you aren’t fully engaging your muscles. Plus, you run the risk of giving yourself an injury.
Engage those muscles like you’re showing them off on the runway. Strut, mama, strut!
By all means, challenge yourself to do as many reps as you can, but focus on mastering the move first. Learn how it feels to actually work that muscle group. Sometimes you do the move quickly to avoid the strain of engaging the muscle (been there, done that).
I’m telling you now, being slow and careful is a lot harder and therefore more effective than doing it quickly!
5. Watch your form
To get the most from your workout, your form needs to be correct.
Are you using your arms the right way? What exactly is the instructor doing? Are you going as low as you can? Are your feet the right width, pointing the right way? Is your body in a straight line?
Form is just as important as intensity. Sometimes it is natural to relax into an improper form because then you won’t feel the challenge of your muscles engaging to their max. But the point of working out is to feel that challenge and withstand it. If you have improper form, you are not getting stronger, you are compromising yourself.
As you progress, you will notice the move becoming easier. And THAT, my friends, is your body becoming stronger.
6. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall:
Mirrors are not just for narcissists – they are like your workout BFFs. You will get a lot out of your workout by doing it in front of a mirror. It will help you correct that form, get inspired, and maybe even throw in a little wink at your fabulous self.
Over time, mirrors help us to see how far we’ve come, when we can see how different we look doing the move, how much lower we can get, how high we can jump. It is so motivational seeing your progress and it pushes you to work harder and faster.
7. Switch it up, Spice it Up
Say goodbye to workout monotony. Spice up your routine like a kitchen dance party. With weights one day, HIIT the next – keep that body guessing and grooving.
There is nothing worse for your fitness than doing the same thing, all the time. Your body quickly adapts and becomes stronger so the same workout, over and over again can lose it’s effectiveness. To get the most out of your workout, you need to change things up, to be constantly testing it to maximise the calorie burn.
Ideas for Spicing things Up:
- Add a weekly weights session
- try bodyweight-based strength workouts
- HIIT
- Kick-boxing
- Cardio
- Pilates
8. And Finally, Make it fun
Who said workouts have to be boring? If it’s not fun, it’s a no-go. Music, dance, laughter – turn your workout space into the happiest corner of your home.
Because ghee whizz, why punish yourself? If it isn’t fun, we are more likely to lose interest in it and not workout at all, or else do it half-heartedly.
Ideas to make your workout fun:
- Play your favourite music
- Choose a workout style that is still challenging but that you enjoy doing (such as kickboxing or upbeat dance workouts)
- Switching it up can also make the workout fun. Something fresh that uses your body in a new way.
- Wear an outfit that makes you feel good
- Do it in a place with a lovely view or with a lovely setting
Conclusion:
Mamas, let’s redefine what it means to “work out.” It’s not a chore; it’s your daily dose of joy! Grab those dumbbells, blast the music, and let the fitness fiesta begin. What’s your go-to workout jam, and how do you keep the fun alive in your home workouts? Spill the beans, and let’s keep the party going! 🎉💪
