Since gyms and yoga studios have (hopefully temporarily) closed their doors in Dubai I’ve been really enjoying working out at home. I have quite a long history of home workouts, from, from Jillian Michaels’ “30 Day Shred” which I did on DVD as a sixth former, Blogilates low impact workouts which I quietly did in my halls of residence bedroom and Yoga With Adriene’s YouTube videos which started many a morning during my time as a lawyer.

While working out at home has so many advantages – it’s free (or at least cheaper than a studio class), there’s no need to leave the house, no comparison with the person next to you and no one cares if you’re wearing a pair of old Primark leggings… Although it’s definitely not the same as an in-person class, and I know that even the post dedicated gym-goers and yogis can struggle to find motivation when the only option is working out from your living room or bedroom. 

As the weeks of lockdown continue, working out from my living room has become a huge part of my daily routine and I really credit it with keeping my physical and mental health in check, providing much-needed structure to my day and helping me to sleep well at night as I’ve burnt off all the energy I’d usually expend on things like…leaving the house. I know that motivation isn’t always easy and that it can ebb and flow depending on our mood, energy levels, what we are eating and the effects of world events, so today I’m sharing some tips on how I stay motivated to work out at home.

Create A Workout Zone

Rather than having to roll out your mat each time, create a workout space in your home where your mat and any equipment you need can live. It doesn’t need to be a huge amount of space, I used to live in a studio apartment in London and there was still plenty of room for a yoga mat. Keep the workout area clean and tidy, grab some scented candles, a spray bottle of mat cleaner (you can make your own from water and vinegar dilated 20:1) and have all your props, pillows and blocks nearby. Not having to set up the space each time will make it so much easier to come onto your mat in the first place.

Schedule Your Workouts 

Like any other appointment or commitment, schedule classes in your paper or phone calendar. I use an old-school Filofax which I love and use a different coloured pen to write in my workouts. When I’ve done the class or self-practice, I draw a box around the entry to show that it’s completed. If you write a commitment down it automatically makes you more likely to do it and shows that you value your time for working out as much as you do your work meetings, Zoom catch-ups and online bookclub meetings. 

Each night before bed I send out Zoom links for my online private classes, block these out in my diary and then check the schedules of the studios I do online classes with, noting these down and mapping out my day. If I’m teaching 3-4 yoga classes, I’ll find a lower intensity class or a YouTube yoga video. If it’s a quieter teaching day, a higher intensity barre or HIT class will be on my schedule. Schedule in rest days, too! I make sure to have one day a week where I don’t teach and where I’ll pick a stretchy or yin yoga practice to chill out.

Create A Playlist

Most Instagram live or Zoom classes don’t use music as it can interfere with sound quality. If working out to music keeps you motivated then make a Spotify or Youtube playlist to play while you workout. There are so many already there (check out Gab’s yoga playlists here) so this doesn’t even require any time or creativity! 

Get A Workout Pal

While attending a class with a friend in real life isn’t an option right now, you can still work out with a friend from your own homes. Sometimes a friend an I in the UK will pick the same Zoom barre class to do (being GMT+3 means I get move of a lie-in) and my mother and I have been doing Heartcore’s 12.30pm Instagram live classes together. While we cannot see one another it’s been a really nice bonding ritual to check in with each other on WhatsApp before and after the class. If you’re doing an Instagram live class with a friend then you could be a little bit extra and set up Zoom on another device so that you can see one another! 

If you’re not able to take live classes together with your workout buddy, then you could also pick a YouTube workout like Adriene’s 30 Days of Yoga or Blogilates’ 7 Day Ab Challenge and work through it, checking in with one another when each day is completed. 

Vary Your Workouts 

For the last year or so I’ve pretty much only done yoga but since lockdown started I’ve been doing a whole variety of classes. Keeping things varied is key to not getting bored and also challenges your body more. I was so shocked the first time I did an online barre class at how challenging it was and how much I sweated! Maybe use this time to try something you’ve never done before? I did my first HIT workout yesterday and while it was super hard, I felt so good afterwards – both for getting my heart beating hard and for trying something that I’d usually be to scared to in a group class environment. 

I posted some of my favourite classes here! 

Pay For Sessions

While it can be easier to skip a pre-recorded YouTube workout or one of the many Instagram live workouts happening right now, paying for a class makes it much harder to find an excuse not to do it. Who wants to be wasting money during these times? Paid Zoom classes are often much smaller groups and knowing that the teacher can see you and correct you makes the experience as close to being in a studio class as we can be at this time. I do one paid-for Zoom class each week to support my favourite teachers and studios and it’s so nice to get personal tips and shout-outs during the class! 

Keep A Journal 

Find that 2020 diary that is looking a little blank (or is full of cancelled plans) and write a few lines, or even just a few words, after each class. I always do this after my yoga classes, noting any new poses that I was able to do for the first time, any transitions that I enjoyed and poses that I’m still working on. Looking back on your progress and remembering how you felt after your last workout can be a really good motivator to keep going. 

Practice Self Compassion

If you’re really not feeling a workout one morning then just give yourself the day off! The more you really tune in to your body and what it is asking for, the easier it becomes to distinguish between feeling a bit “blah” but knowing you’ll feel better when you start to move, and truly knowing when you need more sleep or when an hour spent reading your book is what your body needs more than a workout. 

I hope these tips help! Let me know how you’re staying motivated for home workouts, and what your favourites are!

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