How I Stay Motivated To Workout At Home

I’m answering my most asked question!  I’m divulging how I stay motivated to workout at home!

**The timing of this post is ironic because my husband surprised me with a gym membership the other day so I would be able to get some cardio in with all this rain we keep having in Seattle.  But the gym is not my norm, so this post is still very much applicable to my life.** 

I’ve been working out at home for over three years now.  And in those three years I’ve gotten in the best shape of my life.  If you ever want to know if you can get fit at home, the answer is 100% yes!  It just takes a little planning, motivation, and some equipment (make sure you check out this post for equipment you may need, and get it sent right to your door in just two days).  

For me, working out at home has just been easier.  I don’t have to drive to a gym, I can workout early in the morning while my kids are still sleeping so it’s out of the way, and I don’t have to worry about interrupting our day for mommy’s workout. 

Here’s how I’ve been able to stay motivated to workout at home.  

I schedule my workouts every day
I get up at 5:45, put on my workout gear, drink a glass of water, have an energy bite, and get to work.  I’ve found that if I workout first thing I have no excuses as to why I can’t do it later.  No matter what time of day you want to workout, scheduling it into your day is key if you’re going to keep the commitment.  

I set a time limit
I limit my at home workouts to 30 minutes.  You can have a really good workout in 30 minutes.  But setting a time limit makes it so that I’m working the full amount of time.  I’m not spending any time waiting for equipment or a machine, or taking a few minutes to chat like I used to at the gym.  I’m using my time wisely and making sure that I’m getting my sweat on in those 30 minutes. 

I let my kids be part of my workouts….sometimes
This isn’t always the case, but if my son happens to wake up early, he sometimes gets included in my workouts (hello 25 pound weight!).  My daughter also loves working out with me, so we end up doing lunges, jumping jacks, push ups and more together.  If I’m not able to be alone, I might as well make the best of it and show my kids the importance of physical fitness.  If you need more ideas for how to incorporate your kids into your workouts, make sure you read this post.  

I lay my workout clothes out the night before
This is critical for me.  When my alarm goes off and I get up and see my athletic wear sitting there waiting for me, it’s that much more motivating to throw it on before I head downstairs.  

I don’t pay for a gym membership that I never use
We did that for a while, when my daughter wouldn’t go to the gym daycare (she cried the whole time, so they would end up calling us to get her).  We would then take turns, but that turned into a 2+ hour ordeal and wasted most of our night.  So we stopped going for a few months.  That’s when I started working out at home and we realized that we no longer needed to be making those membership payments.  Kellen was able to go to the gym at his work for free, so it was a win-win for us.  

If you find yourself in this boat, cancel the membership!  Don’t use it as an excuse.  Get rid of it and you will actually feel more motivated to workout at home because you won’t have another alternative.

Find what works for you and stick with it
I do HIIT (high intensity interval training) which requires little equipment, takes less than 30 minutes to do, and burns a ton of calories.  I also run outside for my cardio.  Maybe you enjoy yoga, or power lifting, or pilates.  Whatever it is you enjoy, stick with it consistently for a few months, then if you want to change things up it won’t be a big deal to do it at home.  

Some people say there’s no way they could ever workout at home.  And I totally get it.  But for me it works great.  Because I’m so motivated when it comes to my health and fitness, I can easily make time each day for a workout.  Working out at home gives me no excuse.  There’s no time lost driving to the gym or studio, you don’t need to be there for hours waiting for equipment to become available, and it gives me more time to do other things I want/need to during the day.  So give it a go!  You never know, you may find a newfound love for at home fitness.