fitness. motherhood. life & style.

At Home Workout Ideas

With COVID still going strong I'm sure there are plenty of people (like myself) still trying to workout from home for awhile. It's easy to get stuck in a rut if you are coming up with your own workout ideas so I put together this list that you can mix and match to create a new workout routine. I believe all you need is 30-45 minutes of solid work for good results. I like to keep my heart rate up even with strength training to be the most efficient. I also made this list all body weight workouts in case you don't have weights (and they're hard to find right now). You can always add resistance bands or weights if you have them, to make it more challenging. If you are staying unweighted then I would just raise your reps for more of a burnout.


CARDIO
Even with strength training I start my workouts with 5-10 minutes of warm up cardio like:
-Biking
-Jogging
-Walking
-High knees, butt kickers, side shuffles, jump squats, jump lunges, jumping jacks, basically a plyo mix

ARMS
Push ups are going to be the best here because they work so many parts of your body abs included, you can also create a lot of push up variations. These are most efficient for arms without weights.
-Push ups
-Tricep push ups
-Having your arms in closer to your sides and doing a very slow push up works biceps
-Hold your arms out and put them in small circles for a good shoulder workout
-Slow shoulder presses (a lot of them) give a good burnout even without weight
-Tricep dips
-Pull ups if you have somewhere safe for this lol
-You can also use a lot of household items for weighted arm workouts
-Toddler lifts, I workout with Mia a lot more than you think haha!

LEGS
-Squats, so many variations here, sumo squat, jump squat, one leg squat, pulse squats
-Calf raises, you can create variations out of these too by turning your toes in and out
-Lunges, walking, forward lunges, reverse lunges, side lunges, jump lunges
-One of my new favorite leg workouts is a sumo squat and then do calf raises in that squat because it works the inside of your thighs
-Clamshells for the outer hip
-Kickbacks
-Glute raises, you can create variations here, put your legs up higher, do one leg, this is good for the hamstrings
-Dead lifts without weights work the hamstrings too you just have to do more than normal and really focus on muscle mind connection/slow movement

ABS
-Crunches (soooo many variations here)
-Planks and side planks, the BEST for your core
-Leg lifts, lay on your back and raise your legs up and down
-Stand up and raise one knee to your elbow at a time each side for obliques
-Bicycles
-Sit ups
-If you don't have an ab wheel you can use paper towels or something to slide on a hard surface

OTHER
-Running
-Walking
-Biking
-Yoga
-Pilates
-Swimming (one of the best)
-Hiking

If you are getting bored you can also always take your workouts outside for a change of scenery. You can find a lot of free workout guides on YouTube as well for things like yoga and pilates. I like to mix and match all of my above suggestions for a change of scenery. No excuses! Hopefully this guide helps you to create different workouts even while at home!




SHARE:

How to Start Running

I'm excited to share this blog post as I get a lot of questions on this topic! I only seriously began running a year ago so I am no expert but I'm just going to share how I started running and actually enjoying it. I will also share some tips and how to find the best running shoes (which is key). I hope this helps and gets you motivated!


If you would have asked me a few years ago if I liked running my answer would have been, "Heck no and I'm not a runner." I started finding an interest in running in 2016 but didn't really buckle down and take it seriously until I read, Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis last year (MUST READ). She talks a lot about mindset and how she became a runner and that is my first tip to you if you want to start running, is get your mindset right. I told myself I COULD be a runner and that changed the game. I always say it's important to talk to yourself kindly and the same goes for running. I went from "I can't do it" to "I can and I'm doing it" and it made it a lot easier. 2016 me ran 4.8 miles in a marathon relay and thought I would die and 2019 me ran a 10k happily. The biggest difference was my mentality.

My second tip is to find the right running shoes. I always just ran in whatever tennis shoes and my body killed me. When I finally found the right pair of running shoes, it made things a lot easier and less painful. If you really want to start running I highly recommend going to a running store and have them fit you for shoes. My good friend Krissy helped me get started running and that was her biggest tip. The store I went to put me on a treadmill and videoed me running so they were able to see what I needed to be an efficient runner. I also recommend a good pair of running socks. These shoes and socks really changed the game for me. For my ABQ peeps I went to Heart & Sole Sports and will forever go back.

My next tip is to start off at your own pace. When I started I think I felt like I needed to be able to run a certain distance and speed and I pushed myself too hard and my body hurt. I also put myself at risk for injury this way. You want to find the fine line of pushing yourself but not hurting yourself. My dad also helped me to get started running and this was his biggest tip. You can start out by running three days a week and do maybe one mile for day 1, skip a day, one mile for day two, skip a day, then two miles for day three. The next week do 1 mile, 2 miles, 2 miles, then the next week do 2 miles, 2 miles, 2 miles, the week after do 2, 2, 3, so on and so on until you build up to where you want to be. I personally find that if I run over 3-4 times per week it's too much for me. 3 is my sweet spot so that I'm efficient but not hurting.

I think it's also important to incorporate other workouts because that has made me a better runner/athlete in general. I usually do two strength days and then 3-5 cardio days that are either running/spin/or just a walk for an active rest day. Spin and strength have helped me improve as a runner big time. When I started I just ran and now that I have a mix I feel that it's easier for me to keep a competitive time without running constantly. I also like to mix in some sprint intervals to try and improve my endurance. My second must read book is Shut Up and Run by Robin Arzon. I trained for my first 10k with this book and I plan to train for a half marathon with this book. It has a ton of info, interval suggestions, and motivation. I absolutely love that book.

I also highly recommend tracking your running somehow. I use my Apple Watch but I've heard good things about Garmin and I also use to have a Fitbit. It doesn't have to be expensive when you start but just find something so help you analyze your distance and see your progress with time, etc. It also drives motivation for me!


Fuel is another big factor when it comes to running. If you aren't running over 6 miles daily you don't need to greatly up your food intake. Usually, if I eat too much I have a bad run compared to just a light meal (half banana/almond butter) before a run. Sometimes if I run in the morning and it's 3 miles or less I won't even feel the need to eat. I also try to always have a small protein right after a run. But I think it's a big myth that you need a ton of food if you start running. I've only used energy chews on a few long runs but now that I've been running longer I haven't felt the need for them either. You'll have to experiment on what is best for you food wise but don't over do it.

Speaking of over doing it- when I really started to do long runs I took so much stuff with me because I was nervous I would need water, energy chews, a sweater, who knows what lol. I've found that less is more and now I know more of what I really need on a run. You'll have to go through this and experiment what works for you. If you want to try a race, don't try something new on race day- figure out what you need before. You'll want to know your ideal outfit, what you need, what music you'll listen to, etc. Don't be discouraged through your trial and error either. That's what training is for and why you want to have that down pat before a race. It's a lot easier to swallow messing up a training run than a race!

My last but not least tip comes right back to mindset. I strongly believe that running is way more about your mindset than your athleticism. Yes, there are people out there who are born more athletic or people that have trained more, etc. I'm not knocking training because that's obviously important so you don't hurt yourself but if you can get your mind right you can get through any run. Sometimes I openly talk to myself during a run (lol) and if I'm struggling and I talk myself through it I know I can finish. I never tell myself "I can't". I always remind myself how good I feel when I finish a run too. If I set out for four miles that day, I'm running four miles, period. Also, a killer running playlist never hurts, and pants with pockets (need those).

So don't let picking up running discourage you and enjoy the process!! Running has been a huge anxiety/stress reliever for me and I've enjoyed learning about myself as a runner. You got this!!


SHARE:

Cleaner Home Products & More

This blog post has been in the making for a few years now! I started working on using cleaner products in the house about two years ago and I finally found some that I love. Every so often I still have to throw a mix of bleach in there (not great) but I'm working on alternatives for that as well (baking soda for white tub/shower). I'm also going to share some household items I've been loving and a few on my shopping list.


WHAT I USE AND LOVE

When shopping for cleaner products I try REALLY hard to avoid anything with scents. Usually scent is where the toxic chemicals come from, but scent-less can be very hard to find. I have even started trying to use essential oil based candles instead of regular scented candles. I do feel better using plant based/organic/clean products even if they have some scent. Method, 7th Generation, and Simple Truth (Kroger brand, can't link it) are my favorite cleaning supply brands because they work well. For anti-bacterial wipes I like Everspring (Target) and Method. Can't link them because they're literally impossible to find right now, lol. I clean my hard floors with the Swiffer Wet Jet and I save the bottle of cleaner it comes with to then mix water and lemon/thieves/tea tree essential oils and use that once it's empty. Since it's plastic, I only fill it enough for a one time use and then rinse it out. I'm also linking my awesome $20 vacuum that I use on my hard floors and for quick pick ups. It's the best $20 ever spent! I have an option for almost everything- dish soap, bathroom cleaner, window cleaner, laundry detergent, etc. Everything I've linked, I have tried and loved. Sometimes I also mix thieves oil and water for an all purpose cleaner and vinegar/water/lemon oil for glass cleaner. You have to mix these in glass bottles if you're going to use pure essential oils. You can also make essential oil "Febreeze" this way. Lastly, I use microfiber cloths for dusting and sometimes I will use my Method wood cleaner on wood furniture. I like these cloths because you can just wash and reuse and they pick up so much.




WHATS ON MY WISH LIST





I hope this helps you if you're starting on your clean home product journey! I've tried quite a few methods and brands for cleaner products and not all have worked. I'm glad I found products I love so I can stick with keeping a "cleaner" home. Let me know if you have any questions!

SHARE:
Blogger Template Created by pipdig