If we're honest, working out isn't necessarily at the top of our priorities when it's freezing cold. We'd much rather curl up with our favorite TV shows or spend time perfecting the latest TikTok viral recipe (hello butter candles). But with so many apps, YouTube videos, and easy-to-follow tutorials, it's never been easier to do a whole workout with your phone and keep up your fitness goals.
Get moving this winter and fight the winter blues with a boost in your endorphins. So c'mon, let's get our groove on with these workouts to do at home. Shake it!
How To Improve Cardio Fitness?
Cardio fitness (short for cardiovascular fitness) is how well your organs, heart, and lunge use and transport oxygen throughout your body during your workout. Exercises like walking or jogging, swimming, aerobics, hiking, or even dancing can be a great way to improve your cardio fitness.
How To Take Body Measurements For Fitness?
If you're looking to keep track of a weight loss journey, keep a tape measurer on hand so you can have real numbers associated with your progress. There are two things you'll want to take into consideration when taking measurements. One is to keep the tape relaxed around your body so that you get an accurate number. You don't want it too tight or too loose! The second is to make sure you're standing up straight and your muscles are relaxed. Here's where you can wrap a tape measurer for each body measurement:
- Chest: Stand up straight and locate the widest part of your bust.
- Waist: Fix your posture and wrap the tape measurer are the smallest part of your torso.
- Abs: Your abs will be near the lower part of your torso, above your hips. Make sure you're standing up straight!
- Hips: Wrap the tape measurer around the widest part of your hips (which will include your glutes) for an accurate measurement.
- Arms: The biggest part of your arm is what you'll want to measure, and you'll find that in between your shoulder and your elbow.
- Legs: You can measure both your thighs (in between your hips and knee) and your calves (in between your knee and ankle) by locating the midpoint of each.
How To Start A Fitness Journey?
When looking to start a fitness journey, we definitely recommend making a plan with actionable steps so that you always know what you're doing. That way you minimize confusion!
Be reasonable and gracious with yourself on what kinds of exercise commitment you can make. The time we spend on work, relationships, and school will look different for everyone, which means that the time we spend on working out will also look different for everyone.
You'll also want to be realistic about what your starting point looks like. If you want to pick up running but haven't done it in a few years, it's okay if you don't do a 5K on your first afternoon.
How To Maintain A Healthy Weight?
In addition to exercise, food plays a huge role in maintaining a healthy weight. Understanding nutrition is difficult if you've never delved into it before, but with so much information at our fingertips, it's never been easier to use social media to understand nutrition.
Instead of completely cutting yourself off from certain foods, try out intuitive eating to learn how to listen to your body and give it what it needs. Some other approaches to healthy eating include having one food from every food group, or making your plate as colorful as possible (since different colors reflect different vitamins and minerals).
How To Cut Out Sugar?
The first step in cutting out sugar is definitely getting rid of candy, desserts, and any sugar or creamers you add to your coffee in the morning. When doing your grocery shopping, you can compare the ingredient and nutritional labels on products to figure out which works best for you, or meal plan for sugar-free recipes.
Step-By-Step Workouts
Give your cutie booty a boost with reps of squat kickbacks, curtsey lunges and star touches every morning in How to Transform Your Butt With 7 Easy Exercises You Can Do at Home.
All you need is a mat and hand weights to score defined abs by summer in Hate Crunches But Want Abs? Try These 10 Moves!
7-Minute Miracle: Backed by science, the Scientific 7-Minute workout went viral when The New York Times published it with all the stats and facts. Here is an updated version that incorporates weights. (via The New York Times)
: It isn't easy to find time to work out post-baby, unless of course your baby is helping you do the workout. This guide gives you 10 workout moves that you can do with baby in tow. (via )Fitness Apps
Studio: Studio is an audio-based app with running (treadmill and outdoor) and strength classes. Every class allows you to asynchronously compete with anyone else who has taken the class before, and you can track your distance and biometric data.
Glo: This digital platform has yoga classes of all styles at all levels, taught by instructors all over the world. Choose your favorite style, or let the app make suggestions based on your personal goals. There are also meditation and Pilates classes.
Alo Moves: Offering plans in yoga, bodyweight movement, barre, weightlifting, and more, this intense video-based app has something for everyone. Going somewhere with no WiFi? Just download your favorite videos for an off-the-grid workout.
Keelo: With workouts ranging from 7-20 minutes, this high-energy workout app combines strength, cardio, and conditioning, and can definitely be done in the comfort of your living room. Just be warned, some gym equipment like dumbbells and kettlebells are recommended.
12 Minute Athlete HIIT Workouts: This cool app gives you access to nearly 200 full-body high intensity interval training workouts that you can do inside now, and move outside once the weather starts warming up.
Just Six Weeks: If you've ever had the burning desire to do 100 pushups with ease, this app is definitely a must-download. With just three short sessions a week, this app will help you reach your goals (and get super toned).
Videos
VERA Yoga Our friends at VERA Yoga in NYC just launched a new digital platform to support their instructors.Score athletic yoga flows and strength workouts to super motivating playlists. Enjoy!
Also: some of the most viewed YouTube workouts require very little time or equipment and are FREE! Check out: 10-Minute Ab Workout, 10 Min Bodyweight Workout, and 30-Min Full Body Workout.
At-Home Equipment
Tonal ($3,495): Tonal is an all-in-one strength training fitness system that provides personalized workouts. You start with a strength assessment, and then the system continuously measures your reps, tension, and weight, and adjusts over time to help you improve. You can take instructor-led classes or create your own workout from the library of movements. And if you're struggling, Tonal will automatically spot you, just like a trainer.
Mirror ($795+, was $1,495+): Mirror is a sleek home fitness system that has both live and on-demand classes (strength, but also cardio, boxing, yoga, and more) led by instructors. You'll get real-time personalization depending on your goals, and you can train with your friends, sync your biometric data, or use your own playlists. You'll even get shoutouts from the instructors during classes.
Peloton Digital ($13/month): Peloton's digital subscription gives you access to their live and on-demand tread classes even if you don't invest in the expensive equipment, so you can get your cardio in when and where you want it. The app also has yoga, strength-training, and cycling classes.
What are your favorite workouts to do at home? Share with us @BritandCo!
Additional reporting byChloe Williams.
This post has been updated.
