Tips to Make #WFH Workouts Better

How’s that fitness routine going? Even if you’ve got it on lock, things can change—and you have a new daily Zoom call on the calendar, or your roommate needs to set up shop in the living room, or you overdid your last garage workout. Even the pros need to figure out fitness for themselves, so we asked two of them for their tips. Mike Rowe and Chrystal Thomas are group fitness leaders at 24 Hour Fitness in Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively, and these days both are leading Virtual Group Training classes from home instead of the gym.

Creative solutions for making WFH fitness work out?

Chrystal Thomas: I’ve worked out in empty parking lots around my neighborhood when I’ve wanted more space, and have come to love 30-minute sessions up and down the four flights of stairs in my apartment building. I actually have a few workout circuits I created around using the stairs. I love using mini bands for strength training; even pre-COVID-19, they were my favorite piece of gym equipment, because you can do so much with them but they also take up very little space and are a very affordable piece of equipment.

Mike Rowe: I would really recommend having a space that is set and ready for you to go. Take a small space in your house and set it up for your workouts and leave it set up. In the beginning, I found that if I had to keep rearranging things before and after my workouts, I was less likely to get them done, because I thought about what needed to get done before and after each workout.

Making time for a workout?

CT: One commitment I have made to myself during our stay-at-home is to get exercise, at least 30 minutes, before my day starts. The days can be unpredictable, but at least if I get 30 minutes done at the start, I know that I have done something regardless of what else pops up during the day. I also like to plan my weekly workouts out so that I have a little more consistency and feel like there is a plan in place, versus figuring it out each day. I just use the notepad on my iPad to write out each day’s plan.

MR: Definitely try to work out at the same time or times each day. Setting designated times will help to create a routine and make it easier to stick to a workout.

Motivation tips?

CT: I find that even if I only do part of my workout in the morning, I have more motivation to finish it later, because I already started. Virtual workouts are also amazing because they give me the social interaction I really crave during exercise, and help to hold me accountable. I’ve made a habit of taking a few specific classes during the week that work well with my schedule, and even in such a short time they have become a big part of my week.

MR: For me, it really has been my Virtual Group Training sessions. Having these classes set in my schedule has really helped ensure that I am getting some type of exercise in six days a week.

24 Hour Fitness is offering Virtual Group Training free of charge right now. Formats range from HIIT-style workouts to core, strength, active aging and mobility classes, seven days a week, so you can find the one that works for you.

Photo credit: Charles Fair, Unsplash