At Home Workout Essentials
Over the last couple of months, my family and I have been setting up our own home gym. Many of you know that walking is my favorite form of exercise, but I also like to partake in yoga and other forms of movement. My family also likes to work out, and the creation of this home gym has been a fun project for all of us.
Since the gym is nearly finished, I thought it would be a fun idea to put together a list of my favorite home workout essentials. I am hoping that this list will inspire everyone, including myself, to stay motivated and keep pushing for an overall healthier soul.
Equipment Essentials
Whether you are training for a marathon or getting your daily dose of exercise in, workout equipment is a necessary tool to have to ensure that you are working out your muscles in the best way possible. Some examples of these tools range from 5-10lb. weights to full on peloton bikes. Whatever exercise makes your body happy, make sure you have the correct equipment so that you are not excessively straining your muscles and body.
Personally, my go-to equipment pieces are the Mirror by Lululemon and my Bala Bangles. If you haven’t heard of the infamous workout mirror yet, do yourself a favor and research it. I first heard about it through a few of my friends and knew I had to get my hands on it. Once it arrived, it looked like your average standing mirror that you would put into a bedroom or hallway. Once I got acquainted with it, however, I knew that it would soon become my favorite piece of equipment for the new gym. On days where I want more movement, I will snap on my weighted bangles and go for a nice walk and finish it off by crushing a 30 minute yoga flow or pilates set through the mirror. It truly is the best start to my day, and it has been fun to do workouts with John and the kids! If workout mirrors aren’t really your thing, I would also recommend signing up for online workout classes through obe fitness. They have a range of different workouts and levels to choose from that are led by enthusiastic trainers so you can actively enjoy a good sweat.
Workout Gear
The saying I will always live by when it comes to working out is if you don’t have cute clothes to workout in, then it will be harder to get motivated to start moving. I thoroughly enjoy picking out fun exercise pieces that will make me feel good while I am working out. My goal isn’t to look cute while working up a sweat but to feel confident in what I am wearing so that it propels me to work harder towards my exercise goals. I believe that when you put on the right pair of leggings or running shoes, your brain gets motivated to workout, and your mindset is on the right track. My favorite exercise outfit includes a pair of Sculptflex leggings and matching sports bra from Set Active paired with my prized Hoka’s. Anytime I put this outfit on, I immediately feel confident and ready to tackle anything the day brings my way. Set Active has a number of amazing leggings, sports bras and other exercise goodies to help you get ready for your daily dose of movement. I would also recommend looking into Girlfriend Collective and Outdoor Voices for sustainable and easy-to-wear pieces that look good in any situation.
Hydration is Key
I believe that we all need to be drinking way more water than we do, even when we are not working out. Staying hydrated throughout the day can seem like an easy, but usually overlooked, task to stay on top of. I have definitely been more mindful of filling my body with water, even when I don’t think I need it. I have not always been this mindful to staying hydrated, though, and it did take a few weeks to really hone in on keeping track of my water intake. To make sure I am staying on top of this, I drink water from my QuiFit Motivational Water Bottle. This gallon bottle has marked times on the side that indicate how much water I need to consume throughout the day. I have been good at staying on track because of this bottle, but if you are looking for more of a bougie alternative, I would suggest any Hydroflask or a self-cleaning bottle from Larq. These options are much prettier to look at, but do not have reminders on when you should be drinking water. To combat this, I would either set alarms in your phone to go off every hour and remind you to hydrate or download a water tracking app that sends you notifications when it is time to re-up on your H2O intake.
Make Sure You’re On Track
Before I start workout, I always make sure that my Apple Watch is charged and ready. I have had this watch for years now, but only recently have been using it to track my steps and my movement progression throughout the day. Watching my workout rings close one by one as the day progresses makes me happy and let’s me know that I am on track for the day, movement wise. This isn’t necessarily a need for everyone, but if you are trying to stay on track with your workout progression, I would highly look into buying either an Apple Watch or a Fitbit. Both of these will help you see how much movement you have done throughout the day and what you can do to achieve new goals for the next day. I see my Apple Watch almost as like a game and challenge myself to close my rings faster each day.
Working out and moving my body has always been one of my favorite past times. Every week, I try to partake in a fun new exercise routine to challenge my body, and I must say it puts a smile on my face when I complete a hard workout. I hope that these workout essentials will help you to stay motivated or jumpstart your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Whatever the reason may be, do what is best for your overall mind, soul, and body.
