Motivation sure has been hard to come by during this whole “quarantine” situation over the past few weeks. You too? I’m sure we’re most likely all in the same boat. Unless you’re a rare breed where motivation runs in your blood, lucky you! 😉 I’ve actually thoroughly appreciated seeing the posts floating around social media saying you don’t HAVE to feel the pressure that you MUST BE PRODUCTIVE with every second of every day with this situation. Because adding more stress or pressure on ourselves is clearly not helping anything, not now not ever. Now, on the other hand, I do know myself well enough that even when I’m super un-motivated I know that if I move my body in some way or another, I typically never regret it. AND, I usually feel a lot better afterward. It also helps me make better choices when it comes to food too, versus emotional eating and sweets cravings, I tend to lean more towards foods that fuel my workouts. So more often than not that’s definitely a win-win for me when I choose to listen to my more motivated self. Because we all know I’ve got a serious sweet tooth which isn’t always the easiest to tame. Anyways, all of that tied with a big bow is usually the trick to get me up and moving, most days at least. Now, I do try really hard to listen to my body and if I truly feel like a rest day is what I need, I take it. NO pressure added. Even if it’s multiple days in a row. Who has time for that extra weight of worry to carry around? Not me, and surely not you either!
If you remember earlier blog posts from the beginning of this year, I told you guys that we were super motivated and excited with our “then” gym routine. We were in such a good routine of going around 5 times or so per week. Well…that’s obviously not the case anymore. We’ve had to improvise and find new ways to get a good sweat session in.
So, I thought in today’s post, I’d share a few of my favorite ways that I’ve been getting my workout on at home or outside, no gym necessary and very little equipment too! Interested? Good. I’m glad you’re here and stopped by for a quick read and hopefully, you’ll find some motivation from this post.
Disclaimer: There are a few affiliate links included with a few of these items, so should you choose to purchase anything from the Amazon links they pay a teensy tiny amount to me. So just a heads up if you’d like to support my blog here. 🙂 No charges on your end whatsoever, just support. Thanks in advance, friends!
Let’s dive right in!
First on the list: Walking (and PLENTY of it). Oh and socially distanced walks I should add too. Safety first! We pretty much don’t go a day without going for some form of a walk, whether it’s a 5 miler or even 1-2 miles–we go for daily walks. Some days that totally counts as my workout for the day and that’s perfect! Other days, I look for a solid sweat session (red face included) so on those days, I just count it more of a meditation or just plain old fresh air. We do live in a super walkable area right now and also not far at all from the river trail. So, pretty much every single day, we’ve got plenty of options when it comes to getting in a few walking miles. It really is such a great way to get the blood flowing, clear my head and still gives me a sense of normalcy, despite the current circumstances. Needless to say, I don’t need all THAT much motivation to get me out the door outside for a walk. Unless it’s raining or something, but those days don’t count. 😉
Next up: Running. (Again, socially distanced!) You might notice if you follow me on Instagram, that I am not a stranger to the treadmill. I don’t hate it like a lot of people do. I’m weird…I know. 😉 But, with our gym being closed and my own treadmill being packed away in storage, I’ve been logging 100% outside miles. So, I’ve got a few ways that help get me out the door when motivation is lacking.
I joined the Little Rock Marathon 6-Week Virtual Run Challenge on Strava. So, basically we’re logging as many miles as we can each week + taking part in either an intermediate or beginner challenge. I signed up for the intermediate program which is tasking me to run a 5k this week and to submit my time. They’re doing fun giveaways each week PLUS a t-shirt so I was sold once they said those were included. 😉 Plus, I figured a little accountability never hurt anyone, especially right now.
I also can’t wait to try out the One Peloton app for running workouts too. Supposedly it’s like you have a coach in your earbuds as you run and I’ve never done that before and figured it’d probably be pretty great! So, there’s that option too! AND it’s free for 90 days on their app!
Next: Weight training. We snagged these resistance bands from Target (here are some similar from Amazon) right before all chaos broke out with the quarantine. We’re so glad we bought them then because now their workout section is completely wiped out. They’re AWESOME because they have adjustable weights for the resistance which is so helpful with Nick obviously needing more than my super weak weights. ha! The resistance goes up to 60 pounds and I can’t even move them at that so, I keep it to the light band and it’s such a great workout!
I also have these resistance bands from Amazon for leg workouts and I love them! They’re light, medium and heavy weight so you can mix it up with your workouts when you need to.
I usually use them with these workout videos on Youtube! Katie Austin is my favorite because her workouts are super effective but also short. Remember her mom, Denise Austin? My sister used to love her pilates workouts!
Last but not least YouTube workouts. There are SO many workout videos on YouTube that there are literally endless options from beginner to super experienced. The best part? They’re totally free! I have a paid Beachbody membership with their OnDemand workouts, but I tend to lean more towards YouTube for a lot of my at-home workouts.
Here are a few of my favorite channels.
Strength and Cardio:
Yoga:
Legs, Arms & Abs:
A lot of our local studios are streaming workout classes too which I’m going to try out this week! There are also a variety of Facebook groups doing the same thing! It’s great to have so many different options.
So, if this quarantine teaches anything to those of us who are interested in getting our workout on, a gym is definitely not required. Motivation on the other hand, is. 😉
I hope this helps give you a few new options for workouts if you’ve been looking for some new ways to move your body. I’d love to hear how you’ve been getting your workouts in too! Comment below and tell me what’s your favorite!
Questions for you:
Are you using virtual workout classes?
What’s your favorite form of movement?
What’s your current favorite pump-up song? Any good ones I need to add to my playlist on Spotify? What song gets you up and ready to move?
