Millions of people all over the world have been advised to stay at home as much as possible. If you’re used to spending hours in the gym every week, it may have been difficult to adapt to home workouts, but there are ways of maintaining motivation. Here are some tips to help you get more out every session while gyms are shut.

Make use of the Internet

The Internet is a fantastic resource for those looking to get in shape or stay fit during the lockdown. Many gyms and fitness companies have switched to home workouts and interactive, virtual services during the Coronavirus crisis, and you can access all kinds of activities, training sessions and exercise classes without leaving your living room. If you’re bored of doing the same old workouts, make use of the web and vary your sessions. Try new activities, follow different trainers and introduce an element of friendly competition by joining online communities or classes. It’s easy to assume that you can’t do much when you have to work out in your garage or your garden, but there are myriad possibilities. From Pilates and dance classes to interactive spinning, outdoor circuits and online HIIT workouts, you can enjoy a host of different activities to make daily exercise enjoyable. 

Create workout playlists

Have you ever noticed that there are certain tracks that come on in the gym or the locker room that make you feel more pumped or trigger an extra surge of effort or speed? Working out to music is a great way to make exercise more fun and to set the right tone. If you’re going all-out with a fast-paced HIIT workout, you’re doing sprint intervals, or you’re boxing, for example, you can get more out of your sessions with a high-energy playlist. If you’re cooling down, or you’re trying to relax and feel calm with a yoga session, stick to calmer, slower tunes. You can use your phone to play music or invest in a Bluetooth speaker like the Edifier R1700BT. Putting on music can lift your mood and make you feel more energetic in an instant. If you’re having one of those days when you can’t be bothered to get out of bed, but you know that you should go for a run, fire up your speakers and put your workout playlist on. This will hopefully give you the push you need. 

Set new goals

It may not be ideal trying to train without access to the gym, but there are ways of maintaining fitness levels and staying active. One way to increase motivation is to set goals. With gyms closed and access to equipment and facilities limited, you may need to adjust your targets or objectives. Draw up a list based on what you want to achieve and what is realistic in the coming weeks and months. You might want to think about taking up new sports or activities while you’re at home or work on shaving seconds off a personal best for a 10k jog or an outdoor circuit. 

Get others involved

Staying at home doesn’t have to mean that you spend all your time on your own. If you’re part of a team, or you usually work out with friends or a trainer, you can continue to get others involved. Many trainers are offering interactive online sessions, you can take part in virtual classes, and you can compare notes and compete with teammates and training buddies online. It may also be possible to train with social distancing measures in place, depending on where you live. Most people respond positively to healthy competition. We tend to work harder when we feel like our lead is under threat or we’re against the clock, and having a training partner to compare notes with or a virtual leaderboard can help to increase motivation and help you achieve more. 

Get into a routine

If you’re used to going to the gym regularly, apply the same discipline to training at home. Get into a routine and stick to it. Many people find that working out in the morning sets them up for the day. 

Training at home might not seem like the most natural thing for regular gym-goers, but for many of us, it has become the norm. If you’re struggling for motivation, hopefully, these tips will prove helpful. Use the Internet to try new activities, join classes and follow online workouts, connect with others, get into the habit of working out frequently, set new home workout goals and create playlists to give you that extra push.