Home "Gym"

So, you have "heard" me talk about working out at home.  In my honest opinion it is the best and only way to go.  My gym is always open. Has all the equipment I need. Works around MY schedule. 

And has FREE child care!

I understand that working out at home isn't for everyone. Some people crave the social interactions that you get at the "real" gym.  They love all the classes that are offered and the crazy machines that they provide. And that is OK.

Here is what I know is true for ME about working out at home, and what a typical day for me is...

1. Because of my extensive library (that over the course of almost 2 years has cost me around $300 which is less than the average yearly gym membership) I have so many "classes" to choose from that it is hard to decide, so it is best for me to make a hybrid schedule and stick to it otherwise I just stand there trying to pick one... which is just as much a waste of time as standing and waiting for the treadmill during a busy day at the gym. (Don't know how to make a hybrid schedule? Try this site... I use it occasionally when I don't feel up to making my own Hybrid Scheduler
2. I fit my workouts into the nooks and crannies of my life. (English muffin anyone... mmmm.) If my day is a busy one, I know that I need to get up and get it done. But if I have some things to do in the morning, I work out in the afternoon. Some days I work out in between taking the boys to school... other days it is after school pick up or at 5:30 in the morning.  I do it when I want.
3. My favorite thing about working out at home? I do NOT WASTE TIME driving to the gym and driving home from the gym. I am going to go out on limb here and say that most people spend about 15-20 minutes total in the car going to and from their gym. By that time I am either halfway through my workout or pretty much DONE. Nothing more I hate than wasting precious time... unless I am wasting it on the beach or by the pool reading a good book... but then again, didn't someone wise say that "time wasted at the beach is not wasted time" or something like that?
4. Most importantly, my kids are HOME with me. In a safe space. Doing their thang while I do mine. I have nothing against day care at the gym or in general, but I personally did not become a mother to have someone else watch my kids all the time. They get enough social interaction (and germs) at school. Again... I don't think anything less of moms that use day care... it is just not for me.

Sound like something you want to give a go at? 

Creating an at home gym space is easy. Since all of my workouts require a TV, when I started working out at home I chose to do so in my family room. We have a TV there and a little extra space which I made bigger by moving our coffee table every    single    time    I wanted to work out. I didn't use a lot of equipment, but I didn't have to with Focus T25 because the first five weeks I only used my body weight and gravity (the best piece of equipment you can use... by the way). The second five weeks of the program I used hand weight that I kept in a beautiful and useful basket in the corner. Also kept in that basket was my yoga mat and all of my fuzzy blankets for the couch. :) Wa la!  Home gym.

Our first "home gym"

Did you think I was going to tell you that you needed to add onto your house and have ProForm come in and completely outfit your house with thousands of dollars of equipment?? That is craziness! Buy yourself a good DVD program like T25 or click on any of my links and let me help you find the best program for YOU and find a corner of your safe zone and set it up.

"But, Joslin, I see the couch there and it looks so comfy and I just want to sit and not work out!!!"  ( and of course this is said in a sad and whiny voice)
Well isn't that a B. Yes, I get it!! I understand this is one of the main reasons most people won't work out at home. They think they cannot get a good, even great workout from home because there are too many distractions. Well, that is where having a Team Beachbody Coach (me!) comes into play. Without my coach I probably would have fell back into my comfort zone... literally. But with her help and motivation pushing me and keeping me accountable through our challenge groups, I was able to push play every day until I met my (first) goals.

Now, on the more serious side, about a year into our transformation... my husband and I realized we wanted a true home gym. Living in the sub tropical zone, having a garage home gym would only work for about 2 weeks out of the year. So we took inventory of the rooms in our house and we did away with my home office. I spent a week clearing it out, organizing files, and selling furniture. After it was cleared out I ordered rubber flooring, got a weight stand and a few other accessories that I would have never allowed in my family room! I spent a half of a day putting together some cool shelving units from IKEA and my husband took the closet that was in that room and made me a built in desk so I still had somewhere to sit and pay bills (because, honestly that is all I ever did in that giant room!)  I still have a lot I want to do in there, the decor is still "office-y" and I have papers piled up that need gone through, but I LOVE having a space that we can work out in that is dedicated to just that.

Before removing office furniture

Building shelves and organizing... this took DAYS!

Our home gym today

My "office"

So whether you have a small space or a whole extra room to work with, having a home gym and creating that space is a lot easier than you think. Make it your own. And LOVE it, because that is where you are about to CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!

Thanks for stopping by! ~Joslin 

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