Home   >   Art & Lifestyle   >   How to keep fit at home when you live in a small apartment

How to keep fit at home when you live in a small apartment

By on May 26, 2021
medit

By Sarah Harris

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that you don’t need an expensive gym membership to keep fit.

In fact, even compact homes offer just as many possibilities as a gym, if you know how to maximize your efforts!

I recall the panic that set in after realizing that I would not have access to my local fitness center at the beginning of lockdown.

I made it my mission to strive just as hard, if not harder, to work out at home.

That said, I stay in a small, single-bedroom apartment – something that I knew I’d have to contend with.

Nonetheless, after doing some research and conducting careful planning, I was all set to maintain my fitness from the comfort of my “shoebox”.

Here’s how…

Identify your goals

1-1Before you start working out at home (or working out in general), you should have a good understanding of what you are trying to achieve.

If like me, you’re trying to gain all the muscles, then your workout plan should reflect that.

Alternatively, if you’re trying to keep fit or lose a few pounds, your workout plan should include exercises in line with those goals.


Set Realistic Goals

Once you know what you want to achieve, you should set small, achievable goals. When setting your goals, be sure to make them attainable, as well as measurable.
Attainable goals are, as the name suggests, realistic.

Measurable goals are goals that you can track using multiple metrics.

Weight Loss

1-2This can be weight loss (per the scale), diameter growth or reduction, or time-based.

If you’re looking to lose 45lbs, don’t make it your goal to lose all that in a month. Realistically, you should aim to lose around 6 pounds a month.

Sure, you could lose more, but the majority of people won’t and, when they don’t see the results they want, will become incredibly demotivated. If you’re unsure about your goals, it’s always best to give yourself a little extra wiggle room so that you are not deterred by missed goals.

TIP: No matter your goals, write them down and have an action plan on hand that includes daily workouts, meal plans, and timelines.

Stay motivated

Sometimes it can be hard to find motivation when working out at home on your own. Steph over on https://www.spikesandheels.com has a load of friendly advice and suggestions to keep you going on your less high energy days.

Finding easy to read inspiration, setting goals, and creating a mood board for your fitness journey are simple ways to keep the fire burning.

Exercises you can do in your living room:

Exercises

1-3There are a ton of exercises that you can do in your living room, and even more when you start to really focus particular areas of your body, so I won’t list everything, but here are a few of my personal favorites:

1) Planks. Yeah, I know, planks are torturous, but they’re one of the most effective workouts you can do to train your entire body. There are also over two-dozen variations of planks that you can do – you know, if the standard double-arm plank doesn’t tickle your fancy.

2) Tricep Dips. I love doing tricep dips, so much so that I include a few on leg days! You can do tricep dips on practically any surface in your home, but the best one (in my opinion) is your sofa. It’s the perfect height for a full dip and can support both the weight and movement required to execute the dip.

3) Push-ups. Much the same as planks, there are multiple variations of this exercise that you can make use of. If you’re targeting the chest, diamond push-ups are a phenomenal exercise, while if you’re targeting shoulders and back, wide arm push-ups will work wonders for you. If you’re a beginner, wall push-ups or knee pushups are great starting points – essentially, you can include some variant of pushups in every exercise!

4) Sit-ups. I know what you’re thinking, “She’s just listing all the obvious ones”. Well, that’s for good reason. Sit-ups can be, just like the aforementioned exercises, incredibly bespoke. From crunches to weighted sit-ups, there is a sit-up to fit every workout plan (and space).

Try Using an App

As I mentioned, these are just a few of the exercises that I include in every workout.

If you’re looking for a few more, I’d recommend checking out a personal trainer app.
My favorite is Home Workout – No Equipment. It’s completely scalable to your fitness level and allows you to work out at your own pace while including exercises that are guaranteed to produce results. It also factors in limited space and doesn’t require you to own any equipment. Best of all, it’s free (and almost ad-free too)!

Take your workouts outdoors
1-4If working out at home doesn’t sound like something you’d be into, there is always the option of stepping outside to keep fit. Whether you’re walking the dog, riding a bike, or meeting up with friends at a local park/ outdoor gym, your options are endless.

Your area probably has the perfect jogging/ cycling route waiting for you. I like to hop onto Google Maps and identify routes that would best suit me.

Make it a part of your daily routine

It’s also a great way to plan your route around areas that you like to pass by while exercising.
I have a park near my house with a gorgeous pond that always makes my runs a little easier.

If regimented outdoor exercise isn’t your vibe, there’s always the option of adding exercise to daily chores.

Swap out motorized transport for cycling to the shop or walking to a cafe. Simply adding a few extra thousand steps to each day can improve your overall health tenfold!

Get your diet right

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on diet.

Diet not only contributes to over 70% of weight loss, but it also reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, mental fatigue, and improves productivity.

In short, health and fitness are greatly affected by the way you eat.

Transition

derick-mckinney-__QqvTI5Edc-unsplash (1)If your diet needs some work, jump into healthy eating the easy way. Cut out carbonated drinks, sugary sweets, and “carby” meals to start. Do not, however, fall prey to fad diets.

Simple adjustments to your diet, like the tips above, will have longer-lasting effects than any “get fit quick” scheme.

Remember, fitness is a lifestyle.

Feel Free To Share!

If you found this post helpful, share it with your friends. If you have any questions for me or have found a few compact home workout hacks you’d like to share, connect with me in the comments. I can’t wait to hear about your “new norm” transformations!

 

********

Image Credits:

Feature Slider image by Cottonbro

Identify your goals image by Content Pixie 

Weight loss image by i yunmai

Exercises image by Jonathan Borba

Take your workouts outside image by Picography

Transition image by Derick Mckinney

 

About simply...woman!

We encourage spreading the message of knowledge and wisdom. We appreciate and thank our featured partners for their articles. All information provided on Simply…Woman online magazine is for reference only; the content is based on the authors’ experiences and therefore is not intended as a substitute to the services of a fully qualified professional. Although every reasonable effort is made to present current and accurate information, Simply…Woman makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information.