While the pandemic was raging last year, it wasn’t just toilet paper people were hoarding: gym and fitness equipment was almost impossible to find.
“It was insane. We had people messaging us asking if we wanted to sell the equipment from our gym,” Geelong-based gym owner and trainer Lena Moxon says.
But now the novelty has worn off, that expensive piece of equipment you bought might be sitting idle in the garage or cupboard.
If you bought weights, a yoga mat or other at-home exercise gear, here’s how to make sure you keep using it as life returns to normal.
Make exercise decisions in advance
While it’s helpful to have equipment, you also need time and motivation — maybe even more so when you’re exercising at home.
A good exercise regime is more about time management than equipment, Lena Moxon says.(Supplied: Lena Moxon)
Ms Moxon’s tip is to schedule your home exercise sessions much like you would a trip to the gym.
“It can help to do it at the same time [every week] — it can help to put it into your schedule, even if you’re just walking to the garage,” the 35-year-old says.
“If you miss the window of opportunity that you’d normally train in, more often than not you don’t get to it.”
These “pre-decisions”, such as committing to a particular workout at a particular time, can help you stick to the plan on busy days.
“That’s why people like going to the gym: particularly in classes, a lot of the decision making is done ahead of time and it’s done for you,” Ms Moxon explains.
“Even if you do get motivated to stand in front of your equipment, if you’re not sure what to do, it can be overwhelming and that can be off-putting.”
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Add variety to your workouts
If you’ve been running or cycling, you could try strength-building exercises using weights or a resistance band.
Or if you’re sick of push-ups and weights, you could try yoga or a high-intensity interval training (HITT) session from YouTube.
“I would literally be typing the name of whatever equipment you have into a search engine and looking up workout ideas,” Ms Moxon says.</…….
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/making-the-most-of-pandemic-gym-equipment/100662536