Tips For Working Out at Home (and enjoying it!)
This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Despite being a professional in the wellness and fitness space, I have often found myself feeling like my home fitness routine is missing something. Despite my best efforts to push the love yourself, you’re amazing! train of thought, when it comes to fitness I often feel like an imposter; somebody somewhere is working harder than me, more dedicated, more regimented, somehow more fitness than me. This mostly shows up in regards to working out at home. Some people seem to have really figured out a solid routine, while my personal home fitness routine evolves and shifts with the season. In the back of my mind I know that this is a good thing - I’m listening to my body and my needs! In the back of my head, though, I sometimes find myself wondering - is this enough? Am I doing this right? Am I working hard enough? Am I fitness enough?
Obviously this is ridiculous for a few reasons. To begin with just the facts, I have a fitness background! I played a sport in college, I hold a handful of fitness certifications, and I coach a competitive high school sports team. Aside from the facts, my entire brand, myshtick (if you will), is based around the idea that each of us need to find what works best and is most sustainable for our unique situations. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I post the type of content that I do because it’s the message that I need to hear, too.
Like many of you, I’ve done a lot of personal reflection this year. This is in part, of course, to my mindfulness practice, but also as an acknowledgement of the current state of things. Throughout this reflection (and SO much trial and error) I’ve realized that my home fitness routine does, in fact, work well for me (I know you saw that coming!). I also realized upon further investigation that there are some really simple things that help me stay engaged and excited about working at home. In true Donuts + Down Dog form these tips are intended to help you create a sustainable home workout structure that you genuinely look forward to. I am a big believer that your workouts (and self-care practices) should be the highlight of your day. Here are some things that have helped me follow through on that belief!
Tips for Working Out at Home (and enjoying it!)
Stay ahead of nutrition - This one sounds simple but isn’t always easy in practice. Staying ahead of nutrition means not waiting until you feel completely drained to give your body what it needs. A common example of this is not waiting until you feel absolutely parched to hydrate yourself. Each body is different, but for me I notice that if I am not regularly consuming lean protein I start to feel totally drained, deeply fatigued, and just… grumpy. This is backed by science, too. Per WebMd: “over time, a lack of protein can make you lose muscle mass, which in turn cuts your strength, makes it harder to keep your balance, and slows your metabolism. It can also lead to anemia, when your cells don't get enough oxygen, which makes you tired.”
I try to incorporate natural protein sources into my meals as much as possible (things like chicken or lentils), but also regularly supplement with protein powders. Personally, I look for the cleanest and most simple ingredients that I can find so that I’m not packing in artificial ingredients in addition to the macronutrients that I need. One of my favorite ways to supplement protein is collagen powder. I’ve been posting about it for years because I really think it’s that good - simple, easy to digest, and flavorless. I’ll mix my collagen into my morning beverages, soups (in the colder season), and things like these popsicles. I was recently gifted Multi Collagen Protein from Ancient Nutrition, which boasts collagen type I, II, III, V and X. Unlike most collagen powders on the market, Ancient Nutrition powder comes from two sources - bovine and marine. Most options only come from one source!
On that note, have quick healthy options available - While I love the idea cooking fresh meals all the time, I’ve come to terms with the fact that that’s just not reasonable for my life right now. While I wouldn’t consider myself a huge meal-prep-er, I do like making sure that I have a host of different grab and go options available at any given time. Things like hard-boiled eggs, whole-food protein bars, and hummus cups are all foods that I look forward to eating, are quick to prepare, and (most importantly!) provide nutrients that I need to feel good throughout the day. For crazy work days (or just when I am feeling lazy, let me live!) I have recently fallen in love with Veestro plant-based meals. While I’m not 100% vegan anymore, I do really enjoy and appreciate a plant-based diet.
Veestro has fresh, frozen meal options like salads, noodle bowls, and pizza (!!!) that taste like real food because they’re made out of real food.
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Create rituals that I genuinely look forward too - I think that mindfulness practices are important to strengthen our brains in the same way that fitness strengthens our bodies. My own experience with mindfulness has given me better focus, more mental clarity, and helped me lessen my anxiety a ton. It’s such a powerful tool!
In terms of my mindfulness and journaling practice (you KNOW how I feel about journaling), I love including fun mystical elements like tarot cards, horoscope readings, or oracle decks into the mix to keep things light. My pick of the moment is the Amenti Oracle Feather Heart Deck and Guide Book: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World (by Jennifer Sodini, Illustrated by Natalee Miller). If you’re thinking ok, these are beautiful, but what am I supposed to do with them? - I got you! I like to pull a card, read the description, and then use that as inspiration for my journal session or yoga practice that day. Sometimes the cards will say things like let go of stress and I will realize that I am, in fact, quite stressed! Oracle Decks (and other similar divination decks) are fun for thinking about new perspectives, and a lovely reminder to not take everything so damn seriously.
Take care of my baseline health - We know now, more than ever, how absolutely important it is to take care of ourselves. I wrote earlier in this post about staying ahead of my nutrition, but that applies to my baseline health as well. Baseline health, to me, is the really basic stuff that we can do each day to take care of our bodies - get enough sleep, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, don’t eat too much crap, and take the vitamins that our bodies need (PSA - a naturopathic doctor can be a great resource for helping you understand exactly what your unique body needs at any given time). I find that I personally feel better when I take things like probiotics, which have been shown to support healthy digestion. Ancient Nutrition (they made the collagen I referenced!) also make a great Zinc + Probiotics Capsule that also supports a healthy immune defense!
Wear workout clothes that you enjoy moving in - This might sound silly, but I realized a while back that I had a lot of very cute workout clothes that I really didn’t like working out in. I cleaned out my workout wardrobe earlier this year to now only feature clothing that meets the following criteria:
Must be comfortable enough to wear all day long.
Nothing distracting - I don’t want to be constantly pulling up my pants, adjusting drawstrings, or pulling up bra straps,.
I feel supported where it matters - no flimsy sports bras!
Easy to take care of. I’ve had a lot of seriously cute workout gear over the years but, at the end of the day, if it requires complicated laundry steps, it just isn’t for me.
Things like the No Nonsense Wide Waistband Sport Legging fit all of these criteria. The extra wide waistband is everything to me. If you’ve taken my yoga classes you’ve likely heard me complain before about leggings that don’t stay in place. They drive me bonkers!
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Also if you’re like me and get stressed about your jewelry (I have a necklace of my mom’s that I can’t be away from, even during my workouts!), RingHero is a great solution. It’s a super easy to use wristband with a zip pocket for jewelry (or other small things like keys!) so that you can keep them close by without a ton of extra bulk.
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