While the country remains in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, you may be finding it difficult maintaining your regular workout routine or feeling motivated to exercise at all.

However, working out in some form on a regular basis will prove extremely beneficial for your physical health in the long run, not to mention also helping to alleviate some of the stress you may be experiencing.

Of course, finding the time and space to exercise while at home is far easier said than done. Nonetheless, with gyms being closed and people spending less time outdoors, we have to try our best to make do with our domestic surroundings.

The Independent has spoken to fitness experts who have provided their top tips for ways you can stay motivated to workout from home, in addition to some examples of exercises you can try.

From former Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill to Chris Hemsworths personal trainer Luke Zocchi, here are their golden nuggets of advice:

Weekdays can easily flow into weekends while spending the majority of your time at home, which is why sticking to a regular routine is a good idea.

Routine is everything, says personal trainer and fitness expert Stefanie Williams. Plan your day like you would if you were leaving the house to go to work and structure in regular tasks.

Ennis-Hill reiterates this point, recommending that people go back to their school days by making a plan you can commit to on pen and paper.

Once its written down its always easier to stick to, the track and field athlete states. Put this somewhere you can see it every day and tick the days off as you go.

Better yet, record your progress to track how to get on and monitor fitness gains.

Luke Zocchi, Chris Hemsworths personal trainer and a featured expert on Centr(the Avengers actors personalised digital health and fitness programme), adds that making sure to get in routine and be consistent can help shake off some of the stress youre probably feeling.

Things are stressful right now, dont underestimate how starting your day with a short workout can boost your mood and give you more energy, he states.

With the current global climate, you should set aside areas of your home where you can relax and your mind can be put at ease.

You should also select a space in your household that is to become your regular exercise haunt, Williams says.

Dedicate an area in your home to working out and have your workout clothes and workout area ready the night before each workout day, she suggests.

Ollie Thompson, a personal trainer for SIX3NINE in Covent Garden, London, emphasises that creating a space in your home for your fitness schedule is crucial.

Having a dedicated space will not only remind you to exercise regularly but it will also be a great motivator knowing that the space is ready for use and you dont need to reshuffle the furniture, he says. Theres a lot that you can do with a simple mat or a towel.

Quality, not quantity, says Centr trainer Zocchi. If youre training at the right intensity and pushing yourself, you can get an awesome cardio workout session done in around 20 minutes.

If youre smashing out a weights session to build serious muscle you should still keep it to an hour max.

In Williams opinion, working out in the morning would be beneficial so you can make the most of your energy and to motivate you for the day.

Dedicate a set time for your workouts and protect that time, she says, recommending that beginners do around 15 to 20 minutes of exercise every other day, and that regular gym-goers aim for 45 to 60 minutes of exercise every other day.

Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch.

A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon

AFP/Getty

Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome

Reuters

A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany

AP

The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome

AP

A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy

EPA

DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome

Reuters

A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona

EPA

Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City

Reuters

DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn

Reuters

People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel

Reuters

A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony

Reuters

Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium

Reuters

Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary

Reuters

A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn

Reuters

A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome

Reuters

A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon

AFP/Getty

Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome

Reuters

A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany

AP

The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome

AP

A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy

EPA

DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome

Reuters

A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona

EPA

Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City

Reuters

DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn

Reuters

People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel

Reuters

A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony

Reuters

Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium

Reuters

Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary

Reuters

A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn

Reuters

A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome

Reuters

For parents looking after children at home, it may be easier said than done to find the right time to exercise during the day.

Steven Virtue, fitness content and programming manager at Total Fitness, advises working out while the children are napping or combining playtime with exercise.

Whilst your toddler or school child is enjoying their playtime, join in and make this a time for you to be active as well, he says.

Keep yourself fit by spending quality time with your children and enjoy the health benefits it has to offer.

Just because many of us are in self-isolation doesnt mean we cant be social with one another, both with other individuals in our households and those who are elsewhere.

If you would rather not exercise on your own, having your friends or family members join in with you could help give you a boost, either in person or over video chat.

Its always so much easier to stick to a workout plan, get into the zone and stay motivated if you have friends or family to join in with you, Ennis-Hill says.

If youre alone, get your friends together and do a virtual workout over FaceTime, Skype, whatever you want to use the more the merrier!

Williams adds that you can spruce up your joint workouts with friends by setting challenges for one another using a timer when doing certain exercises.

When doing regular exercise, it is important that you do physical activities that you enjoy, rather than feeling as though you need to copy what somebody else is doing.

Approach activity in the way you enjoy it, says SIX3NINE trainer Thompson. If youve never been somebody that enjoys running, dont force yourself to.

If you find a style of exercise that you enjoy the most and is physically possible with the space and resources that you have, then do it!

Ennis-Hill adds that it is important not to think too much about how tough or daunting the workout you do is going to be.

Focus on the endorphin rush and how great you will feel after! she says.

Ive always said how exercise is such a great way to get the happy hormone flowing and if you must stay at home, exercise is a sure-fire way to give you a little boost.

If you are unsure where to start with your at-home fitness routine, it could be worth reaching out to a fitness professional who can provide you with assistance, says Thompson.

I would advise chatting to your gym as they might be able to help you devise a plan, he says, explaining that while they are closed, SIX3NINE is able to provide personal training sessions via video chat.

Online health and fitness programmes are also able to help people at home keep up their fitness levels, with Centr currently offering a six-week free trial for new members who sign up by Sunday 5 April.

Read the original:
How to stay motivated to workout from home, according to experts - The Independent