Working out at Home {For Free!}

Here at Houston Moms Blog, there is no shortage of fitness inspiration posts. From posts on losing the baby weight to amazing fitness solutions in the Greater Houston Area, we’ve got you covered. But there’s one thing that I want to talk about :: FREE.

First of all, I am by no means a fitness expert. I don’t have all the answers, nor will I ever claim to be. I am a mom who has an extremely demanding work schedule {high school theatre means ridiculously long hours} who wanted a solution for not having to spend a lot of time and money for my fitness. I found a way to make it all work the best way for me, which may not be the best for you.

With my first pregnancy, I gained well over 50 pounds. By the time Kennedy reached one year old, I still hadn’t lost about 20 of those pounds. I wasn’t that mom who lost all of the weight to breastfeeding – in fact, my body held onto maternal fat stores until Kennedy was weaned at 13.5 months. I ate well, took walks with her in the stroller, went back to the gym over the summer when I had more time, and tried DVDs at home. I was frustrated, to say the very least, that it felt impossible to lose those last pounds. I had to take a different approach.

I think my problem was not only being inconsistent, but not challenging myself enough. It was time to try something different. I decided to download the Couch to 5K {C25K} app onto my phone without having any sort of running training ever. This program is designed for people like me.

So I wasn’t missing any time with my family, I did my runs in the evening after Kennedy went to sleep and while my husband worked. On the days I wasn’t running, I would pull out my iPad and do a good HIIT {High Intensity Interval Training} workout on YouTube for about thirty minutes.

Running really changed my body and help challenge me in a manageable way. I completed the C25K program in the eight weeks and lost the baby weight plus more. My husband and I signed up for a 5K in July {my very first one ever}, and I ran it under 35 minutes.

If you want to work out at home but don’t know where to start, I suggest the following ::

Try something different and stick with it.

Busting out the familiar dusty DVDs that have failed you over and over probably isn’t the way to work out at home. It’s time to think outside the box and do something different. Different can still mean free! I totally recommend the Couch to 5K plan, but there are also tons of free workout plans available all over the internet and that you can use as an app on your phone. Even on Pinterest! It keeps you accountable. Get your partner involved in it to also help keep you on track. What kept me motivated was the 5k I signed up to run!

Utilize technology.

There are so many free resources out there not only on the internet, but in the palms of our hands with our smart phones. Aside from the C25K app, I love the Nike+ app to track my runs and the MyFitnessPal website/app to track food. I love getting the iPad out and find great HIIT workout on YouTube. Make a playlist on your account so you can access them at any time. I suggest this one, this one, or this one.

Start small.

If you can only dedicate thirty minutes to working out because of a busy schedule, that’s okay. Better to do that than none at all. I love this ten minute workout, and it usually burns about 200 calories, per my heart rate monitor!

Multitask.

Have zero alone time? Kids climbing all over you? Work out with them in the room. I can personally attest that I have put on a TV show for Kennedy that’s the same time as one of my favorite workouts so that I was supervising her but also taking care of myself. You are not a bad mother if you have to do this. Pushing a stroller around is another way to multitask and burn calories too. Not to mention the weather is perfect today for that!

What about you? Do you work out at home? What resources keep you motivated? I’m actually pregnant with my second baby, and my goal is to stay fit during this pregnancy and keep with it!