Alright, we all know quarantine has completely jacked with so many of our routines. And I sure do miss our Thursday date nights out and our post-church Sunday brunches, but I really miss flowing in a 95 degree room with 20 other smiling faces. It’s something I pray I never take for granted again. But, until that glorious day I can step back into that studio, I’ve actually really enjoyed the challenge of switching things up at home!

Because here’s the truth: You do NOT need an expensive gym membership or a ton of equipment to get in a good workout. You CAN grow stronger and fitter and healthier without leaving your living room. And it CAN be an enjoyable experience! 

I’m sharing the few pieces of equipment I have (hint, it’s not a lot but it’s all I need!), two tips that have really helped me make working out at home a joy, and a link fest of my favorite workouts I’ve done from home! 

THE EQUIPMENT I’VE GOT

Peach Booty Bands  // I’ve tried a few different brands and these are by far the best. They’re thick and they don’t snap and they’ve got a solid amount of resistance in them. Even before quarantine when I was still enjoying sweating in the yoga studio, I love grabbing these in the middle of the day for a few moves just to feel a little burn. 

Dumbbells // I know they’re hard to come by right now, but I’ve had this 5 lb set and this 10 lb set for a while. 

Sliders // If you haven’t tried using sliders, you do not know what you’re missing! I’ve seen people use plates or towels, but I’ve had these for years and you just can’t beat the real thing. 

Resistance Bands // I bought these years ago when I used to travel for work and I always packed them in my suitcase because you really can’t beat the power-packed into such little suitcase-space. (I can’t find the exact ones I have, but they’re really similar to these.)

A Mat // I’ve got my fair share of yoga mats, and all for a different purpose. This one is my go-to washer-friendly hot yoga mat, but you don’t need anything that fancy at home. In fact, I’ve just been grinding on a mat from my NOW Foods family that I don’t mind getting dirty and dusty outside. 

TWO TIPS THAT HAVE HELPED

The first few days of quarantine I put a few workouts on the TV and moved the furniture around in my living room and tried to get my sweat on. But trying to work and rest and cook and sweat all in the same few-hundred square feet wasn’t helping the crazy suffocation I was feeling. 

So I took my workouts to our tiny little balcony and it’s been such a treat! It’s small and it’s tight, and it’s obviously only a few feet away from the living room, but there’s something about it that makes me feel so much more refreshed. And because #Texas, I’ve seen everything from 45 degrees and overcast to 85 degrees and sunny, but it’s just felt good to move my body and flex my muscles in the fresh air! 

So if you’ve got any kind of space (even just a few feet on a mini-balcony), take it outside!

And schedule it. 

Even though I don’t have to book ahead of time, I still find committing to my workouts and having a plan has helped me get them in. It’s tempting to not set an alarm, roll out of bed, and scroll through some options while sitting on the couch before actually getting my butt moving, but I’ve found, before I close out my workday, I look ahead to tomorrow, place a loose plan on the calendar and make sure I make space for a workout. As simple as it sounds, even just having a plan for a workout gives me some semblance of structure and routine in this crazy time. 

THE WORKOUTS I’VE LOVED

Zero Equipment: 

• This 15 minute Ab Shredder by Sarah’s Day
• This 15 minute Full Body workout by Sarah’s Day – I remember pulling this up on my iPad in my hotel in Berlin, sweating next to the bed in a little hotel room, just trying to maintain my fitness while on a month-long trek through Europe. 
• This 12 minute Pure Power workout from Tone It Up 
• This 7 minute Tush It Good workout from Tone It Up
• This 12 minute Slay with K&K workout from Tone It Up
• This 11 minute Stop, Drop + Booty Pop workout from Tone It Up
• This 13 minute Cardio Kickboxing workout from Tone It Up
• This 13 minute Cardio Abs workout from Tone It Up
• This 10 minute Lower Body workout from Tone It Up
• This 25 minute Full Body Cardio workout from Sarah’s Day

Just Dumbells:

• This 14 minute Total Body Tone Up from Tone It Up – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled this one up over the last few years. Just a solid living room workout. 
• This 30 minute Full-Body, Low Impact workout from Cambria Joy – I’m so wildly obsessed with Cambria. In fact, she’s a lot of the reason behind me starting this whole blog 3 years ago. I’ve loved watching her navigate her relationship with food and her body and now it’s so fun to actually get to do live workouts with her! 
• This second 30 minute Full-Body, Low Impact HIIT workout from Cambria 
• And another 30 minute Full-Body, Low Impact HIIT workout from Cambria (I love all 3 of these! I’ve done all of them multiple times)
• This 10 minute Strong & Sexy Arms Mashup workout from Tone It Up
• This 13 minute Burn It Up workout from Tone It Up 
• This 6 minute Tank Top Arms workout from Love Sweat Fitness
• This 9 minute Sculpt & Define Arm workout from Tone It Up
• This 11 minute Upper Body workout from Tone It Up
• This 30 minute Strength Training workout from Popsugar Fitness
• This 20 minute Toned Arms & Abs workout from Popsugar Fitness

Just a Band:

• This 13 minute Best Band workout from Tone It Up

Just a Booty Band:

• This 12 minute Booty Burn with Karena
• This 5 minute Booty Builder with Love Sweat Fitness
• This 14 minute Band Burn from Tone It Up

Just Sliders:

• This 15 minute Lower Body Slider workout from Well+Good
• This 13 minute Full Body Slider workout from YogiApproved
• This 11 minute Bombshell Booty workout from Tone It Up

Apps:

• Nike Training Club // The NTC app has been a favorite of mine for years now! I paid for a full membership last year, but I’ve heard they’re offering the Premium classes for free right now! You can do plans based on your goals and it schedules your workouts for you, or you can just choose based on what you’re feeling for the day. The Abs & Arms, Tank Top Arms, and Leg and Glute Burner are 3 of my favorites. 
• Nike Run Club // I’ve been using this app for 10+ years, all the way back to when I had to put a little GPS chip inside my shoe. For years I ran with my phone in an armband and I’ve finally upgraded to phone-free runs thanks to my Apple Watch. But whatever tech you’ve got, the guided runs are SO fun. They’ve got runs with Headspace, long runs, speed workouts, even runs with funny people like Kevin Hart. It’s just so fun to run with a coach guiding you through and it’s honestly helped me enjoy running again! 
• ClassPass // If you’ve never tried ClassPass, now’s the time! Of course you can’t use it to hop around all the best studios in town, but they’re offering FREE access to a huge library of all their live at-home workouts. I’ve done a few different ones during quarantine and they’ve all been awesome! (Use this link to get it for free!)

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