What's the Best At-Home Workout for You?
Ask yourself these three questions to find out.

Thanks to COVID-19, everyone is claiming to have the best at-home workout. We're getting inundated with at-home exercising do's and don'ts from celebrities touting their workout routines to fear-inducing ads about exercises to avoid when working out at home. In the end, all this "information" is confusing and more demotivating than it is motivating.

To help you cut through the clutter and find the best at-home workout for you, answer these three questions

What do you like to do, and what are you willing to do? 

Not even the most "advanced" fitness program will work for you if you don't do it. That's why you have to base the plan you choose on what you enjoy, the time and equipment you have available, your fitness goals, and your current fitness level. In other words, the best program for you is a program you will do and do consistently.

A word of caution, placing too much emphasis on the physical effects of exercise isn't necessarily going to help find your best at-home workout. Working out to lose weight, lower cholesterol, or prevent diabetes takes months before you see any physical results of your hard work. When you choose a program based solely on fitness outcomes, you're much more likely to develop a disdain for your workouts and the related physical activity. So, stay in tune with exercises and programs that give you a mood boost and a sense of near-instant gratification. That's the secret to staying motivated and achieving your desired results.

How will you track your progress?

The best at-home workouts help you track your progress. No matter what your reason is for working out, you'll be more likely to attain or exceed your fitness goals if you track your performance.

According to the experts, tracking your performance can:

• Allow you to be more efficient with your time and workouts.
• Help hold you accountable to yourself and your goals.
• Assist with identifying when and where modifications are needed.
• Increase your motivation.
• Direct your planning and goal-setting efforts.
• Bring consistency to your training.
  

In a recent study published in PLOS Medicine, researchers concluded using tactics like goal-setting can help keep you accountable. Another study published in Frontiers in Public Heath noted the type of tactic you use must address the particular barriers holding you inactive and from engaging in regular physical activity such as not knowing where to exercise or dealing with time constraints.

What type of media fits you best?

Do you like working out alone or with other people? With friends or with people you don't know? Do you want to study each exercise movement before performing it or just jumping in?

You want to be comfortable in your workout environment and with the way your program is delivered to you. Take fitness classes and personal training, for example. There are many reasons people show up for their sessions from peer pressure to social benefits. It the co-dependency that exists within the class is what ultimately drives the consistent attendance and creates results. 

But, what if your schedule is too chaotic to let you commit to a regular class schedule or your budget lacks the room for a personal trainer?

Many of the best at-home workouts are Fitness DVDs, videos, books, PDFs, and fitness apps. Each a viable alternative provided you will enjoy the program, you can perform it in the time available, and it aligns with your fitness goals and current fitness level.

However, some of these methods are inconvenient or too difficult to log and track your performance. For example,

• DVDs/Videos: Often considered the "best at-home workouts" simply because they are videos. But, even when streamed, there's no easy way to track or log your workout. And, when not streamed, DVDs/videos lack mobility. They don't always include instructional information. And, while some DVDs/videos show actors performing alternative exercises, it's no easy to modify your workout, and it's not easy to track your performance when you do.
• Books/PDFs: Face it, who wants to workout carrying paper or trying to read an exercise routine from an iPhone. Yet, some of the best at-home workouts from very knowledgeable trainers are sitting in PDFs. The problem is there's no disruption-free guidance while you perform the routine, and you must find your own way to keep track of workouts and log them. Instructional information may or may not be included or is provided separately by linking you to YouTube videos.
• Apps: Perhaps the best delivery method. Both, they are usually limited in terms of the trainers or the trainers the big firms' market. It can cost trainers a ton of money and time to build and maintain an App. As a result, trainer selection is limited. Plus, you may end up with several apps for different types of workouts, from a different trainer, and end up managing multiple apps. That's why people have so many fitness apps on their mobile devices.

Media aside, another reason people become disenchanted with their workouts is they go too hard too quickly with new programs or when getting back into a workout routine. Then, instead of getting a mood boost and near-instant gratification, they're back on the couch missing their workouts.

Let's get moving!

Exercise can make you feel good, yet we find it so hard to do. We exercise too hard and too soon with a new exercise program. We focus too much on the physical effects of exercises and end up with a disdain for physical activity. Stop the madness. Choose an exercise program you'll enjoy and do consistently. Track your progress and adjust. Pick a delivery method that sets you up for success. And, notice just how much better you feel when you exercise.

TriadXP.com

At TriadXP.com, we understand the importance of addressing the barriers that keep you inactive and from engaging in regular physical activity. That's why the TriadXP platform enables independent trainers to produce and distribute a wide variety of voice and video-guided workouts. Our trainers include celebrity and professional sports trainers, bestselling fitness authors, and niche trainers who cover everything from ballet to tactical fitness, and we're growing our community and technology every day. With TriadXP, you get a variety of trainers and workouts, and, with the TriadXP App, we make it super easy for you to follow and track your workouts down to whatever level you want reps, times, distances, and loads. You'll get instant gratification from your workout summaries after each workout and when you see those consecutive workout days build up in your daily workout log. We're here to help get you moving! Visit us at TriadXP.com for more on the best at-home workout.