Winter fitness

The closure of gyms in March made life a bit more challenging for regular gym-goers. Thankfully, spring meant shifting workouts to outdoor settings or routines wasn’t too difficult. With winter on the horizon, however, it’s becoming harder to keep your fitness routine outdoors.

If you are considering turning a corner of your house into a fitness center, we enlisted Leah Muir, of Muir Wellness, to help.

Meet the coach

Muir began her fitness career working with high school students before transitioning to group fitness and soon after becoming a certified boxing instructor and virtual wellness coach. Recently, she became a NASM Personal Trainer with specialization in
pre/postnatal training.

Jumping in

Before getting started, Muir said the first questions you should ask yourself are, “What do you enjoy doing?” and “What are your goals?”

“Align your routine or program with those answers first,” she said. “If the program you choose or the routine you set doesn’t line up with your goals or you don’t enjoy it, chances are it’s not going to last very long.”

Next up, schedule your workout. “Schedule it in, just like you’d schedule a class at the gym,” she said. “Prioritizing your workout time and communicating that to other family members is important.”

Finally, find your space. You need to figure out where in your house makes the most sense for you to perform the routines you choose. “Think about how the space will functionally work for you,” Muir said. “How much room do you need to move? How tall is your ceiling if jumping or lifting above your head? Do kids need to be entertained nearby? Can you store equipment but still easily access it? Designating a safe and functional space allows you to jump right into your workout at your set time.”

Muir suggests finding an online program rather than trying to develop your own plan, too. “Creating your own routine can be fun for some, but without a foundational knowledge base you risk possible injury, frustration from not progressing toward your goals or eventually becoming bored and quitting.”

Gearing up

You do not need to invest hundreds — or thousands — of dollars in exercise equipment either. “Many quality workouts can be performed with bodyweight exercises and need no equipment,” Muir noted.

Staying motivated

To keep up your motivation, make sure you are choosing a workout plan you enjoy and find accountability partners to help keep you focused.

Muir also said not to beat yourself up if you miss a few workouts. Instead, she suggests, “Ask yourself why? Look at it as a cue for what might not be working in your current routine and take the time to adjust and refine it to work better for you.”

Most importantly, just keep moving. “Movement is key. The more movement you can add to your day, the better, even if it’s not in the form of a traditional workout.”