In recent times, our home has become our hub for everything. From work to workouts, we have had to adjust to fulfilling every aspect of our lives under the one roof.
With exercise in particular, finding the motivation to push through with your at-home workout can be difficult.
Believe it or not – what you eat can have a huge impact on this. There are many convenient, healthy foods that can actually help you exercise better at home.
Whether it’s to boost your energy or keep you hydrated – we’ve rounded up everything you need. Plus, we’ve got several easy workouts that you can try to get started!
The Benefits of Exercise at Home
Certain food and drink can help you get the most out of your fitness activities. While you should always aim to eat a healthy, balanced diet – some snacks can provide you with the nutrients you need to focus and persist.
Home exercise boasts a lot of benefits. For one, it is completely free to do, which means you don’t have to worry about paying for membership fees, or equipment. There are lots of online exercise routines to inspire you no matter your level of fitness, therefore saving you money on hiring a personal trainer.
Exercising at home saves time. There’s no need to worry about commuting to and from the gym – nor do you need to wait around for equipment to free up so you can finally use it!
You can also go at your own pace. There’s no pressure to keep up with those around you, or push yourself to the point where you are uncomfortable. While your workout does not need to be highly strenuous, you shouldn’t give yourself the excuse of being at home to slack.
It is all about finding the right balance for you – but home – at least you have your own personal, private space to experiment and find what works best for you.
Top 3 Foods to Help You Exercise at Home
The main thing you need to get you through your workout routines at home, is the right foods. Throughout the rest of this blog, we will show you what exact foods you need, as well as some easy at-home workouts for you to try.
Biltong for Protein
A protein boost is great for either pre or post workout sessions. Protein is an important part of a healthy diet, as it helps rebuild muscles and is a long-lasting energy source (1).
For at home exercises, you need protein to boost energy and aid recovery. Protein can be found in a range of foods, but biltong is one of the best to choose from due to its many other benefits.
Stript Snacks biltong is a tasty beef snack that is air-cured and lightly seasoned. It contains no MSG or added sugars and is made with 100% British and Irish beef – making it a healthy, quality snack for you to enjoy.
What makes biltong especially great is its high protein count. One pack contains 13g of protein and less than 75 kcals!
By choosing biltong as an energising, guilt-free snack – you will not only feel fulfilled and fuelled for your workout, but also the rest of the day.
You can get biltong in packs of 10, so you can stock up to prepare you for your workouts ahead of time.
Water for Hydration
Water is especially important for exercise, as it can have a major impact on your performance and potential.
While it may seem self-explanatory – a lot of people’s workouts are hindered due to dehydration. By being well hydrated through drinking water regularly throughout the day, your body will be much more able to cope with replacing fluids lost through exercise (2).
What’s more is that water has no calories or sugars, making it the healthiest of drinks to choose from. It is also cheap and convenient as you can get it straight from your tap (2).
If you don’t like the taste of plain water, one way you can enhance this is by using lemon slices, or frozen berries.
Fruit for Energy
Fruit is a great food to help you exercise at home as it is an easy, convenient, quick source of energy.
As fruit digests quickly, it can provide instant fuel for your workout (3). While protein is stored a little longer and is used to prevent muscle damage, having both of these before a workout is a winning combination, helping you to persevere and reach your full potential.
As you can choose from many fruits, you are guaranteed to find a favourite that you can rely on – or you can mix up your alternatives. Plus, you can enjoy these in a variety of ways, from fresh to frozen, dried to juiced!
Exercises to Try at Home
Once you are satisfied from your snacks and fully hydrated, you can get stuck into your at-home workout.
But where do you start? Sometimes finding the right exercise for you can take a while, but you can’t go wrong with a couple of 10-minute taster workouts to explore your options.
These can be done conveniently at a time that suits you, whether it be during a TV ad break or while you are waiting for your dinner to cook in the oven.
10-minute workouts like the ones provided by the NHS website are short enough for you to easily fit them into your daily schedule. Plus they offer the perfect opportunity for you to trial run new exercises you might enjoy.
10 Minute Abs Workout
One of the most common areas people focus on when they work out is the abdominal area. Doing an abs workout is good if you want to focus on strengthening your core muscles and achieve a flatter stomach.
And you can do it in just 10 minutes. By following this routine and repeating it regularly throughout the week, you will soon start to see a difference.
X12 Stomach Crunches
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about a hip-width apart. For support, place your hands either on your thighs, across your chest or behind your ears.
Starting off slowly, curl up towards your knees, until your shoulders are about three inches off the floor. Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower yourself back down to the floor.
X10 Planks
Face your body to the floor, propping yourself up on your forearms and toes. Keep your legs straight and hips raised to ensure your body is in a rigid line from head to toe.
Focus on keeping your shoulders parallel to your elbows, as well as keeping your abs contracted throughout. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds and repeat.
X12 Stomach Crunches with Legs Raised
Similar to the previous stomach crunch exercise, lie on your back with your knees and feet on the floor, placing your hands on your chest this time.
Slowly pull your knees towards your chest, keeping them bent until your tailbone comes off the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then lower down slowly.
X10 Side Planks
Lie on your side, propped up on an elbow, keeping your shoulder directly above it. Straighten your legs and raise your hips to ensure your body is in a rigid line from head to toe.
Keep your neck long and your shoulders away from your ears, contracting your abs at all times. Continue to hold this position for 5-10 seconds, and repeat, alternating sides every 5 times.
The NHS website also offers easy 5-minute warm-up and cool-down exercises if you want to build up and unwind from your workout properly.
Exercise at home can be easy if you start with the right foods. With regular energy and water intakes, you can better your performance and stay motivated while being at home.
To find out more about the many benefits of biltong, check out Stript Snacks.
SOURCES
