By Kurt Dusterberg
We all know that staying active is part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For many people, that includes making regular trips to the gym.
For others, the idea of a health club membership is a nonstarter. Whether it’s the cost, the crowds, or the huffing and puffing in front of total strangers, some people want to put in their work away from the public eye. Fortunately, the gym isn’t the only option. Home workouts are a good alternative, and the results can be just as effective.
James Walsh is the owner of Raleigh Mobile Fitness. As the name suggests, his personal training business rolls up in a van with a full gym inside. His clients value privacy and convenience, but also accountability.
“It is very difficult to skip a workout when I pull up to your driveway at 6 a.m. and I’m already ready to go for you,” he says.
While not everyone is ready for a boutique training regimen, Walsh encourages people to make the most of a home exercise routine, focusing on specific movement categories. “We look at a squat, then a hinge—think bending at the hips,” Walsh says. “Then both a push-up or a bench press, then pushing up overhead, like an overhead press.”
Monitoring the ratio between pushing and pulling is important. “People run into issues, whether it’s shoulder tendonitis or some kind of other pain, when they’re pushing too much and the backside of the body doesn’t get worked.”
Maddie Grace is a trainer at Life Time in Cary. She promotes the importance of six fundamental multi-joint movement patterns: planks, squats, pulling, pushing, split squats, and hinges. “If we strengthen up the core, the back is going to hurt less,” she says.
But what if structured exercise feels like too much of a chore, even at home? Walking is a no-excuse activity that provides real benefits.
“It’s a great way to get a little more activity in your day, and it’s super good mentally,” Grace says. “It’s great for destimulation. And walking is not going to spike your hunger cues. You won’t say, ‘I’m starving after that walk.’ It’s very low risk and high reward.”
Walsh agrees that the simple acting of moving your feet builds a good foundation. “Walking is where I start with a lot of my clients,” he says. “Just a couple of daily walks after meals, 10 or 15 minutes at an easy conversational pace. It lowers blood sugar, supports digestion, and increases daily movement. It can also aid in fat loss. That’s such an easy, free activity to do.”
If you want to bring some equipment into your home exercise routine, try to get the most out of your purchase. “I would actually focus on one specific thing and get a range of weight,” says Grace, who is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified master trainer. “If you’re a beginner purchasing weights, and you’ve got $200 to purchase some equipment, I want you to get weights in 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 [pounds]. I want you to lift a little heavier. Or save them until you can lift a little heavier. I want you to be able to vary your rep ranges and vary your sets.”
For those in the parenting years who need to squeeze in workouts when they can, there are easy ways to address age-appropriate concerns. “Strength and power would be my focus for that age group,” Walsh says. “There’s a lot of research that shows, as we age, those are the two things we lose the most. So things like easy jumps—like plyometrics, jumping jacks, or even jumping rope—are going to be great for the ankles, the Achilles tendon, and the calves.”
Both trainers say it’s important to put in the time regularly in order develop and maintain skeletal muscle mass. “I like to break that up into three or four 30-minute sessions if someone is going to be working out at home,” Walsh says. “That’s plenty of strength-focused sessions if you know what you’re doing.”
The trick is to find the time, then spend a few well-placed dollars. “I understand that people have a budget, and I respect that so much,” Grace says. “But it’s something I’m willing to budget for my health. It’s worth making an investment in.”
