When choosing a home fitness plan, there are many things to keep in mind that will help ensure your success. As a general rule, home fitness plans should include a mixture of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training, and should be relatively enjoyable to make you want to keep going. You will also want to consider the amount of money and time you have to invest; for instance, if you can afford it, purchasing a piece of exercise equipment or a weight bench might be a good idea. If not, a set of workout DVDs can be effective, inexpensive, and simple. Being clear about your goals and your commitment availability will help to ensure you choose the best home fitness plan.
It is not true that working out needs to be a miserable, unpleasant experience in order to be effective. In fact, quite the opposite. If you choose a home fitness plan that you find at least somewhat enjoyable, you are more likely to keep going; that's why it's best to consider your favorite activities before you begin. If you enjoy being outdoors, for instance, you might take up biking or hiking, whereas if you enjoy quieter indoor activities, yoga or Pilates might be fun. Feel free to try different things to see what you enjoy most.
Consider the funds and the amount of time you have to devote to your home fitness plan as well. If you have the space and money for it, setting up an actual home gym with some exercise machines, and/or free weights, can be helpful, but there is no reason you cannot get a great workout with some inexpensive items like a resistance band, exercise ball, and jump rope as well as an exercise DVD or two. If you know you only have 20 minutes a day to devote to exercising, don't try to develop a fitness plan that will take an hour every day to complete, because then you'll just skip it.
As you are developing your home fitness plan, be sure to realistically assess your current abilities, and start small, gradually increasing the difficulty of your workout. Starting out too ambitiously will make it more likely that you'll injure yourself or quit altogether. Set smaller, achievable goals for yourself, and then as you reach them, set others. As long as you are challenging yourself and doing a variety of exercises to increase your cardiovascular endurance, and boost your strength and flexibility, there is no "wrong" way to design a home fitness plan.
