the home gym
Safe to say our work out habits have changed and we are now all well versed in our at-home workout routines. I’d say a good half of me misses heading to the gym, working out with friends in a motivating environment of loud music and sweaty bodies proceeded by a nice steam or spa treatment, and the other half of me is curious how I ever had the time for any of that since I can barely fit an hour of exercise into my day! Am I right?
1. skipping rope | 2. mini stability ball | 3. bala bangles or ankle weight | 4. fitness circle or here | 5. gliders | 6. resistant band | 7. dumbbells | 8. theragun elite | 9. foam roller
The world has changed – from the way we operate to the way we behave – and although I am not totally keen on working out by myself at home, I have found ways (and classes) that make me feel like I am still with friends, being supported both physically and mentally by experts as I exercise.
Like most, I’ve taken to the gram and some of my favourite teachers and trainers have robust offerings that are either free on IGTV or on their newly built platforms. I used to work out with Val a whole bunch (check out my body transformation and learn about the magic we did together), and now @Thestudiomtl with Val & Jen is part of my weekly routine. I try to do cardio workouts a few times just to get my blood flowing. But when I am not bouncing around, you’ll find me in Alissa’s @movebarre or Suyin’s @Bcycle – both barre classes that I absolutely cannot live without. When I don’t have time for the full class, find me hitting up YouTube for a quick fix or even just grabbing my skipping rope and going solo for 3 minutes.
Before the pandemic hit, I had a bunch of equipment at home, but it was partial at best. But today, almost a year later, I swear I could charge a membership to my home with all the exercise gear I have here! I did my research and tried to find not only the best for my workout style but also small enough to not feel cumbersome in my home. First off, I invested in a good yoga mat, mini stability ball, bala bangles or ankle weight , gliders and resistant band. All of these are more or less essential to a barre or pilates class. Especially as you build up your strength, you might want to add that weight to keep the workout challenging.
Pilates with Steph @pilatesnoir or @theballetcure with Maude usually don’t require much equipment, but sometimes you’ll want a fitness circle or grab one here or dumbbells. Along with my journaling and meditation practice, I try to keep yoga in my roster a few times a week. Along with my calming rituals, I have also tried some physical therapies like theragun elite and the foam roller. Words can’t describe just how relaxing it feels to drape my body across that roller and move around for 15 minutes. There is so much release, it feels incredible.
Regardless of the gear you invest in, you can always hit up a class – I guess one of the silver linings we can trace here is that we have visibility into the offerings of trainers worldwide, all we have to do is pop into one class and watch to see if we like the style before we sign up.
But here is the thing, it’s all about the sign up. These people work tirelessly (literally, it’s exhausting to workout 4 or 5 times a day with that kind of intention, focus and energy), so if you are going to take any of their classes, it’s all about registering and paying, it is a business after all. Which workouts do you enjoy most and is it just as much fun doing it at home??
Photography by Patricia Brochu