Choosing the right at-home exercise program

Someone made a comment on Facebook the other day (I will mention her name, not sure if she'd like that) and it got me thinking. At first I was offended, but then I realized, she has a very good point. I started thinking about conversations I've had and comments I have seen the past weeks. This blogpost concerns at-home exercise programs. Some people love em and owe their lives to them, others think these programs are a bunch of crock. I am part of that first group of people, but I used to be part of the latter - and to be fair, I see their point.

The past month I suddenly see lots of people in my timelines (FB and Twitter) popping up that are starting an at-home exercise program. Of course I have seen many starting a program or just exercising at home and 90% of them failing (not finishing, not keeping it up, thinking it is just a temporary quick fix). And I also notice that people don't research what they are doing. An exercise program is popular, the creator of this program has a well-known name, so they pick it up and do it. Why, though? What is this whole trend to want to go with what is popular, especially when it concerns your health?

Surely, these exercise programs (I am talking about Insanity, P90x, 30 Day Shred) are good, generally. And it is easy to acquire them. But I  think they are good for maybe 10-30% of the population that is wanting to get fit (watch when I say: wanting to get fit, this does not include people that are already fit). My personal opinion is that exercising at home is a great alternative to going to the gym. I hate going to the gym, mainly because I don't want to exercise around sweaty people. It is so much easier and more fun to exercise at home. No more "I have no time" excuses, you can jump right into your own shower after. So, I am absolutely a fan of at-home exercise programs. But, caution is necessary here. I don't know about other exercise programs, but Insanity has a very serious health disclaimer that reads:

Insanity is a extreme and physically demanding workout. This is NOT for beginners or individuals with any medical condition which may be compromised by extreme cardio and strength exercise. Consult your physician before beginning this program.

And I am sure other programs like 30 Day Shred also have a warning that will say you need to consult someone. This is especially important because you are working out without supervision, so the chances you will do your body wrong rather than good and get injnured, are higher! Here are a few points that I think are really important when choosing an exercise program.

• Do your research. There are thousands and thousands of at-home exercise programs on DVD or on YouTube. Why not take some time and look at the different types of workouts there are? Before I started, I looked at tons of different videos, reviews, so I knew what was out there, and what could be a possibility.

• Don't go with the trend. And with this I mean, don't do a program because it is popular or easy to acquire. There are so many different programs. My very first exercise program that I stuck to, was Power 90. Pretty sure 90% of you have never heard of this. I didn't care, I just knew that this was the right thing for me. It had some cardio, some strength training, it was perfect for me, I lost 12kg doing this program. I now do Insanity because it happened to be the same company that publishes it and it happened to be the perfect next step for me.

• Understand the different types of exercise. The one workout is not like the other. I hear so many people say: "I've danced for 10 years, so running wouldn't be so hard." Um. What? With dancing you use COMPLETELY different muslces than with running, so no, this simply does not apply. If you'd start running, you'd be a beginner. Same goes for the other way around, "I've been a runner for 5 years, I can run 10k, so plyometrics will be easy." That is not how it works. I've danced for 18 years, I could totally do high intensity dancing for hours - ask me to run a 5k and I would give up halfway through. I simply am not used to that range of motion. My boyfriend, I'd consider him a runner, he can easily run 10k in less than an hour, but when it comes to plyo, he has a hard time. With me, now, it is the other way around.

• Be real. When I wanted to start working out, the program I came across the most (and I mean, every single day), was Bodyrock.tv, it was really popular back then. But, I looked at it, tried it twice, then realized: no, this is not for me. It is too hard. I was a beginner when it came to fitness. Why would I fool myself into thinking I was already up to that level? I needed something for beginners, because chances were I would not stay motivated this way.

• Realize that this is for life. You don't do exercise as home as a quick fix. Too many people start a program with the attitude of "I want to lose 10kg with this program." This is already wrong. You should pick up a program because you want to get fit for life, because you want to add it into your life forever. I am not saying you have to stick to one program for life, but after your program ends after 30, 60, 90 days, then what? You aren't done. You are going to continue with something else or start over. For the rest of your life!! If you're not in it for life, don't even bother starting.

• Don't overdo it. When you picked a program that you feel fits and that you could do for a long time to come, try to still be real to yourself. Follow the program to the tee, don't do much more than the people on the DVD. If you need to, modify some moves but don't compromise form. Take breaks when you need them (heart rate monitor is so important!), there is always a pause button you can use!! ;)

Only when you stick to these points, will you have success with what you are doing. Click here for 11 other workout tips that I put together. Good luck to everyone choosing for an at-home program to enrich their lives :)