There are a lot of benefits to having a gym membership beyond the obvious. The gym may be a nice pit stop you make for yourself to destress after work before you head home. It may be somewhere you go to in order to do something healthy while waiting for rush-hour traffic to die down. Or maybe you like the social aspect of having a gym membership. But when you’re working from home, whether you’ve decided to keep your membership or not, it can be hard to convince yourself after a long day to avoid plopping on the couch and work out.

We spoke with Jim Myers, director of Digital Fitness/Virtual Coaching for FX Well, a managing entity for the Texas Health fitness centers, to get a few quick tips on how to maintain working out, even when you’re working from home.

Set Intentions

If you know you want to get in a quick yoga flow during your lunch break or you want to try that Bootcamp class at the gym after work, set intentions to help you get in the right mindset. That can mean starting in the morning or even the night before. Even something as simple as telling yourself, “It’s important to me that I exercise todayomorrow,” throughout the day will help motivate you.

Your intention can reflect upon why you want to work out or can even focus on keywords, like “I want to feel strong tomorrow; Working out will make me feel stronger; I feel my strongest when I finish a tough workout,” or “I want to prioritize my health; feeling healthy is a priority for me; walking for 30 minutes is a top priority today.”   

You can even create playlists around your intention or keywords and play it throughout the day. Listening to music that you’d enjoying working out to or that make you feel the way you intend to feel during your workout can help solidify your intentions.

(Temporarily) Rebrand Your Home

“Working out or going to the gym is a time to focus on YOU,” Myers explains. “But that can be challenging if you are working out at home since there are more distractions at home or ‘more important’ tasks you could be doing instead. That’s why it’s important to make that mental shift from ‘this is my home’ to ‘this is my home gym’ during whatever time you’ve set aside.”

Create Your Space

While space is a luxury, dedicating a space in your home that can be geared towards exercise is important because when you step into that space or zone, you’ll know it’s time to work and focus on you. Myers even suggests naming your “gym” to give the space a sense of ownership and to make it feel separate from other parts of the home.

“Make sure the space is clean and inviting to you,” Myers says. “Set up your equipment how you like it. If you have a mat, put that in a specific spot; if you have some bands, put those in a specific spot. Make it similar to how your zone may be set up during a class or at the gym. Play around with that until you feel like you have a space that feels good to you.”

Embrace Working Out at Home

While working out at home may have some downsides for you compared to the gym, Myers says to embrace the perks of working out in the sanctity of your home. Play whatever music you like and play it however loud you want. Want to exercise while watching your favorite show or movie? Go ahead! Always wished you could workout in your underwear? Do it— but maybe clear it with any people you share your space with first.

Embrace anything that will make working out at home a plus for you because it’s something you maybe can’t get away with working out elsewhere.

If you’re still having a hard time finding some motivation, Myers suggests working with a personal trainer, whether in person or virtually.

“A personal trainer will teach you the ins and outs of proper movement mechanics, help you truly understand how to achieve your goals, and should be someone you can relate to and enjoy being around,” he adds.

Build a Support System

Myers suggests telling the people you are close with that you are focusing on yourself and your wellbeing. If you tell someone you are working on a goal it will be easier to explain when you have to miss out on something to work out and they can help hold you accountable when that couch is calling at the end of a long day.

“Then try to take it to the next level,” Myers adds. “Try to get people in your support system to try your workouts with you. Have them join virtual fitness classes with you, like the ones we offer through the Texas Health Fitness Centers, or try out the same program on the FX Well Digital Fitness app. Having the extra support is great for the days you are not feeling it and great on those days that you want to brag about the progress you have made!”

At the Texas Health Fitness Centers Powered by FX Well we offer every new member a complimentary fitness assessment, movement screen, and personal training session to help you get started. In addition, we have 40+ virtual classes a week, a Digital Fitness App with a new bodyweight and in-gym workout posted daily, a variety of 30, 60, and 90 day custom programs built to help you achieve your goals, in-body body composition testing, and more! Check out our membership options.