I feel like there are two groups of people emerging during this time of social distancing. There are a few people who are bored out of their minds and looking for a new hobby, maybe it’s tik-tok, maybe it’s gardening or organizing your home- please continue, I’m very intrigued. Then, there’s a group of people that have found themselves bathed in sweat. Who would’ve thought that I, Ms. eats-her-weight-in-food-everywhere-she-travels, would be part of the latter. I am not a huge fan of working out. Never have been. I danced for the majority of my life and I didn’t consider that a workout as much as a I considered it fun. Somehow, I have found myself waking up early enough to get a workout in or squeezing one in during my lunch hour. I still have yet to make a tik-tok and my organization skills are a little sub-par, so I thought I’d share all of the at-home fit tips I’m LOVING right now!
THE BIKE
This all started with a bike. A bike that came two days earlier than expected. I made the decision against buying a peloton (I’m mostly over it because this option was WAY less expensive) and bought this bike from Sunny Health Fitness. Y’all asked if I had code or link for the bike and I don’t, but y’all have been buying them like crazy! I’ve had the bike for about a week and I’ve used it almost every day. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be headed back to Trybe to ride with my friends (see that lingo there? Fitness queen!), but I think I’ve finally found the key to a consistent workout routine.
The bike itself was about $315. It’s on sale due to the wait on shipping (it only took a week), but there are a few extras I added to make it complete. The first thing I knew I needed was a tablet holder. Like I mentioned, I’m not 100% over not getting a peloton after all, but being able to look at a big ol’ screen certainly makes me feel better. I was worried this mount wouldn’t fit the handlebars of my bike, but it’s actually V adjustable. It also fits my 12.9 inch iPad Pro, which was also a concern.
I also shopped Trybe cycle’s (shop local!) supply of Tiems cycling shoes and picked out a cute hot pink pair! I decided to pick up a pair of cycling shoes because I’m a little more brave and can push harder when I have my shoes clipped in. I’m also not having to worry about taking a pedal to the shin. ouch. The sunny bike uses SPD cleats, which I was totally clueless about until a week ago, so I’m letting you know in case you’re interested in purchasing a bike sometime soon. I pre-purchased my cleats on amazon, but Trybe will install them on your shoes if you buy them from them! So KIND!
There are also a few things that I’m still wanting to make my cycling experience complete. I know that I want a cadence tracker (this one was recommended to me) because of the app I use…more on that later. I am also looking for a weight rack because there is nothing better than a good arm workout to close out a good spin class.
THE APPS
As much as I love free videos on you tube (yoga with Adrienne is my FAVORITE for yoga BTW), I am honestly more interested in APPs because the themes and styles are a little more consistent.
This app was way more than what I expected. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t want to feed into the peloton hype for a long time. I didn’t understand what could be so great about the bike or the app. After downloading the app the day after my Sunny Bike came in (click this link to set yourself up for 90 days free-it will be $12.99 after the 3-month trial is over), I was shocked to see the variety of workouts available. If you’ve ever wanted to run a 5k or even a marathon, peloton actually has a full program to guide you toward your goal. There are also different programs to give you a jumpstart toward what ever your goals is. I think I want to try the yoga program or the “crush your core” program! I’ve done quite a few classes on the app already and I’m going to share my top 3 with y’all!
- Robin’s Lizzo Ride from 08/02/19– this is a POPULAR choice for a lot of people and it has everything to do with the combo of Lizzo and Peloton Trainer Robin. P.S. There are lots of themes like this! I saw one for Trap music this morning…interesting.
- Robin’s 30 min Intervals and Arms Ride- THIS WAS SO HARD. I’m going to put it on my workout schedule once a week because it was quick and I was SWEATING!
- Kristin’s 20 Min Yoga Flow-Chest Openers- I have really broad shoulders to begin with, so I feel like my range of motion is really bad if I don’t work on it. Now, that I’m sitting at a desk all I need to work on stretching all of that out! I noticed a big difference after this quick class! I’m going to look for a class for hips next!
I am a long time Tone it Up girl, and download the app every once in a while because I enjoy the quick workouts. These routines are made for elongating your muscles and really building up your muscle endurance (low weight lots of reps!). I have never done Kayla Itsines’ program on the Sweat App, but I THINK they are pretty similar workouts. What do you think?
THE WORKOUT GEAR
There are some basic workout gear that you’ll need if you want to get a home gym together. My advice: don’t buy everything all at once if you’re not sure if you’ll like working out form home. While working out from home is “good for you,” the last thing you want is to buy a bunch of stuff you don’t even care to use. I’ve been there, and I’ve bought resistance bands and booty bands and almost bought sliders because I thought it would make me work out more…and it wouldn’t have. Only the stir crazy brought on by COVID-19 could do that. I would start with weights and a yoga mat if you’re not 100% about how much you’ll like working out from home. These are the weightsI have (they tuck away nicely onto shelves I have) and yoga mat similar to my own.
I shared my look when these cute joggers came in, but what I didn’t show y’all were the pics of me getting surprised by my Sunny Bike! All of this work from home and social distancing stuff has been really hard on all of us in different ways. Adding a fitness routine to my life has made the days seem a little less long and have relaxed me so much. Today, I haven’t gotten a work out in and I feel a little more antsy than I’ve felt in a while. Like I said earlier, working out from home may not be for you, but if you feel uneasy or even bored, it may be something that helps you! Hope y’all enjoyed this post and had a great week! Let me know what y’all are craving to see on the blog, so I can make it happen!
shop my look