Exercise When You’re Stuck For Space & Time
Precious Space & Time
According to recent research by Savills, the number of ‘older’ homeowners looking to move from a larger family home into a smaller property has increased by more than 53% over the last six months.
At the other end of the age spectrum, some younger people may be limited on space – sharing a home with friends or living with their parents. Clearly, space is at a premium when it comes to exercising at home. In addition to space, time is also precious for busy families or for those who work shifts or irregular hours. Here are some Roger Black Fitness Top Fitness Tips for those of you who are limited on space and time.
How To Exercise In A Small Space
The first thing to do is choose where you want to exercise, ideally a room with a window, space for a mat or an area that is carpeted. It doesn’t matter if it is the ‘box’ room, especially if you buy a space-saving machine such as the Roger Black Treadmill but you need to feel comfortable to help you to get into the zone.
How Do You Adapt To Exercise When Space Is Limited?
Your first port of call when starting out on your exercise journey is probably a Google search for advice. You will know your own body and its limitations so some activities might not be feasible for you. Sometimes, making a checklist can be helpful for what you can or can’t manage or do or don’t enjoy.
How Do I Start Exercising If I Haven’t In A Long Time?
Another area to carefully consider is mobility and fitness levels, particularly if you haven’t exercised in a long time. Ease yourself back in gently and always seek professional advice from a GP, consultant or personal trainer if you have chronic or acute health issues.
Exercises For A Small Space
If you prefer to do exercises with hand weights or using your own body weight, remember to ease yourself in gently, especially if you haven’t exercised for a while.
Three sample exercises might be:
- Push-ups
- Squats
- Sit-ups
Bear in mind that the above suggestions need not be scary and can be adapted to your own level. There are lots of videos on YouTube if you are stuck or take advice from a professional, as follows:
Push-Ups
If you are nowhere near doing a full push-up, you can either do a push-up on your knees or against the wall, if you have knee problems:
Take into account the positioning of your arms as there are different variations from a wide push-up to a narrower space between your hands. The narrower your arms, the more challenging the push-up.
Squats
Squats are not just for ‘the body beautiful’ on social media feeds. As your glutes are one of the largest muscle groups in the body, squats are helpful in relation to posture and to help manage lower back pain.
You can also stand against a wall to do squats as per the diagram below, ensuring that your back is flat against the wall and that your knees face front:
Sit-ups
Sit-ups aren’t for everyone, especially if you have neck and lower problems or are recovering from surgery. Sit-ups can also be adapted to suit your flexibility and mobility. If you are hoping for an instant six-pack, unfortunately, there are no quick fixes when it comes to muscle tone and strength. You need to factor in diet and fat loss as well.
What About Other Options?
If weight-bearing exercise doesn’t appeal to you, other options might include home fitness equipment. Why not have a read of our blog ‘How to do exercise at home’. There are lots of options when it comes to home fitness equipment choices when it comes to budget, size and performance.
What’s The Minimum Equipment Needed To Exercise?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as your fitness and wellbeing journey is personal to you. Also, it can be tempting to be lured into buying more than you need. Start small and build upon what you have – for some, it might be ordering a set of resistance bands – for others it might be ordering a treadmill or folding bike.
Home Exercise Equipment For Small Spaces
If you have decided to purchase an exercise machine to use at home, it is important to ask yourself three questions before you press the ‘Buy Now button:
- How much space do I have at home
- What is my budget
- How often will I use it
If you are considering a Roger Black Fitness machine, we offer a range of six folding or stationary bikes and treadmills as well as an air rower and cross trainer, with lead-in prices starting from £199.00 (plus delivery).
Our recommended space-saving machines include The Roger Black Easy Fold Treadmill and The Roger Black Folding Exercise Bike.
Roger Black Fitness Easy Fold Treadmill
The Easy Fold Treadmill is a dream piece of home fitness equipment, especially if you aren’t able to assemble a machine yourself. This foldable treadmill is delivered fully assembled and can fold either flat or upright against a wall. The Easy Fold Treadmill is designed with ease of use and functionality in mind, especially for beginners.
Roger Black Fitness Folding Exercise Bike
If you enjoy a bike pedal whilst catching up on your favourite box set, why not invest in a folding exercise bike? Delivered semi-assembled and offering eight levels of resistance and a comfortable saddle, this foldable exercise bike is a brilliant value-for-money spend. Customer feedback also focuses on saddle height as this bike is suitable for taller or more petite customers who may struggle to find a suitable machines.
Can You Fit A Workout Into A Small Space
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way…”, so the saying goes but also you should be realistic and sensible. Don’t cram multiple machines into a small space and if buying a treadmill, always check with your insurance company about usage. Some insurance companies (so we have been advised) will not cover treadmill use on the upper levels of a home. Furthermore, always take heed from product manuals, especially if they include a minimum workout area recommendation.
How To Use Your Exercise Time
When it comes to commitment and time allocation, allow yourself a fixed amount of time each week that fits in with your schedule. Results won’t happen overnight so the aim is to create a positive ‘habit’ that becomes routine for you, rather than a burden or something you don’t enjoy. Consider one of the following:
Use Lunchtime Or Breaktime
‘Exercise snacking’ or short bursts of activity can form part of a lunch or work break but don’t exercise straight after eating a full meal. Keep moving; take the stairs instead of getting in a lift for example and be mindful of how much physical activity you are doing each day.
Incorporate Daily Activities
Regardless of your schedule or lifestyle, there are always ways to incorporate more physical activity into your day, even if you are at home or work all day. If you are sitting down a lot, you can do upper body workouts on the sofa or at your desk or use some hand weights. If you are stuck at home with young children or grandchildren, why not get them involved in a workout as well and keep them entertained?
Use Your Morning Time
Exercising in the morning is not for everyone, both preference-wise or practically. Some experts believe that morning workouts are ‘more effective’ because they can set you up for the day. It all depends on you. If you are a morning bird, you can set you alarm 15 minutes earlier and grab a few minutes of ‘me time’ to dedicate to some form of exercise. Another point to consider is that you shouldn’t exercise too close to bedtime or after a big meal, regardless of the hour.
What Is A Mini Workout?
As mentioned above, ‘exercise snacking’ or a mini workout can be really helpful if you are busy or struggle to exercise for long periods of time. Dedicating a few minutes to your body each day can also help with mobility, concentration and fatigue. Your only accountability is to yourself so don’t feel obliged to walk or run for long periods of time if this isn’t viable for you, your physical ability or lifestyle.
How To Include Exercise In Everyday Life
Well-formed lifestyle habits will help you to integrate exercise into everyday life without too much pressure. Exercise should be enjoyable and affirming so find what works for you and vary activities to keep your muscles guessing! Even if you can’t exercise at home every day, walking outdoors is a great leveller with nature and is excellent for cardiovascular health and wellbeing, even if you have to contend with the elements.
How Effective Are Video-Led Exercises?
If you enjoy class-style workouts and like some accountability or a group setting, there are numerous online videos and programmes available. Look at what Lockdown did for Joe Wicks uniting the nation in his daily online workouts! You don’t always need to spend money on classes or subscriptions – there are lots of resources available. Sometimes, a friend or loved one might also have a recommendation. Ask your network for recommendations on what works for them.
How Can I Lose Weight If I Don’t Have Time To Exercise?
This is perhaps the great ‘million-dollar-question’. The answer we would give is that there is always time to exercise. You just need to find the will and incentive. Weight loss is a science in itself requiring some form of change in your lifestyle, whether it be reviewing and changing your diet or cutting down on alcohol consumption. Weight loss rarely occurs (outside of illness) without a combination of factors but diet is key.
So regardless of how limited you might be on space and time, find a solution that works for you. The internet has revolutionized our lives to include health and wellbeing – sometimes with too much to choose from. So get busy creating a positive lifestyle change, regardless of whether you are down or upsizing.
