5 Things you can do to level up your home workouts

Once upon a time, heading to the gym or balling with friends was how we stayed fit—but with routines like these a far way away from being completely safe again, many of us are now exercising at home.

Here’s the thing: When you’re used to your space being a place to rest, it can be hard to get into the zone. And if you’ve found a way to get into it, it can be even more difficult to keep your workouts from becoming repetitive. Here are a few ways you can get the most out of your home workout:

Fuel up before and after you work out

Some people forget that eating is an important way to give yourself extra energy to work out—it can be counterintuitive if one’s reason for exercising is to lose weight, for example—but skipping out on (easily digested) carbs, fruits, vegetables, or most importantly, water is equivalent to driving on an empty tank. Even a banana a few minutes before you warm up can give you the energy you need.

Once you’re done with your workout, it helps to load up on protein afterwards, to help repair and grow your muscles. Be sure to drink lots of water to replenish everything you just sweat out.

Try more dynamic warmups

Many of us start off our workouts by just stretching our limbs, but there are actually exercises that do the job of increasing your bloodflow and putting your muscles and joints through their full range of motion (so they warm up and you don’t injure yourself). They can actually contribute to your results as well. Good warmups include jogging in place, jumping jacks, lateral steps, mountain climbers, squats, and lunges.

Switch it up

Challenge yourself by trying new workouts and focusing on different muscle groups. This forces your body to work harder as it adjusts to new activities. Try focusing on different muscle groups per session, or maybe watching a video to get a few new ideas from. The internet is boundless, and everyone from gym centers like Central Ground Crossfit and Fitness First to athlete Vic Manuel and trainer Chappy Callanta have shared quarantine home workout challenges that you can try out.

Focus on quality over quantity

Though it usually depends on your routine, there’s no point in doing endless reps of the same exercise if you’re not going to feel the burn in your muscles—something that can happen when you’re rushing to meet a number so you can finally call it quits. Another method you can try is setting a timer and just doing that exercise as many times as you can until it goes off—that way, you can go at your own pace and focus on keeping your muscles engaged the entire time.

Pump yourself up

Everyone knows that the right lineup of songs can keep you going strong through a hard workout—and the same can be said for podcasts, which can make workouts go by a lot faster. You can listen to advice from fitness experts on podcasts like Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth, which features three experienced trainers breaking down the science and facts behind different workouts. If you’d like to hear how LeBron James, Mike Mancias, and other athletes keep up active lifestyles, there’s also Trained by Nike to tune into.

If you’re after entertainment to keep you distracted as you try to hold that plank, you can also get lost in local podcasts The Halo-Halo Show (getting through Rica Garcia and JC Tevez’s conversations without laughing can be your new challenge) or, if you’re into true crime and paranormal events, Creepsilog.

You can download all of these podcasts and listen on-demand to any episode on Spotify, which is free to download and use. Just select Podcasts in the Search tab to browse different categories and find the one for you.

And when you’ve found what you’re looking for to set the mood for your workout, you can turn it up by using Spotify Connect, which lets you listen and control Spotify on your computer, smart TV, and speakers so you can take calls and even switch off your phone without interrupting the sound. Just tap the Devices Available icon to connect to other devices with Spotify on the same wi-fi network.

It’s time to get pumped. Download Spotify for free on the App Store, Google Play Store, and on its official website.