Coach Zoe These kinds of workouts are perfect for any mom that is an athlete or looking to take their fitness to the next level. Skip the gym and head to your living room for these effective home workouts!
Take your fitness to the next level
For a long time, I was convinced that I needed a gym in order to get the workouts that pushed me to my limits. I thought that I needed lots of equipment, weights, and space just to get an effective workout. I didn’t think I could get the same results at home without these. However, when I became a trainer, I learned about plyometric exercise. Plyo exercises are exercises that use repetitive bounding/jumping to increase power. I personally love these exercises because you are working in a true athletic fashion. While challenging your health fitness, you are also improving your skill fitness, making these truly effective home workouts.
Plyometrics are effective
Plyometrics are the simplest way to get those killer workouts that make you a fit mom. They are one of my favorite kinds of workouts because they cover so many aspects of fitness.
We are all looking to improve our health fitness, a healthy body composition, flexibility, muscular endurance, cardio, and strength. Because of the nature of plyometrics, they are designed to improve power, or a maximum force in a short time. So think speed and strength. And because of the bounding and jumping nature, you must have good mobility in order to perform them safely. They also make high calorie burning workouts because they tend to naturally fall into a HIIT (high intensity interval training) format.
What makes plyo workouts perfect for the more intermediate and advanced level is because they improve your skill fitness. That is the fitness we are looking to improve as athletes like agility, coordination, power, balance, and reaction time. Again the very design of how plyo exercises are performed, you will be improving all of these skills as well. That is because there are 3 phases of the plyo exercise. First, you have the eccentric, which is like the “load up” or lengthening of the muscle. Next is the amortization, that is the time you have to respond or start the final phase. It’s here where most of your coordination, balance, agility, and reaction time will be tested. That is because you are essentially landing, controlling, and changing direction all in a very short time frame. Finally, the contraction phase is the “work” part of the movement, the power.
If are at an intermediate to advanced level of fitness, this is a type of training you don’t want to skip.
Plyos make the perfect home workout
Let me get back to why I love plyo workouts so much. As a busy mom, I have come to appreciate and enjoy my home workouts more and more. I don’t have to go to the gym!!! Don’t get me wrong, there are many benefits to a gym. But sometimes, it feels like there are more hurdles than it’s worth.
For starters the memberships are typically quite expensive. I mean exercise itself is free (never forget that mamas!). But I am paying for the facilities, equipment, coaches, and space. However, all of those things you almost have to fight for depending on how busy the gym is when you go. Who has the time for that? In fact, you also have to factor in the time to travel, gather equipment, and wait for equipment or a space. This can become well over an hour. But as a busy mom, I don’t always have that kind of time. I have to get my workout in when I have an opportunity.
I need my fitness routine to be convenient, to be simple. What’s more convenient than working out in your living room? Plyometrics are typically all bodyweight. That takes care of the equipment issue. Plus, you don’t need much space, honestly a workout mat sized area is enough. I also enjoy doing these at home because sometimes I get gym shy when I want to try new things or even if I want to do something “out of the box.”
When I am at home I am more comfortable to push myself to my limits even if I look funny or might be doing something imperfectly. If you aren’t completely convinced yet of working out at home, read why it’s my ultimate fitness hack for moms.
Home workouts for moms
What’s even better is if you workout with your kids or when they are around. Your workout may be something they want to join in on (kids are fantastic at jumping around LOL). You will be setting an example for them to make fitness a priority and you can make it fun for them too. And if kids are involved in any way, we all know time is of the essence. And plyo workouts tend to be short and sweet because of their intensity. So you can squeeze effective home workouts in during nap time, lunch, or as a quick play time! The perfect way to balance fitness and motherhood.
Try THIS effective home workout
I put together a very powerful plyometric workout for you intermediate to advanced level mamas that are ready to work hard. Follow along and join me, you won’t need any equipment. Ready? Let’s sweat!
And if you are having a hard time getting your inner athlete motivated, I got you covered! Check out How To Get Motivated Like An Athlete To Workout for some tips!
