How to Avoid Exercising-at-Home Burnout

It’s been a year since we shifted our lives to the confines of our homes. For some of us, this transition didn’t come easily — and it’s still not easy. For others, quarantine was fine at first, but the long-term effects are starting to wear us down. This is true for our fitness routines just as much as it is for work, social engagements and eating in. How can we fight this quarantine fatigue when it comes to our workouts? We’ve got a few ideas from local Austinites with some of their best advice. 

“I can’t look at my computer for one more minute.”

“I can’t find the energy to work out with my kids learning from home.”

“I need encouragement from a real human, not a screen.”

Have you heard yourself say anything along these lines? Likely these thoughts about exercise at home come up regularly. Whether you’ve been good about working out at home and have just lost some mojo, or you haven’t been able to get into the groove of at-home workouts at all, we’ve got some ways to give your at-home routines a kickstart. 

Ease Fitness into Your Morning Routine

Don’t feel like you need to jump out of bed and go for a run or hop on the Peloton to feel like you have a fitness routine. But, you should aim to take care of your wellness in the morning because, as the day goes on, so do your reasons to not exercise. Your screen fatigue also increases. Set yourself up for success by getting out of bed, drinking a full glass of water and going straight to your mat for some light stretching to get the blood flowing.

Claire Schmidtt, a former Crossfit competitor in South Austin has found that once you get moving, you’ll keep moving. 

“There are definitely days that I wake up and the last thing I want to do is workout. But, my philosophy is that doing something is better than doing nothing – so if I’m really not feeling it, I’ll do a light warm-up and just ease into a low key workout (as in, not cardio). Pretty often, once I start moving, I’ll feel much more energized, and my workout will end up being much more productive than I thought it would be,” she says. 

You can also ease into your workouts by starting with just 10-minute options. This week might be 10-minutes a day, next week will be 15-minutes a day. Even after you’ve worked up to 45-minute or hour-long workouts, you can still have days with 10-minutes of movement. Those days still count. 

Mix It Up

Austin-based nutritionist, Sam Presicci, MCN, RD, LD, CPT, says, “Switch it up! If you normally only do strength workouts, try some cardio or do a yoga class. I love scheduling in a few different types of workouts each week to keep things exciting for myself. Exploring new workouts or workout modalities is key to avoiding burnout and will keep your muscles guessing, too.”

Schmitt finds this approach rings true for her as well. 

“I’ll go through phases where I only lift weights for a couple months, or do a 12-week on-demand program, or strictly do yoga 5 days/week. Switching it up keeps me from getting bored so that I’m never dreading my next workout (well, rarely).” 

Another idea from Presicci is to change up your environment. “If you normally workout inside, head outside for a walk or run, or do your workout from the patio.” 

Make Wellness a Daily Habit

The pandemic has thrown many of our routines out the window. But now that we’ve gone a full year, our routines and habits are reformulating. As this happens, make your wellness part of your new schedule. Now that you’re at home, it’s easier to make wellness a daily habit because excuses like traffic, putting on makeup, etc. are eliminated.

Dina Bennet Roe, a member of the BFREE Digital Studio, didn’t have a consistent yoga practice until her local studio went virtual. 

“In the past, I could only make it to a class in-person twice a week. Now, because of the convenience of online, I can take yoga classes anytime and daily using their digital platform.” 

Don’t Go It Alone

Presicci’s best advice?  “Enlist help when you need it! Treat yourself to a virtual personal trainer or online live-streaming to get real-life and real-time instruction. This will keep you accountable and on-schedule.”

Another option is to have a virtual workout buddy who has a similar schedule and fitness approach. Lean on each other for encouragement and new types of workouts.

 A Few Local & Virtual Options

Looking for the best local and online options so that you can avoid at-home workout burnout? Here are some suggestions that will keep your days varied, support your local fitness community and make wellness part of your routine again. 

Ladder –  a fitness app that offers one-on-one access to elite trainers and an entire community to champion your success.

BFREE Yoga Digital Studio Livestream and On-Demand – Offers a dynamic, rhythmic practice with breath-based flow that sets intention, strengthens and aligns your body, and excavates your heart. 

Athletic Outcomes On-Demand – Austin’s gym for functional fitness and modern recovery

MOD Fitness Livestream and On-Demand – Barre-based workout that takes an athletic approach to the principles of ballet, pilates and yoga.

Ballet Austin Livestream and On-Demand – Take your favorite dance and fitness classes at home…or from wherever you are! Plié in your kitchen, dance in your living room and get stronger through a variety of instructor-led workouts.