Top ten tips for getting fit at home

The eternal question that everyone and their grandmother want the answer to: "How can I get fit fast?" And the usual follow-up question: "Can I do it at home, or do I have to go out?"

Well, Fitness Advisors is happy to answer the first question with "read on below" and the second with "yes (apart from one), and you don't need equipment either." We can answer those two questions so comprehensively because you're a little bit awesome, and we like you.

Everybody wants to be fitter, don't they, and gym memberships aren't for everybody. The home workout regimen is perfect for sweating it out in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

If you are starting on your personal little 'journey' to get fit, then your stamina isn't likely to be on top form – it takes time, and that's OK. Here are our top ten ways to get at home without you wanting to crawl into a hole in the ground.

1. Stick to the rule of 10

Whatever exercise gets your eye twinkling, do 10 each day. For example, aim for just 10 sit-ups each day – even if you cannot manage them all together – something is a hell of a lot better than nothing, and by the end of the week, we bet you can do 10 all in one sitting so to speak.

2. Get up and stand at least once an hour

We all should know by now that sitting on our behinds all day, or for hours at a time, is not suitable for us. For instance, if you are working from home, being hunched over a keyboard for long stretches is doing your back no favors, and it will not thank you for it.

Make a deliberate effort to get up and do something, at least during 'working hours, to get up and do something – set a timer on your phone, and there are tons of free apps that let you set the alarm to sound at intervals of your choice.

3. Go for a walk each day

Light, mild, easy, and uber-healthy. Go to the shop, walk around a park, anything, it doesn't matter. Just go for a walk, absolutely anywhere, for just 20 minutes a day. You'll feel much better in yourself for it, and you'll even begin to wonder what all the fuss was about. You don't have to go out either – walk around the house, up downstairs, so long as you get your pins pumping.

4. Do not leave the house

We thought you would like that one. Apart from your daily walk, there is no need to leave your home to get a sweat on. There are tons of cardio and bodyweight exercises that you can do at home without leaving the front door. Sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, star jumps A mix of anything really, just do them in manageable 10s

5. Tabata

No, we haven't forgotten your name. Tabata (short periods of intense workouts) is perfect if you want results faster or you do not have much time in your day.

You can download Tabata timers to your phone for free. The exercises can be pretty much anything, so long as one is nice and relaxed and the other is borderline punishing. For instance- 20 seconds of running then 10 seconds of running, rinse and repeat as much as you can. Keeping this up every day will burn the fat and get you fit. Fast.

6. Take a deserved breather

You know, it isn't all about exercise, you know, have a day off. Our daily lives are already pretty stressful, and your workouts shouldn't be adding to that.

When you start to dread exercising, you have already lost the battle – it is supposed to be enjoyable (stop laughing, you'll see). Power down your devices for a day, too, unless you need them for work. Obviously. Thank us later -because your body will be thanking you for the break.

7. Don't stress about the length of your workouts

Quality will always beat quantity; remember that. This is especially true if you are currently out of shape – push yourself too hard, and you will hurt yourself and also end up hating working out. Any exercise is good exercise. Stick to the rule of 10, even if you have to break it up over the morning or afternoon in 2 or 3 sittings, and you will be just fine.

8. Run for one song

Songs usually last a couple of minutes, so if you can manage a jog for that, you're doing great. It may not sound like much, but it's a couple of minutes of running today that you didn't do yesterday. Make it your favorite song, and you won't even notice a couple of minutes of sweat. Probably.

9. Get some quality bedtime behind you

Some forms of exercise are better than others, and sex burns more calories than you might think. It's so good for exercise that it can burn as much as 100 calories in one sitting, which is roughly a 20-minute jog. And if we are being completely candid, which one would you rather have?

10. work up a sweat when the ads are on

Unless you are watching Netflix or Prime Video, you will be hit with adverts at some point. You could put those couple of minutes to great use. If you usually go to the loo or make a brew when there's an ad break on, why not lunge there and back instead? You should probably not grab a biscuit, though, if you want all your hard work to mean something.

Hopefully, our little top ten has shown you that exercise doesn't have to be boring or even that difficult, approached the right way.