Weight loss is a major goal of many people. However, the problem lies in figuring out just how to reach these lofty goals we have for ourselves. We can visualize where we want to be and how much weight we want to lose, but getting our bodies to comply is a harder story.

But does it really have to be all that hard? Unfortunately, for many of us, we give up before we even start.

We look at all that gym equipment, we see all those super-fit Zumba instructors, and we see all the time we don’t have to work out; and because of this, we often don’t even allow for our weight loss beginning.

Many of us simply become overwhelmed. Maybe we don’t know enough to do it well, maybe people will mock us for using the equipment wrong, or maybe we’ll pay for a membership we’ll end up never using.

This is why home workouts are so useful for beginners. You don’t need to take time to drive to and from the gym. You don’t have to work-out within the time the gym is open. You don’t have to feel judged by anyone.

At home, you can tailor the workout to you and your needs. You can go at your own pace and make any necessary modifications, all within the comforts of your own home.

I know what you‘re thinking, yes, all this sounds nice in theory, but how do we make this a reality? How do we decipher all that exercise information out there so that we find the best home workout plan for us?

Here’s how!

1) Remind yourself of all benefits of exercise

Motivate yourself by telling yourself how important exercise is for you. Don’t focus solely on weight loss. While helping with weight loss and being a great source of managing weight, there is so much more to exercise. Focus on that!

Remind yourself that you can enhance your body, all the way down to your DNA. Need some extra reminders of its wonders, look at all the benefits the Mayo Clinc outlines. You will improve your mood, help your depression, become less insulin resistance, and help your body regenerate effectively. You will reduce your risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

So, when you find yourself procrastinating on your at-home workout, remind yourself how good you will feel, both mentally and physically. Remind yourself of all the new energy you will get from simple exercises!

2) Don’t forget about diet

If you do not also get your diet in check, you will not reap all the benefits from exercise that you want. It’s that simple. You must figure this out first before you begin your exercise regimen. The only way to see amazing results is to combine both good dietary choices with healthy movement.

3) Start slow 

As a beginner, you are not an athlete, so don’t exercise like one. All this will do is put stress on your body and increase cortisol, which will only tell your body to stop burning fat. One home workout plan advocates for those with a lot of extra weight to begin with low-impact exercise, such as walking or swimming before moving into the higher-impact exercises. Essentially, you must start at a manageable pace.

You know your body. You know what you are capable of. So, ease into it and build up. Focus on your progress as you increase the intensity of your workouts. You do not want to start too strong so that you injure yourself or give up feeling defeated.

4) Do your workout at home two to three times a week

This at-home workout plan is very explicit in that you are to not overdo it. Your body needs time to rest. Your muscles build during the time you rest after the workout, not during the workout. Thus, you do not need to do your workouts on consecutive days. You must have a day in-between to allow your body to rest and rebuild.

5) Make the most use of your time

To burn the most calories and increase the most muscle mass, you want to do resistance training exercises. Unsure of what exercises to do, find some simple ones to begin with. Like stated earlier, start slow, allow yourself to become more proficient with each round of an exercise.

Having a hard time thinking of what specific resistance exercise to start with, here’s a list of five one-move exercises. Have specific areas you know you need to focus on, such as your lower abdomen where you have that little pooch that sticks out? Then maybe you should look here for some targeted resistance training exercises.

The thing to keep in mind is that you want to make the most use of your time. Thus, you want to start with interval training in the beginning, meaning while doing one exercise, vary the intensity of the exercise. Look at what NBC News has to say about the science behind interval training and how you can get the same degree of benefits from one minute of intense exercise as you can from 45 minutes of moderate exercise.

That is quite an astounding time-saver! If you just alternate between eight seconds of intense exercise followed by 12 seconds of low-intensity exercise for only 20 minutes, three times a week, you will lose more weight than you would if working out at a steady pace for twice the time!

However, once you are ready, the best way to make the absolute most use of your calorie-burning time is to incorporate interval training with circuit training, meaning you will add more exercises into your 15-20-minute routine. Why is that? You will simply be able to burn more calories both during and after the workout, and you’ll be working even more muscles.

6)Why you can’t just do cardio?

First, you want to build muscle. You want that improved physique and that long-continuing fat-burning that muscle-building brings. You need that strength training to increase your metabolism. You need that “afterburn” effect of muscle-building.

Unfortunately, cardio on its own is simply one of the least effective ways to lose weight. Need more convincing? Look at what fitness experts have to say about cardio here.

Of course, that’s not saying you shouldn’t do cardio. On your days between your resistance training workouts, go for a walk, do something to get your heartrate up. You will be doing your heart good. You just don’t want to only rely on cardio for weight loss.

The best thing about doing your workouts at home is that you are in charge. However, this might also be your biggest challenge. For this reason, you must hold yourself accountable and look at the various resources out there to cultivate a plan custom-made for you.

Your mind and body will thank you.