The Best At-Home Workouts for Women

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The Best At-Home Workouts for Women. This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Your price is the same but I get a referral fee which helps support the costs of this site and all the freebies I share. 🙂 All products are ones I use and love! Read my full disclosures here.

It’s been a while since I shared a lifestyle post, but working out is a huge part of my life. If you’ve been a reader a while, you know that having 3 kids in 3.5 years left me with nearly 60 pounds to lose. During my weightless and fitness journey, I turned into an accidental Paleo eater. Cleaning up my eating has been a huge part of my weight loss but the other part is working out!

Not only does it get and keep me fit, my day just goes better when I workout. I’m less stressed, I feel better, I sleep better, I make better food choices, and I’m setting a good example for my kids…all things I remind myself when I just don’t feel like working out!

I’ve been all over the map over the years, wearing everything from a size 4 to a size 14. Today, I’m at a happy and healthy size 8 (and I’m even starting to see some abs…something I never thought would happen after 3 kids). These are the workouts I actually do and gear I actually use! 🙂

I’ve never loved working out in front of people at any weight. Working out from home means I can do it any time, I don’t need childcare, and I don’t have to pay for a gym membership!

My Favorite Workout DVDs

I did each of these DVD sets as a full program but now I just mix them together and do the one I most feel like doing that day! They all super rock and I can’t really even pick a favorite.

1. TurboJam | This was the first set I bought when I really got back into working out 5-6 days a week after having kids. I love this because it’s just plain fun (and it has awesome 90s throwback music)! It’s low-impact which is great if you have issues with jumping but you’ll still workup a good sweat. The 38-minute TurboSculpt workout in the set is my favorite weights based workout ever and I’ve been doing it almost weekly for a few years. (My doc keeps reminding me how important weight training is in your 30s and up.)
2. T25 | I actually did Insanity before T25. It’s kind of like Insanity light. I do this one a lot during busy weeks because the workouts are only 25 minutes but you still work up and awesome sweat and “the good kind” of muscle soreness. In fact, I did this yesterday and have that kind of muscle soreness today! This is not a low-impact workout but there is a modifier you can follow to make it low-impact.
3. PiYo | PiYo is one of the most affordable DVD sets and it’s the easiest on your body since it’s low-impact. I love that I can do most of the workouts barefoot. I’m not flexible so I find yoga and Pilates very challenging. This workout is fun, has great music, and is a really great workout. I saw my arms slim down and gain definition fast!
4. Insanity | I remember watching the infomercial for this one repeatedly during pregnancy #3 while eating ice cream and popcorn, thinking I’m going to do that. It took like two years to get brave enough to order it but I did the whole program over a year ago and it’s still one of my favorite workouts. I love that it doesn’t require any equipment at all. You train using your own body weight. You workout hard for about a minute and then get a 30 second break, which is called a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). I definitely would swear out loud at the TV while I did the workouts, especially when ShaunT would say things like “I’m not trying to kill you, I’m just trying to make you stronger”. I actually think he was trying to kill me, but I did end up the strongest and fittest I’ve ever been in my life. I lost nearly 20 pounds in the 2 months and toned up a ton. (The bottom middle pic of the collage near the top of this post was the day I finished Insanity). This is not a low-impact workout!
5. Rip:60 | I was really interested in doing suspension training after seeing some Instagram ladies I follow doing it. It looked challenging but fun. I couldn’t find a suspension training gym near us, so I found this online. I read the reviews of TRX (a similar workout) vs. Rip:60 and ultimately chose this one. You hang the straps  (which come with the DVD set) over a door but my husband anchored the straps to our garage ceiling and we do it in there. I had the set for several months before I worked up the courage to try it, and once I finally did I realized that the hardest part of working out is in your head! This workout makes me feel awesome and strong and I LOVE it. This is the one that’s giving me abs for the first time in my life…at almost 34 years old, despite 3 c-sections, and being hypothyroid. Again, this isn’t really low impact but you can modify it to make it easier.

Next on my list: Insanity Max30. I have a sample workout DVD for this new program and I love it!

The Gear: Basics

These are my main go-to goodies for my workouts!

1. Lifefactory Glass Water bottle | Ok, so I totally bought this because of the color. But I’m trying to kick plastic in favor of glass and I love this water bottle. It’s the perfect size to carry everywhere with me.
2. Kettlebell | I use a 10 pound one. You’ll need this in week 5 of Rip:60. It was my first time using a Kettlebell in my workouts and I really like it.
3. Dumbbell Set | Because for some reason it’s easier to workout with pretty colorful weights. I use the 5 pound most often but the smaller ones are nice for days you’re already sore (and my kids love to “workout” with me using the lighter ones).
4. Manduka LiveOn Yoga Mat | I’ve been pining after a Manduka Yoga Mat for years. They’re pricey! And then they came out with the LiveOn one which is affordable. Yay! It’s thick and cushiony, I love the color, and I don’t slip all over it like I did my cheap yoga mat.

The Gear: Running

While you can’t actually run/walk in your house unless you have a treadmill, I still consider it an at home workout since I just can do it around my neighborhood! Before the move we are in the middle of, we were lucky to have a 2.5 mile walking trail around the whole neighborhood.

1. Garmin Forerunner 15 | Activity tracker, Heart Rate Monitor, Personal Record Tracking, GPS Running Functionality. And it’s pretty in my favorite shade of teal. Swoon. I never run without it!
2. Yurbuds Ear Phones | There’s nothing more annoying than headphones that won’t stay in your ears once you start to sweat. ALL the headphones I ever owned until these did just that…I’ve had this pair for years now. Even during my half-marathon, they didn’t slip out once. THE BEST.
3. Revenge Fuelbelt |  I’m someone who has to have water during a run but I hate carrying a bottle. Enter the FuelBelt. I wear this for every run that is 2+ miles. I can run better and farther when I can hydrate along the way!
4. New Balance Minimus Cross Trainers | I live in these shoes. They are as comfortable as my slippers. Having a low-drop (minimalist) shoe is important for the workout DVDs I listed above but I also run in them too. AND they’re really affordable compared to the past brands I’ve purchased. I actually own two pairs and have my eye on a third color too!

I hope you find something in this post that inspires you along your own fitness journey.

Wishing you happy and healthy shopping and working out! 😉

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