The Covid era marked a surge in popularity of many activities – from baking bread to working from home, or even bed.
But nothing caught on quite like the home workout. According to one 2023 poll, nearly 40 percent of Americans prefer exercising at home, compared to going to the gym or an exercise class.
But you may wonder whether doing your favorite Zoom workout – or DIY weight routine – offers the same results as your weekly Zumba, Pilates or HIIT class.
Now, experts have settled the debate: it is just as effective – and you’ll likely burn roughly the same amount of calories, if you work hard.
Some convenient at home workouts might use bands, body weight or light weights to get your sweat on.
‘Without a doubt, home workouts, if done correctly, can be just as effective [as classes],’ Kate Rowe-Ham, a UK-based personal trainer owner of Own Your Menopause, a subscription-based online fitness program said.
Studies show that if you are making sure to push yourself at home, you can burn the same amount of calories at home that you might burn in a class.
Take Zumba. One 45 minute in person class burns on average 360 calories, according to sports scientists at Western Colorado University.
At home versions, like this one from personal trainer Mira Pham that you can find on YouTube, advertise burning up to 600 calories for a 60 minute class.
But that’s only if you’re pushing yourself to the absolute maximum, and not everyone is good at keeping themselves accountable during home workouts, Jennie Brown, a barre instructor and owner of Meet You at the Barre, said.
‘The discipline of working out at home suits some people more than others,’ Ms Brown said. Some people have difficulty being motivated to work out at home in general, and struggle to maintain a routine as a result, researchers from Northumbria University found.
But if you’re strict with yourself, you might find that all kinds of workouts can translate well to your living room.
Pilates is another example; you burn roughly 220 calories as a 150 pound person by taking an hour-long reformer Pilates class, according to Maryland-based instructor Marguerite Ogle.
By comparison, if a 150 pound person does mat Pilates at home for an hour, Ms Ogle said they can burn almost the same amount, at an average of 200 calories.
Working out in the gym is effective, but might not be the best option for everyone.
And for strength trainers, the average person can burn 216 calories by lifting weights at the gym for thirty minutes, according to Harvard Health Publishing. But you can burn 306 calories by doing calisthenics, strength training with body weight movements like planks and press ups, at home.
To maximize whatever goal you’re trying to reach, you should first learn the basics and techniques from a professional, Aleksandra Warburton, a Pilates instructor, told Stylist.
So if you’re looking to get into ballerina-sleek shape, for example, you can attend a barre class first to learn the basics before taking those lessons home.
Learning how to properly perform your target exercises will help you meet your goals faster and more importantly, avoid injuring yourself, Ms Warburton said.
Also, if you attend a class, you can learn equipment might be necessary to meet your individual fitness goals.
TikTok user omarcalisthenics shared his home calisthenics workout an August 2023 video.
After you’ve figured out your technique, you have to get organized. First, you need to set out a plan that allows you to improve slowly, Ben Simpkins, a UK-based physical therapist at London Fitness Mamas, said.
Mr Simpkins recommends that for strength training, home exercisers can use whatever weights they have handy to perform as many reps at possible – the key isn’t in one super heavy weight, but in the intensity that you attack your workout with, Simpkins said.
‘To progress, you can start to work your muscles more through higher reps or working to a slower tempo to keep the muscles under load for longer,’ he said.
This comes to the central tenant of all exercise- that the results you get are entirely dependent on how much you’re willing to push yourself, Ms Brown said.
So if you’re able to be strict with yourself, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get the results you want from at home workouts, Ms Brown said.
At the end of the day, whether you’re in the gym or at home Ms Brown said ‘the amount of effort you put into your workout is always going to be what you get out of it.’
