May 18, 2025, 8:51 am | Read time: 6 minutes
For those who aren’t professional athletes or naturally restless individuals who can’t live without movement, the issue of a motivation slump is likely familiar. We all know that exercise is essential—for both a “good” figure and health. But how can one carve out enough time for exercise in a hectic daily routine, instead of succumbing to the initial impulse to collapse on the couch? FITBOOK’s editorial director, Melanie Hoffmann, shares the strategy that helps her (most of the time).
In winter, it’s the cozy sofa and a good movie; in summer, countless other leisure activities make it seem like there’s no time for regular exercise amid family, friends, and work. I believe this feeling mainly stems from the notion that a workout under an hour is pointless. Certainly, a well-thought-out training plan detailing exercises, repetitions, intensities, and breaks is effective for losing weight or building muscle. But what good is all the planning if it remains just that—a plan never consistently executed? This leads to a cycle of frustration and lack of motivation, which I know well. What helped me? Integrating home workouts into my routine alongside the gym—and they can be pleasantly short.
Overview
From Gym to Home Workouts
For years, I was a loyal gym-goer and still love training among like-minded people. But in the daily hustle, the hurdle of getting there was often too high. Some workouts were skipped because I couldn’t carve out two hours or more, and my internal excuse was that the effort of commuting wasn’t worth it for less time.
For a Long Time, I Couldn’t Do Much with Home Training
The solution sounds simple but wasn’t for me: home workouts. I often planned to train at home during those moments, but honestly, it happened only two out of ten times—partly because I couldn’t discipline myself at home and partly because I dismissed online offerings as wannabe sports.
It took pandemic-induced lockdowns and cabin fever for me to seriously explore home workout options. Not coincidentally, many great video offerings became available online during this time—importantly, they were also freely accessible.
Confined to my own four walls, I dove deep into the offerings, subscribed to apps, and tried numerous YouTube workout videos. After investing in dumbbells, a proper mat, and yoga equipment, home workouts soon felt like real training rather than ineffective activity. During the pandemic years, I established a solid—and crucial—home workout routine.
Experimenting and Bringing Variety
A major advantage of home workouts for me is the wide range of exercises and training methods I can try. After a strong yoga phase, many other workouts joined the yoga sessions I still enjoy. Sometimes, I feel like strength training with the superset method, sometimes bodyweight training, and sometimes classic dumbbell training. On other days, I do barre or a Pilates session, and workouts with martial arts exercises often make me sweat at home.
The variety helps me tailor my movement to my mood. If I’m full of energy, an intense boxing session is perfect; if I feel exhausted after work, I prefer gentle yoga. This strategy keeps me motivated and often successfully overcomes my inner resistance. When choosing my home workouts, I often let my mood guide me rather than a rigid training plan dictating: Today is leg day, no matter what.
Mix of Short and Long Home Workouts Is Key
Thanks to all fitness content creators for short yet challenging workouts. Besides variety, this was another revelation for me: training doesn’t always have to be two hours long. Instead, 30, 20, or even 15 minutes can suffice. I’ve discovered several trainers online whose concise workouts motivate me. While I enjoy having time to train my whole body for hours at the gym and then sweat on the treadmill, I’m essentially a fan of short, efficient sessions. If I think of 50 minutes of strength training or yoga, I often stay on the sofa, but I can always manage 15 minutes—whether in the evening, before work, or during lunch breaks on home office days.
For those who want to train briefly but powerfully, I recommend ten- to twenty-minute “full-body workouts” on YouTube. These often follow the principle of supersets, quick successive sets of exercises, sometimes without, sometimes with very short breaks. Such workouts integrate many different exercises in a short time and are great for both strength and endurance.
If lacking this power, well-made, compact Pilates and yoga videos might help. My latest discovery: workouts with exercises from the calisthenics area. They often offer bodyweight exercises that aren’t the usual classics and challenge both body and mind, as you sometimes have to understand them first.
What I Consider When Choosing My Home Workouts
When choosing home workouts, I look for trainers who demonstrate exercises correctly, explain them clearly, and highlight mistakes to avoid. I should understand why I’m doing each exercise and which body parts and muscles I’m training. The entire session should be logically structured. Personally, I usually don’t like constantly switching from lying to standing exercises and vice versa (though there are workouts focused on this).
I don’t cheat during home workouts. If I notice I’m slacking, I stop immediately and repeat the exercise. Training shouldn’t be about getting through it with minimal effort. I use the full range of motion and maximum strength in weight training to perform exercises. It’s important for me to feel the muscles I’m working. This is especially true—but not only—for short sessions. Yes, they should be brief but effective. Otherwise, I might as well save the ten or fifteen minutes of effort.
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The vast offerings give little chance to inner resistance. Thanks to them, I’ve integrated regular training into my routine. In highly motivated phases, I go to the gym several times a week and also do several long and strenuous sessions at home—like yoga, Pilates, or fitness boxing.
During less motivated phases, I might only go to the gym once a week and do shorter home workouts. That often means just 15 minutes of exercise a day, but I move regularly. Days or weeks when I completely skip exercise due to lack of time for long gym sessions only happen if I’m sick. And even after a training break, I find it easier to return to a routine with light, short video workouts than if I had to immediately face a gym full of super-fit people. The risk of a two-week break turning into four weeks would be much higher.