Fitness

How I Transformed My Fitness Routine During the Pandemic

posted on December 15, 2020 | by Megan Lierley

6 months into the pandemic, it was time to seriously change my fitness routine…

From March through June, the only body movement I felt capable of was holding restorative yoga postures for long periods of time. The world turned upside down and we had no idea exactly what we were in for. I gave myself a pass on exercise; it felt truly like a do-what-you-need-to-get-by situation, which typically meant red wine and lots of Netflix. Luckily and weirdly, as the pandemic has lingered on, I’ve found ways—although different—to get back to old habits. Pre-COVID, I was thriving in weight-training classes at my local gym, and I wanted to figure out how to get back into it from the safety of my own home. Enter: Tempo.

What is Tempo?

Tempo is an award-winning, all-in-one home fitness studio with world-class trainers, a growing library of 500+ live and on-demand classes (and counting!), and a 3D sensor that provides real-time feedback—including form-correction and rep counting (which, trust me, is really nice to have when you’re trying to focus on movement). All of this comes in a sleek, non-intrusive machine that will fit into any room, both in terms of its minimalist aesthetic, and its size—it only takes up the same amount of space as a chair.

Setting up the Tempo means placing the Olympic rubber-coated weight plates in the cabinet and the barbell and dumbbells in the handy racks in the back. After setup, it was time to dive in and figure out if and how this whole “home gym” thing would work out (pun intended) for me. I loved group classes in non-pandemic times, so I was a bit nervous to see whether I’d have the patience and grit to follow through with my workouts while at home. Luckily, Tempo quickly got rid of that worry. 

With Customized Programs, There’s Something For Everyone

As a starting point, I chose one of Tempo’s several pre-loaded programs (I went for Natalia’s Kickstarter to help me get my feet wet again with strength training, while my fiance opted for Colby’s Sculpt and Shred, which is pretty self-explanatory). Choosing a program makes it easy to show up, hit play, and know what I’m training for each day and why—it takes the guesswork out of knowing how I should be training day-to-day, week-to-week. Having a program to turn to has helped me set goals—something that’s been very hard to do with all of the uncertainty surrounding 2020. With a program set, all that’s left to do is show up and train. And with AI-powered feedback, I feel like I can move safely and confidently through the classes. 

Once I finish my first program and feel a bit more confident with my lifting (remember, it’s been months!), I look forward to exploring all of Tempo’s on-demand classes. Classes fall under three categories: HIIT, strength, and mobility (get ready for that evil/amazing foam roller). Tempo grows its class catalogue every week, so there’s always something new to try. 

How Getting a Home Gym Put Me Back on Track to Hitting My Fitness Goals

As many of you can likely relate,  I spent March through June willing the pandemic to go away, waiting for life to go back to “normal.” As the months keep ticking by, I’ve made a few investments and bigger decisions with the goal of achieving a new normal. I know it may be a while before I’m back in a high-energy gym class, and while that’s a tough pill to swallow, it’s one made infinitely easier with Tempo.

Tempo’s classes provide me with the same intensity, structure, and intention that I need for a healthy body that feels strong and capable. And even when going back to the gym is a safe possibility, I’m thrilled that Tempo will just be the gift that keeps on giving and I can use it to supplement the beloved group classes of my past. (Not to mention, the short commute to my living room for a class doesn’t hurt.)

We’ve already experienced so much change, anxiety, and uncertainty this year—and lots and lots of waiting for a return to normalcy. While we wait, there’s a lot we can still do to ensure that we don’t stop living. Working out with Tempo is one of the ways I’m working towards this, and one I know I’ll continue to love and use in a post-pandemic world, too. 

A massive thank you to Tempo for sponsoring this post (and making working out fun). Readers can use Tempo discount code ADVICE125 to get $125 off your Tempo home gym.