Over the past more than a few years, quite a number of studies have revealed that weight-related complications have been on the rise.
As a matter of fact, obesity and overweight are linked to a number of short-term complications as well as life-threatening lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Ironically, the steadily growing economy, coupled with the ever-increasing costs of living might be to blame in part for this, but is this really the case?
Well, today, individuals are working more than one job, perhaps day and night to make ends meet. You can’t afford to look away from the fact that these busy schedules have left many people with little or no time to prepare healthy meals at home, let alone hit the gym.
It’s even more unfortunate that adults have become so busy, to the point that they sometimes forget to watch and closely monitor what their children eat or drink. As a result, the number of children suffering from weight-related complications has also been on the rise.
Luckily, though, most individuals are today aware of the risks that being obese or overweight can subject them to.
For this reason, most people are doing all they can to keep their body weight in check. And needless to mention, exercise is inarguably the way to manage a healthy body weight and fitness.
And again, it goes without saying that exercise has a lot more benefits than just helping you maintain a healthy body weight and fitness levels.
For instance, hitting the gym can help uplift your mood, which is one of the reasons most people prefer taking the morning sessions.
Additionally, exercise can help improve your sleep, enhance your cognition and mental wellness, boost your immune system, and improve your overall health.
But as previously mentioned, not all people have enough time to spare for workouts at the gym.
For some, the nearest gym club is tens of miles away, which means spending even more time, energy, and money gas or dealing with the stresses of public transport to get there every time you want to work out. For these reasons, many people opt to have a home gym. But then again, it doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges.
You will want to think about the available gym space, the various types of equipment, their uses, and their costs versus your weight loss/fitness goals, just to name a few considerations. So what kind of equipment should you have when you’ve decided to exercise from home?
Here is a list of home gym equipment that you can consider getting based on your specific needs, affordability, and availability of space.
You don’t need equipment to use Aaptiv, with thousands of workouts in categories like strength, running, yoga, and more, it’s up to you to decide if you want to incorporate it!
1. Elastic Resistance Bands
Many people neglect the resistance bands because of their small size. But, the truth is, they are mighty and versatile pieces you can ever have for your home gym.
You can use the band to work out your entire body and mimic some machine-based moves that you see in the gyms.
Although one elastic resistance band will basically help with most of your home workouts, it’s advisable to buy a pack comprising of several bands with varying levels of resistance.
There are various types of workouts you can do with elastic resistance bands, including pulling, twisting, and pushing exercises.
With a good resistance band workout routine, you basically have all you need to exercise your shoulders, arms, chest, back, hips, butts, and legs.
You will also find lots of tutorials online for resistance band workout routines. Check them out and you’ll see that the lack of space enough space for a home gym is just another lame excuse to laze of, grow fat, and stay unfit.
2. Stationary Bicycle
Biking is one of the most effective fitness exercises for the whole body. As a matter of fact, it is advisable to take a bike ride every once in a while.
And if you guessed right, a stationary bike works using the same principles as a moving bike. The only difference is, for a stationary bike you get the chance to adjust the resistance based on your desired level of workout.
Actually, fitness experts suggest that a stationary bike is the best alternative to the rowing machine and the treadmill. The good thing about a bike is that it takes little of the gym space, making it more suitable for a home gym.
Cardio exercise biking at home can enhance your endurance levels during exercise, ensure you keep a well toned body, improve your heart health and help shed excess weight on your body. It also helps in keeping your cholesterol levels healthy.
3. Jumping rope
A skipping rope is another highly important piece of equipment that shouldn’t lack in your home exercise arsenal toolkit. Skipping rope exercises can be helpful in burning calories, boosting your cardiovascular health, and improving your cognition.
A jump rope can help strengthen your core muscles while improving your knee and ankle strength.
Skipping rope is a great exercise that enhances your exercise endurance levels while improving your bone density. This full-body exercise literally engages all the parts of your upper and lower body.
The list of skipping rope benefits goes on and on, but one thing is for sure… it’s a compact piece of workout equipment that you can easily use at home or on the go during travel.
4. Yoga Mat
A yoga mat is another gym equipment that you can never miss for your home gym. And the fact that it is called a yoga mat doesn’t necessarily mean that its uses are confined to yoga exercises only.
It can also come in handy in your home gym. Considering that most homes have wooden, tiled or other hard floors, some workout moves on these types of floors can be a bit challenging, painful, and more tiring.
Imagine yourself exercising while lying on a hard floor. Well, stop right there! A yoga mat can help can act as a pain cushion, while at the same time reducing the risks of slipping and injuring yourself.
It makes your workout sessions safer, especially for those who tend to sweat a lot during workouts
Today, there are different types of yoga mats in the market, which you can easily pick based on your available space, as well as your budget. Another good thing about yoga mats is that they are compact and foldable, making them easy to store and move around.
5. Stereo System
Music is food for the soul. Listening to music during workouts has been shown to have a tremendous effect on motivation, focus, psyche, and mood. This is one of the reasons why they always put some good music in the gym.
When considering exercising at home, it’s highly important to include a stereo system in your list of important equipment.
Today, there’s a myriad of options in the market, which you can easily choose based on your budget, sound quality, performance, and convenience preferences when it comes to purchasing a stereo system for your home exercise or gym sessions.
Music takes one to a different world such that you will forget about the intensity of your exercises. Once you get a good stereo system and place it at a convenient location in your workout space, you’ll highly likely be surprised at how your sessions will improve with some good music.
You can also get creative and download some workout playlists online for your sessions. The rule of the thumb is to ensure you pick songs or music whose tempo matches the tempo of your exercises.
Aaptiv’s workouts are led by certified trainers, set to the music you love.
6. Kettlebell
Kettlebells are highly effective when it comes to full-body workouts. The interesting thing about kettlebells is that you can use them for various workout routines.
Additionally, the equipment allows you can adjust the weights to your preference between 10 and 40 pounds based on your type of workout.
There are many guides online that you can check out for kettlebell workout ideas. Kettlebell workouts are also unique and tend to be slightly more effective than dumbbell workouts.
Besides, they are also ideal if for home workouts where space is a major concern as they do not consume too much space.
7. Pull-Up Bar
Pull-up bars are one of the simplest equipment to install in any given home. Surprisingly, most doorways already have a top bar that you can use for pull-up workouts.
The funny thing is that many people don’t know how crucial a pull-up bar can be when it comes to exercise. Additionally, there are numerous ways you can use pull up bars for exercise other than the standard form of pull-ups.
Nonetheless, a pull-up bar can be a highly beneficial piece of equipment for exercising your chest, shoulder, core, arm, neck, and back muscles.
8. Training Bench
A training bench is one of the few pieces of equipment that is likely to take most of your available gym space. However, it is one of the most important items to include in your home gym shopping list.
The good thing is that training benches come in a variety of types shapes, sizes, and designs. Most of them are adjustable and can be folded up into a compact piece of equipment for easy storage.
As a matter of fact, some training benches are designed in such a way that they can be adjusted to your preferred type of workout.
Whether you’re doing some dumbbell rows, bench presses, seated barbell raises, shoulder presses, incline, flat, or decline bench workouts, an adjustable training bench will accommodate it all.
Some of the most important factors to consider when picking a training bench include adjustability, comfort, size, and the material of construction. You do not want to bring home a weak bench that will end up injuring your back before or after it shatters into pieces during your workout sessions.
Be sure to shop wisely when approaching your training bench purchase.
9. Barbell
There’s always something incomplete in a gym that lacks a barbell. Although they might feel bulky, barbells are a must-have for your home gym, especially if you’re looking to get fit and build muscle.
You can use a barbell for bench presses, squats, bicep curls, triceps curls, shoulder presses, and many other types of workouts in your routine.
When purchasing a barbell, there are various things you will want to consider in order to pick the right one. For starters, the firmness and stability of the bar are among the most important key considerations.
Also, you’ll want to consider the size of your hands so as to pick one that fits well for a tight and secure grip during exercise. in this case, it is safer to pick a strong and steady bar whose diameter allows your fingers to wrap around it for an efficient grip.
10. Weight Plates
Barbells and dumbbells require weight plates to make them functional. Weight plates come in different designs, sizes, and weights.
For example, you can go with the steel plates which are readily available. However, for a home gym, it’s advisable to pick plates that are covered with gum (bumper plates).
Bumper plates are suitable for a home setting as they are easy to handle. The outer gum cover also protects your floor against exercise associated damage.
In addition to being home gym-friendly, bumper plates also do not rust easily and hence guarantee many years of service.
However, they tend to be a bit more expensive than their steel counterparts. If they exceed your budget, it can be advisable to go with the steel plates and look for an alternative way to protect your floor.
Buying the weight plates will also depend on the amount of weight you can handle in your workouts. For this reason, you can consider getting some pairs of 5lbs, 10lbs, 25lbs, and 45 lbs for a start and add some extra plates with time as you continue to beast up in your workouts.
11. Power Rack
Weight lifting, especially at home, requires a power rack. A rack ensures that your routines are secure, especially when you’re alone in the room.
The amazing thing about a power rack is that it’s versatile. It allows one to perform various routines such as squats, and bench presses safely.
As if that’s all, power racks have sections which allow one to carry out moves such as dip station and pull-ups. Thus, with the equipment, you won’t require a pull-up bar within the house.
Some power racks also have a cable system which is an added advantage. When purchasing a power rack, you must consider its measurements.
The truth is, power racks can take quite a considerable amount of workout space. Therefore, it’s important to consider picking a power rack size that suits the space you intend to use for your home exercise.
Despite the fact that they can be a little costly, you can always find a power rack meets your budget.
12. Punching bag
Who said that punching bags are only for boxers or street fighters? Of course, no one; it’s an assumption. A heavy punching bag can be used in place of a treadmill.
The interesting thing is that it’s less expensive and requires little of your gym’s space. Many people assume that punching bags are used to improve the fighting techniques only.
Well, that is their primary objective. But, they also help in boosting one’s endurance and cardio. Also, punching a bag is fun and can be an amazing way to vent your offsetting feelings!
There’s no better way to put it; exercising at home has many benefits. For starters, it saves you money that you’d have spent paying gym subscriptions, let alone the costs of gas and the time spent to and from.
Also, having your home gym allows you to exercise at your convenience. You don’t have to wait for someone to get done with a certain piece of equipment. Additionally, you can easily lose weight and achieve your fitness goals even when on a busy schedule.
With the above list of home exercise equipment you need; you have little or no excuses to not workout from home. The best thing is that you don’t even have to buy all of them at a go.
You can start with those that you use more often and work your way up as you consider dedicating a particular space in your home to workouts.