Basic equipment for Home Workout
You might ask yourself “What Basic equipment for Home Workout you need to buy”. Working out at home, is as good as working out at a gym, it can be done any time it fits your schedule & it’s free. You might not have the same machines as they have at the gym, but there’s a lot of equipment that you can buy, that doesn’t have to cost a fortune, you can use things that you already have in your home, or simply use your body as weight.
Working out at the gym you don’t have to think about what equipment you need, it’s just there. But working out at the gym can for some be very stressful, because you are constantly comparing yourself to others. Are your clothes as cool as theirs, is your body as fit, can you do as many reps as the person next to you… Not to speak of the fact that working out at a gym is very expensive & not an option for everyone. And if like me you live with chronic conditions, you might buy a gym membership and then not be able to use it for long periods of time, because you’re knackered. So just having it adds on extra, very unnecessary stress.
Here’s a look at some of the equipment you can buy, no machines included, & some of the things you can use from home instead.
The Basics
Shoes
The number one workout equipment that you should always invest in is a good pair of shoes. They don’t have to cost an arm & a leg, but try to buy a pair that works for whatever workout you do. Not only do our feet take a lot of weight every day, but they are the foundation to everything that comes after. If our feet aren’t happy it affects our knees, hips, back & neck. So if your back is hurting, look down on your shoes & ask yourself if they make your feet happy.
A pair of good shoes are also the only thing you really need to get a good workout, whether it’s going for a walk, a run, doing tabatha or using your own body weight to exercise. So if you can’t afford anything else, invest in your shoes.
Yoga/Workout mat
A yoga/workout mat can be nice to have when working out at home, but it’s not a must. The mat is nice to lay on when using your own body as your weight, it’s more comfortable than laying on the floor. While lifting weights it is nice to stand on & something to put them down on when you’re done with a set to not bang it on the floor, disturbing the neighbors. You can also use it on the days you practice yoga, so it has many uses.
Weights
Dumbbells & Kettlebells
There are many different types of dumbbells & kettlebells, those that have a specific weight & dumbbells that you buy the weights separately to your handlebar, which I prefer. It takes up a lot less space to have dumbbells that you add on weight to, plus you can increase & reduce the weight depending on what muscles you’re working on. Instead of dumbbells/kettlebells you can use a bottle filled with water or something heavier as a weight. Adjust the weight & size based on your needs. You can also use a rubber band or rubber tube instead of dumbbells/Kettlebells.
Barbells
The same goes for Barbells, having weights that you add to the bar takes up a lot less space & is more convenient, in my opinion, because you can adjust the weight to your needs. You can even use the weights separately, for example when doing crunches, or Russian twists. A barbell can be substituted for the handle to your mop. In some stores you can even buy a long wooden handle, meant for brushes. It can be used in the same way as a barbell, just add weight by putting on a bag or bucket on each end with as much weight as you like, using books or whatever you have at home. Just make sure you put your hands outside of it so they don’t fall off.
Bands, Tubes & Ropes
Rubber bands
Rubber bands are easy to use, versatile, fit anywhere & are cheap. If you’re on a tight budget, but want to buy something, I’d say go with rubber bands. They can be used instead of any type of weight equipment. Depending on the type of rubber band you buy you can get very varied resistance, there are usually multiple to choose from so pick one that works for most of the areas you want to use it on. Rubber bands can be used to workout your arms, legs, buttocks, abs, pretty much your entire body depending on where you put it & how you use it.
Rubber tubes
Can be used more or less like rubber bands, but are a little less versatile in my opinion.
Jump rope
Jumping rope, the thing many of us did during break time at school, & then forgot about, unless you’re a boxer. A jump rope is very inexpensive & takes up no space. Jumping rope is a very good way to get a cardio workout that activates your entire body.
There are even some jump ropes with added weight. If you live in an apartment & don’t want to disturb your neighbors with a rope you can take 2 bottles as handles, then just make the same rotating motion with your hands while jumping. Makes less noise & you can use whatever bottles you have at home. Add liquid for extra weight. A regular rope can of course be used, it’s good if it’s not too light though, because then it might be hard to circulate.
Balls
Medicine balls
Medicine balls are balls with different weights. I like them, but once again they take up a lot of space, & if like me you live in a small apartment space is of the essence. Instead of a medicine ball you can use the weights for your barbell, dumbell, or a kettlebell. Unless of course you plan on throwing it on the ground…
Pilates ball
A Pilates ball is very good as an extra way to work with core stability. It can be used to lay on when doing crunches, different weight lifting exercises for your arms, push ups etc. They are fairly cheap. Again, for me the issue is that they take up a lot of space. So mine resides in the basement… But if you have the space go for it! It’s an excellent way to optimize your workout. It’s also good to just sit on, instead of a chair, to activate your muscles while working.
Plastic foot/soccer ball
Plastic balls have more uses than just to play football/soccer with. It’s an inexpensive piece of equipment that you can use for many different exercises, for example laying down with your hands over your head- getting up to seated or even standing up with your hands in front of you or over your head to work your entire body, especially the core, laying on your stomach passing the ball in a circle behind your back over your head down over the buttocks to work your upper body, or putting it between your knees & pressing them together to work the inside of your thighs & pelvic floor.
So what are you waiting for?
Not being able to go to the gym for whatever reason, Pandemic or not, shouldn’t stop you from working out. It shouldn’t be the potential equipment you need to workout at home that stops you. Start looking around your home to see what you can use as workout equipment, be inventive. Only your imagination stops you from working out at home.
If you don’t have enough energy to do strength or cardio workouts, go for a walk for a few minutes at a slow pace. Use your body as weight & make modifications to be enough for you, like doing push-ups standing against a wall. Remember to always adapt what you do to how your body is doing today, it will thank you for it tomorrow.
The health benefits of working out are numerous, no matter what type of exercise you do, yoga, lifting weights, going for a walk. So what are you waiting for?
So, there you have it… The Basic equipment for Home Workout & how to get the most out of it.