Are you on the lookout for the best home exercise equipment? We’ve listed our top 6 workout essentials that won’t crowd up your home space.
Whether you spend time working from home or plan on turning a space in your house into a home gym to make the most of your space, it’s never a bad idea to set up your surroundings with the best home workout equipment. Explore the best home gym equipment like workout machines, and much more without breaking the bank, as you read on to find out the right home gym essentials for you.
YOGA OR WORKOUT MAT
Why it’s essential: No matter what body area you’re focusing on or how long you plan to work out for, it’s vital that you warm up before you start exercising. Not only does warming up prevent muscle injuries by loosening up the joints, but it also helps prepare the muscles for the workout session. Be it for yoga or a workout, a fitness mat is a piece of essential home gym equipment.
Finding the right one for you: Although they can both be used both for warmups and working out, it’s important to note the difference between a workout mat and a yoga mat. Workout mats are known to vary in thickness, ranging from 1 to 3 inches, and if you’re looking to do bodyweight exercises alongside your warmup, this would be a far better option. Yoga mats, on the other hand, are much thinner, easier to roll away, and much better for exercises based on flexibility, making them perfect for your yoga sessions.
Whichever option you go with, ensure to regularly warm up before workouts, to prevent your muscles from getting too sore.
EXERCISE BALL
Why it’s essential: While they are ideal for your muscle relaxation or core activation exercises, exercise balls are great for burning calories and stretches that work every part of your body. It can be used as an office chair, as it will help you improve your posture and balance.
Find the right one for you: An exercise ball can be used for many activities and is often known by a few different names, such as ‘Yoga Ball’, ‘Stability Ball’, ‘Fitness Ball’, ’Gym Ball’ and the name is even sometimes used for Medicine balls and Slam Balls. However, the exercise ball that’s best for home exercise equipment is an inflatable ball made of a thick vinyl material, which is neither big nor small, for both your own personal height and use, or as a office desk chair.
WEIGHT TRAINING EQUIPMENT
Why it’s essential: Weightlifting isn’t just about building strength and gaining muscle. It’s got a wide range of health benefits, including improved posture and bone density, better sleep, boosting metabolism, and can lower your chances of chronic diseases, as you age.
Find the right one for you: If you are a beginner, it’s best not to strain yourself by aiming for a high weight target. Start with 2.5 kgs to 4 kgs and build your way to 10 kgs to fully see a difference in the toning and gaining of muscles.
KETTLEBELLS
Why it’s essential: A must-have piece of equipment for your home gym is the kettlebell. They are so versatile and can get you good results. From squats to push-ups, a kettlebell workout can burn up to 20 calories per minute – about as much as running a 6-minute mile. A kettlebell uses every muscle in your body from head to toe, and it focuses a lot on your core and increases flexibility.
Finding the right one for you: A 2kg weight is perfect for beginners, and both men and women can use them as part of their home fitness workout or gym routine. Choose weights that meet your fitness requirements.
CARDIO MACHINES
Why it’s essential: Investing in a cardio machine has several benefits. You can stay within the comfort of your home and complete your cardio session, while you read a book or watch your favorite show. As per the requirement, you can switch up the speed, intensity and duration of your cardio workout, giving you the freedom to exercise without straining yourself excessively. By running on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a high speed, you can burn up to 700 calories!
Finding the right one for you: If you are a beginner or are looking for a compact treadmill or exercise machine, you could consider investing in a simple, yet effective walking machine or even a cross trainer to target your arms and legs, at the same time.
RECOVERY
Why it’s essential: Stretching and cooling down after a fitness session is essential, but it’s also important to thoroughly relax your body by incorporating recovering activities into your workout regimen. Using a massage or foam roller on sore areas of your body can help relieve the tension from the muscles, enabling a faster healing process, or the vibrations from an electronic massager can help in facilitating self-massage on any part of your body.
Finding the right one for you: If you are a beginner, invest in a foam roller to help relieve the stress from your body when you participate in low intensity workouts like yoga, pilates and more. For more intense exercises, you may use an electronic massage belt to target multiple areas at once.
