Essential Equipment for Home Workouts: What You Really Need

Exercising at home is an ideal way to keep your body and mind fit without stepping into crowded gyms or spending money on gym memberships. But if you want to build a good workout space at home, then choosing the right exercise equipment is very important. As your house doesn’t have the space of a gym, you can only keep the types of equipment that you are sure about using. Be your in-home personal trainer at your home gym.

No matter how big or small space you have at home, you will find some very effective equipment for working out at home. In this blog, we will explore some of the small and big exercise equipment and what exercises you can perform in case you don’t have any equipment.  

What are the Benefits of Home Workout?

Before we dive into the different types of exercise equipment, let’s discuss what are the benefits you will receive with a home workout.

Convenience and Flexibility: A home gym gives you the flexibility to have your schedule to work out. Also, you don’t have to travel to the gym and don’t have to worry about gym hours and fitness trainer as well. The home gym also makes it more convenient to integrate exercise into your daily routine.

Cost-Effective: If you are working out at home, then you are saving money on gym memberships, travel costs, and expensive gear. The exercise you will perform at home will require minimal equipment and will reduce the overall cost. Buying any equipment for your home gym will be a one-time investment, and you will save money on continuous gym fees.

Privacy and Comfort: Working out inside the comfort and privacy of your house gives you an easy feeling. This is especially beneficial for beginners who have just started working out and for people who are conscious about their fitness level. You can also have other comforts, such as playing your favourite music or adjusting the room temperature. 

Personalised Routine: While working out at home, you can personalise your exercise routine and tailor workouts that actually fit your fitness goals. This routine will give you more effective training, and you can experiment with as many exercises as you can based on your progress.

How to Create a Home Workout Space?

Now, let’s dive into how you can create a nice and effective workout space for yourself at home to achieve your health and fitness goals.

Before you purchase the home workout equipment, figure out the space you want to set the equipment. 

Find a space that will motivate you every day to do the workout; it can be anywhere inside your house. 

You can add types of equipment, such as room heaters or coolers, depending on the weather, to adjust the room temperature. 

You can also paint the workout space with bright colors and put up motivational posters to keep your workout space motivating.

Keep some towels and small fans in the space in case you are sweating too much. You can also keep a chalkboard in the space to write down the exercise routine.   

Small Exercise Equipment

Let’s see some of the small and minimal exercise equipment that you can purchase for your home gym.

1. Yoga Mat

A yoga mat can be an essential item to have as your at-home workout tool. You can use it to perform a variety of exercises such as pilates, yoga, and even boot camps. The mat provides a non-slip and comfortable surface for your exercises. As these mats are lightweight and portable, they can easily be rolled up and can be carried anywhere with you. 

2. Dumbbells

You don’t always need a weight bench system and 45-pound plates to keep your muscles healthy. Instead, you can invest in dumbbells to have plenty of exercise options. Purchase any light, medium, or heavy dumbbells according to your fitness level. The dumbbells can help you with not only arms or upper body exercise but also with your whole body exercise.

3. Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are great exercise equipment if you want to put some tension in your muscles to make them work hard during movements. Also, these bands are very inexpensive and give your home gym a great start. If you want to perform exercises such as bicep curl, then you can go for resistance bands instead of dumbbells as they are cheaper.

4. Stability Ball

Your abdomen, back, and hips are also vital parts of your body, and you need specialised equipment to target those areas. Because the muscles in these portions of your body act as stabilisers as you do your daily activities. The stability ball provides you with enough exercise options to work on these critical muscles of your body. 

5. Gliding Discs

These discs are small and smooth and help you to perform exercises with a sliding motion on the floor. This equipment can make exercises such as lunges and mountain climbers more challenging. So, you can use this equipment if you want to level up your workout routine. 

Large Exercise Equipment

Now, let’s look at a few large pieces of exercise equipment that you can keep in your home workout space.

1. Treadmill

A treadmill lets you walk, jog, and run indoors on its moving belt. So, with this equipment, you can do your exercises no matter the weather outside. The speed and inclines of the treadmill can also be adjusted according to your comfort. Some treadmills come with advanced features, such as heart rate monitors to help you reach your fitness goals.

2. Indoor Cycling Bike

These bikes will let you perform high-intensity cardio workouts. It helps you to simulate outdoor cycling and adjust resistance levels according to your comfort. The bikes have comfortable seats and handlebars that provide a low-impact way to improve your cardiovascular health.

3. Elliptical

The elliptical machine simulates walking, running, and climbing stairs with a smooth and gliding motion. It allows you to have a full-body workout with its two pedals and handles. The machine also helps in reducing stress on the joints while still providing effective cardio training. This exercise equipment is useful for all types of users.

4. Rower

This exercise equipment gives you the feeling of the rowing motion of a boat and provides a full-body workout. The equipment has a seat that glides on a rail and handles that you pull back and forth. It engages your legs and upper body. This workout equipment offers you a low-impact cardiovascular workout.

5. Climber

The climber helps in strengthening your legs, core, and upper body. In this equipment, you have to step on alternating pedals while pulling handles for a full-body exercise. It provides you with an intense cardio workout and also strengthens the muscles while having a low impact on your joints. 

What to do in a No Equipment Situation?

We have talked about both small and large equipment in this blog. But it is quite possible to have certain exercises without equipment for home exercises as well. Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, crunches, squats, burpees, lunges, and leg lifts can be done without any equipment. 

So, if you do not have enough funds or space in your home to build a home gym, don’t stop exercising. 

Conclusion

To build your dream home gym doesn’t require a lot of expensive things. If you can get a few home fitness essentials such as a yoga mat, resistance bands, dumbbells, and an exercise ball, they can provide you with a well-rounded workout experience. Together, these tools will help you perform a lot of exercises while you are in the comfort of your home. If you invest in quality and multi-purpose equipment, then you will be able to build an effective home gym that aligns with your fitness goals. 

FAQs

1. How much equipment do I need for my home gym?

There are no boundaries to how much gym equipment you need to have in your home gym. But our advice is that you purchase only those items that you know you are going to use. If you have budget or space restrictions, then you can start with no equipment as well, and later, you can purchase the items one by one.

2. How safe is it to exercise at home?

It is safe to exercise at home if you take some safety measures. Such as, while lifting heavy weights, make sure at least one person is there around you in case something happens. Also, make sure that the children in the house don’t pick up your exercise equipment because they might get hurt with it. Make sure that you are well-versed with the equipment before you start exercising with it.

3. What are the things I should consider before setting up the home gym?

Before you purchase the exercise equipment, consider what are the exercises you are going to perform. Based on that, you should purchase the items. Also, compare different prices of the products provided by different sellers. This way, you will be able to save some money as well. Then, fix the space where you want to have the gym. This space should be very comfortable and should motivate you to exercise daily.

4. What is the basic home equipment do I need?

There are several exercise equipment that you can consider basic equipment such as a yoga mat, resistance bands, dumbbells, and an exercise ball. Though these equipments are basic items, they can provide you with a variety of exercises if you use them wisely.  

5. How much does it cost to build a home gym?

The cost of your home gym depends on how much exercise equipment you want to keep in your gym space. If you go for basic items, then it would cost you less than if you want to purchase any large exercise equipment. So, evaluate your budget and your fitness goals to choose the equipment that you want to have for your home gym.