12 Simple Items You Can Use To Do Home Exercises

With COVID-19 shuttering gyms and fitness centers around the world, more and more people are resorting to home workouts to stay in shape. You might be used to working out in well-stocked gyms, thus, it can be a challenge to squeeze your fitness routine into a home environment.

Fortunately, there is plenty of simple equipment you can invest in to turn that spare space into your personal fitness center. The following twelve items are essential for your home training sessions, whether you’ve already got a tried and true routine or you’re trying to tone those muscles for the first time. Depending on the type of workout you’re going for, each item has its own uses to help keep you happy, healthy, and moving.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are surely number one when it comes to essential gym equipment. They are invaluable for any upper body workout, but can also help strengthen legs and thighs. Having a couple of sets of varying weights can increase your versatility in exercising different muscle groups. Dumbbells with rubber coating last longer and make your lifting experience much more comfortable.

Barbells

If you are a dedicated weight lifter or looking to become one, having a barbell is a must. As simple as they are, barbells are more useful than most machines in building strength and stability. There are even exercises you can do with the bar alone!  Make sure that the bar is sturdy and is the right size for your home, and get a couple of different weight plates to combine.

CoolSculpting Bands

It’s not a bad idea to use new technology to supplement any workout that you might be doing. This could be as simple as tracking your workouts on your smartphone. But, for those looking specifically to shed some pounds, trying out CoolSculpting or cryolipolysis at home may be in order. By cooling parts of the body, CoolSculpting bands can help break down fat molecules. This helps contribute to weight loss from home workouts, and keeps those extra pounds from coming back.

Kettlebells

Though you can use dumbbells and kettlebells interchangeably for many exercises, kettlebell workouts involve more compound movements. This helps with calorie burning by activating most of the muscles in your body. Kettlebell workouts also dramatically improve stability and core strength.

Medicine Ball

A soft, weighted medicine ball is less conventional than the run-of-the-mill dumbbell or kettlebell, but offers so many options. Throwing and catching exercises help with reflexes and arm strength, while combining them with twists can make for an effective abdominal muscle workout.

Pull Up Bar

If you’ve got a free doorway, a pull-up bar opens up a range of acrobatic possibilities for your fitness routine. There are even pull-up exercises you can do on the ground!  To build up strength, try hanging exercises. You can also combine resistance bands with pull-up exercises for added conditioning.

Jump Rope

It may bring back some childhood memories, but the jump rope is a cardio powerhouse you should definitely add to your home gym. It takes up very little room and helps improve coordination. Jumping rope is both more intense and more effective than jogging. Try a weighted jump rope for an added strength challenge, or a lightweight jump rope if you are going for speed.

Resistance Bands

Lightweight, cheap, and versatile--what’s not to love?  Resistance bands are great for adding another layer of difficulty to simple exercises. Try combining them with leg lifts or squats, and you’ll definitely feel the burn. They help activate muscle groups before more intense exercises, such as before a run, and can help build muscle tone throughout the body.

Yoga Mat

Even if you’re not going the YouTube yoga routine route, a good yoga mat is still essential for the home gym. Apart from making conventional bodyweight exercises, like planks and crunches, more comfortable, it is also ideal for some post-workout stretching, especially if you don’t want to leave a pool of sweat on your floor.

Yoga Blocks

Like resistance bands, yoga blocks show their full potential when combined with other exercises. They help with keeping proper alignment during yoga or stretching, and can also add an extra challenge to push-ups or positions, like downward dog.

Balance Ball

This simple gym tool works wonders for flexibility training and helps strengthen and stabilize your core muscles, improving your posture and making you less prone to injury. It also makes for an ergonomic addition to any home office.

Foam Roller

Having a set of foam rollers to help massage sore or tight muscles is the next best thing to having a personal massage therapist. They are also invaluable for any posture or flexibility training, plus they bring any abdominal workout up a notch (or two or three).

Get Creative!

Say, you are looking to stay in shape, but don’t want to break the bank. You may already have a couple of items around the house that can double as workout equipment in a pinch. Canned goods, water jugs, or even heavy grocery bags make great substitutes for dumbbells or kettlebells. Even the weekly trip to the supermarket can become part of your fitness routine. Stairs are excellent for cardio, endurance training, or your preferred leg day workouts. Stacks of books can help you achieve the perfect push up, and all you need for a wall sit, naturally, is a wall.

Stay Motivated

If you are feeling bored with the same old routine, try to switch things up. Keeping plenty of variety in your exercises is key to staying motivated. Although, some days, you may not feel up to it, maintaining a healthy, active life is one of the keys to happiness, especially in these trying times. With the simple workout items listed above, you can make the most of your home workouts and, perhaps, even learn a thing or two about your fitness preferences. You might even begin to prefer training at home than go to the gym. After all, there’s no excuse to skipping a workout when all you have to do is roll out of bed and get to it!