Home workout equipment essentials

If you’ve recently taken to working out at home or you are planning to, whether its because your gym is currently closed or you’ve decided you’d prefer it that way right now, below are a few of my favourite pieces of equipment for use at home.

To be clear, I’m not talking about costly cardio machines and bulky multi-gyms that take up loads of space, on the contrary all that is needed for an effective home workout is a few key pieces, ones that are relatively small, inexpensive and can easily be stashed away in cupboards or the shed.

First and foremost, a selection of resistance apparatus is a must, dumbbells are the most versatile, as are kettlebells and medicine balls, all in a variety of weights. See them as investment pieces, as you are unlikely to need to replace or update them. Other equipment that create resistance and add variety are Thera-bands, made from stretchy latex or fabric in a multitude of resistances and sizes. These are perishable and will need replacing at times, yet they are not expensive.

Exercise mats are always useful, for grip and cushioning, also to protect surfaces such as your carpet, tiles or wooden flooring from getting scuffed. They can be rolled up and neatly stored away.

Small cardio equipment that never fails to get the heart pumping are skipping ropes and steps.

One other indispensable piece of kit is a Stability-Ball, or some call it a Swiss Ball.
You can do so much with them, from ab work to it being your workout bench.
This is the only piece you might find tricky to store though, they are a little cumbersome and since deflating & inflating for each use is impractical, you’ll need to find a safe place to store it where it won’t get punctured.

Now if you’re not sure what to actually do with all that stuff, you may well benefit from consulting a Personal Fitness Coach on Zoom.

– This article has been published in the November edition of Life Magazines – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk