What basic gym equipment do I need at home?

Going to the gym may not be your thing for a number of reasons. Gyms are a great place to workout for some, but for many your own home gym is a more viable option. It could be that you don’t have a gym nearby, or the fees are just a little too high, or perhaps your day doesn’t allow you the time to get there. Whatever the reason, fear not, you can create your own basic gym at home and get all the same benefits as you would in the gym. You can choose your own music too!

So where do you start? Here is a list of our top 7 pieces of equipment we recommend to create your basic home gym:

• An exercise mat - Although it is possible to workout without one whilst at home, an exercise mat does have its benefits. If you are strength training, it may not be a necessity but if you are doing floor based exercises such as yoga or pilates it really is a must. Exercise mats provide that extra cushioning between you and the floor making your workout more comfortable. They also help prevent you from slipping and injuring yourself and from a cleanliness point of view, it saves you from getting dirty, particularly if you are working out outside.

 

• Resistance bands - It’s possible to do a full body workout using a single resistance band. These are really effective tools for strength building, improving flexibility whilst allowing you to control the angle you want to train at. But best of all, they’re convenient, lightweight and easy to carry and move around.

 

• Kettlebells - Not only are kettlebells perfect for building strength and flexibility, they also give a great cardio workout whilst you add them into your squats and perform kettlebell swings.

 

• Dumbbells - Compact and easy to store, dumbbells are your ideal training companion. Perfect for both upper and lower body workout these are a must have. Dumbbells are great strength training tools and as your workout progresses, you can increase its intensity not necessarily by increasing the weight, but by increasing the number of reps and sets that you do.

 

• Weight bench - These may seem unnecessary to some but if your goal is building muscle mass, you will need one. A weight bench gives you much more versatility allowing you to target all muscle groups whilst offering the support you need for an effective workout whilst allowing for correct posture and thereby reducing the risk of injury.

 

• Gym ball - These are great tools for building and strengthening your core and improving balance. However, there are a variety of strength building exercises you can also do using a gym ball including glute raises, squats and push ups to name but a few!

 

• Skipping rope - Skipping is a fun and effective way to exercise. It’s a great cardio workout, increasing the heart rate and burns calories along the way. It also helps to improve coordination and is easy to tuck away and store.