Top 5 Equipment To Have For Home Workouts

Home workouts have become more prevalent now and many people still want to workout from the comfort of their home. Whether it’s for convenience, avoiding crowds, or gym-phobia, home workouts are still going strong. Yet many people think that you can’t get a proper “burn” unless you have a fully equipped home gym. I’m here to tell you that home workouts can still be extremely effective even with very limited equipment. 

I compiled a list of my Top 5 at home workout equipment to have for all of your exercise needs.

DUMBBELLS

A traditional piece of equipment but the benefits of having them in your home gym is for the variety they bring to most workouts. They are versatile and are used for both upper and lower body movements as well as key core movements. When using them, they activate a number of different muscle groups and help promote stability.

You don’t need a full set of dumbbells on hand, just a few lighter weights along with 1 or 2 heavier weights. Investing in an adjustable dumbell set like this one by FlyBird will provide everything you need in one convenient set. Choose dumbbells/weight that you can move fairly easily but towards the end of lifting 12 – 15 reps, it becomes more challenging.

If you’re looking for a full body workout, try this dumbbell workout for both beginners or for the more advanced.

RESISTANCE BANDS

Resistance Bands, also known as strength bands or exercise bands, come in different widths and sizes. There are several different types of resistance bands on the market that you can include in your home gym.

First there are the lower body bands. These can be used for lower body workouts to specifically target the glutes. By adding in restricted movements to your glute workouts, you are focusing on strengthening the area. Strong glutes have a big impact on your overall body strength. They help:

• strengthen the core
• assist in compound movements
• help prevent and avoid muscle imbalances

Secondly, there are upper body resistance bands. These are great to include because they are a cost effective alternative to dumbells. Resistance band training can promote good form and balance while adding resistance to all of your upper body exercises and movements. I would suggest getting a set for both.

JUMP ROPE

Jump Rope, a little old school but still very effective. This is a cheap and portable option to include in your workout sessions. Jumping rope is great as a warmup and is still one of the best full body workouts you can do. It is excellent at increasing your agility, promotes coordination and increases total-body strengthening which is important while exercising. Guaranteed this is one form of cardio you are sure to have fun with.

When purchasing jump ropes, there are still options available. You can get jump ropes that are weighted to increase the cardio and calories burned in every session. Having trouble keeping count, there are also jump ropes that keep count for you as well!

STABILITY BALL

A stability ball is an excellent piece of equipment to have. They are inflatable and can be used for flexibility, core strengthening and full body stretching. An added benefit is that it can aid in spine alignment. By keeping your body in an unbalanced position, it forces your body to work harder to keep everything in proper alignment.

They are extremely portable for you to take on the road with you and cost effective to boot. I found a good one here on Amazon. I’ve also linked a full body workout to get you started here.

YOGA MAT

Last but certainly not least, a including a yoga mat to round out your workouts. Yoga mats can be used for stretching and mobility work that is floor based. It will help with a light cushion between yourself and the floor.

Stretching and mobility is extremely important in any fitness routine. Stretching keeps your muscles lengthened and loose while mobility work ensures you are bringing your joints through their full range of motion.