Who is ready to work out at the gym now that they are finally open after the hiatus from COVID? Some of us are and some of us still aren’t ready. What to do? How about investing in home gym equipment? With that said, there are two things to take in to consideration when determining what to buy. What are your goals and what is your budget? Let’s take a look at some options.
WHAT KIND OF SPACE DO YOU HAVE?
Before you even answer that question, answer if you are looking for strength training or cardio activity? There are a variety to choose from, you just have to choose the right ones for your goal. Strength training does not take up much space but an average size for cardio equipment is about 6x8x4.
HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO SPEND?…LESS EXPENSIVE
The most inexpensive piece could be the yoga mat! This could be used for yoga obviously, stretching and as a floor mat for weight training. With weight training you will want to add on some dumbbells. The price on those aren determined by the weight, so the less weight, the less expensive. Another super inexpensive piece of equipment is a jump rope…believe it or not it is a super great cardio workout, especially if you do interval training. A stationary bike could be a good option too as you can purchase a decent one for a relatively inexpensive price. One way to avoid purchasing a stationary bike but getting the same effects is to mount an outdoor bike on a bike trainer. These are way less expensive and serve the same purpose. Treadmills can be bought for about $1,000 but be careful with the quality. The more expensive ones will definitely last longer. A few other inexpensive items would be a stability ball and some strengthening bands.
WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT FOR A BIT MORE $’s?
To start, you can always add more weights…a full weight set or ones that are adjustable. If you did want a a multi-gym, a cable based one usually works best. These multi-gyms give you a full body workout but take up a lot of space (a basement build out could create gym space). Now, the newest trend is an instructional work out at home through interactive home gyms like a Mirror or Tonal or Peloton. If you are wondering which one is best, here you go. Peloton is is best for cardio, Tonal is best for resistance training and Mirror has the best price. We hope that helps!
Between weights, virtual classes, a treadmill, bike or rower, the idea of home gym sounds like the best thing that has happened in 2020!! Another great part of the home gym is that the whole family can join in. Remember, a walk with the family is also a great alternative to the gym, well, in addition to a hard workout at home first!! To make it more fun, try sharing your workouts with friends if you have an app that tracks your workouts…let the competition begin!