Home gyms have gained a lot of popularity these days. Although they’ve always been around, the recent pandemic may have a hand with how popular they have gotten. Working out during the lockdown helped people stay fit both physically and mentally.
If you have been considering designing a gym in your home and space has been an issue confronting you, then say goodbye to this problem and hello to portable gym equipment. These pieces of equipment are designed to help you exercise without taking up too much of your space.
If you have read any best portable gym review, then you will agree with us that these pieces of equipment are the best thing ever. You no longer have to deprive yourself of the job of working out at home because you lack space. These wonderful gears will fit in perfectly in your home.
Apart from portable home gyms, there are other exercise gears that do not consume a lot of space and are very essential for every home gym. In this article, we will list some essential gym gears that are perfect for saving space.
1. Dumbbells
You absolutely can’t have a home gym without dumbbells. For a small piece, dumbbells are quite versatile and are used for several exercises including weighted lunges, Russian twists, triceps kickbacks, and bicep curls. Dumbbells will help tone and strengthen your body when used well.
They typically come in sets of different weights. But since you do not have enough space, getting a set won’t just be expensive, it will also take a lot of space because you’d need to get a rack for the set.
Therefore, instead of buying a set, you could get adjustable dumbbells. These allow adjustment between different weights on the same dumbbell.
2. Yoga Mat
Another thing you need if you don’t want to go all out and get expensive, space-eating apparatus in your home is a yoga mat. With one of these, you do not need to worry about making scuff marks on your floor while you work out.
You get to do several equipment-free exercises on the mat or even do floor exercises with smaller gears on it. When you are done working out, all you need to do is roll up the mat and you’d have your space back.
3. Kettlebells
You could use kettlebells to perform several of the exact exercises you’d use dumbbells to perform. However, kettlebells offer more versatility because other dynamic moves like kettlebell swings, snatches, and cleans can be done with them. These moves provide you a general body exercise.
Just like dumbbells, they come in sets that are used to heighten the difficulty level and add variety.
4. Medicine Ball
You could use this portable equipment to improve your balance and core strength. Click here if you’d like to know what core strength means exactly and how to build it.
Unlike dumbbells and kettlebells, you can throw and then catch a medicine ball. You could also use it to increase the difficulty level of some exercises such as overhead throws and sit-ups.
5. Jump Rope
Your space won’t suffer even the slightest damage if you add a jump rope to it. A jump rope can be very beneficial to your health as you can use it during cardio training.
According to research, a person’s cardiorespiratory fitness could be improved when they use a jump rope. Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to your respiratory and circulatory system’s ability to provide the muscles with enough oxygen when they are engaged in physical activities.
6. Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are not just great if you do not have enough space, they are also budget-friendly. If you need to intensify your workout sessions without spending too much or taking up the whole of your living area, then resistance bands should be your go-to equipment.
However, as you go shopping for them, know that they have tension levels and this is indicated by colors. You may choose to buy the full set so that you’d get maximum versatility.
Many brands usually add accessories to their resistance bands like door and handle anchors. These are added so that more types of exercises can be done with the bands.
7. Foam Roller
When you regularly work out at home, you may begin to notice some pain or tightness in your muscle. This is especially true if you don’t do enough warming-up exercises before you start each workout session.
If you get a foam roller, you could easily practice some myofascial release by yourself before or/and after working out so that the tightness in your muscles can be relieved. Visit https://www.healthline.com/ to learn more about myofascial release.
You can simply roll your foam roller along the body area where you feel the tightness, this will help remove trigger points and knots from the area.
Essential Equipment for Larger Home Gyms
If you have enough space for equipment, you can afford to buy bulkier gears and apparatus. Some of the essential gears to get in this case include:
- Weight plates and barbell
- Exercise bikes and spin bikes
- Treadmill
- Squat rack
Conclusion
You don’t need to have an extremely large area before you can work out with gears in your home. You may have settled for equipment-free exercises, but you do not have to anymore since you can get a portable gym. You can also invest in some smaller gears that offer versatility such as dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, and so on.
