To gym means investing in your health. Joining a local gym is one way of keeping fit. However, this is not always practical. You may not have the time that coincides with the gym’s operating hours, or you may not always have the money to continue with your gym membership.
By investing in exercise equipment for your home, you not only invest in your health, but you also cut on extra costs such as traveling and gym membership fees. In this article, we’ll talk about the top seven exercise equipment you should invest in for your home gym.
- Air Bike
The benefits of an air bike are incomparable. Thus, if your budget allows for only one equipment, get an air bike. It probably gives you the highest calorie-burning workout of all gym equipment out there. The air bike works by giving more resistance as you put in more effort—a worthy challenge for even the most fit athletes.
Air bikes offer low-impact training, while still giving you a full-body workout. This means you don’t have to worry about worsening existing injuries. Because the handles move with your pedaling action, you get a full upper body workout while strengthening your legs.
The pedaling action helps tone the calves and quads muscles while strengthening your leg bones. The sitting or standing posture helps tone the arms, shoulders, and back muscles. Most remarkably, it’s one of the best cardio workouts you can do. With a strong heart muscle, you enjoy oxygen-rich blood flow and are much less likely to suffer from common cardiovascular diseases.
- Treadmill
Many people don’t enjoy jogging for various reasons. For example, they don’t want to expose themselves to the public, or the weather can influence when you can jog—meaning you can’t stick to a routine. And there may be distractions along the way, like a neighbor wanting a chat.
If you enjoy jogging or running, but it’s a cause of frustration for whatever reason, a treadmill is the solution. You can run for as long as you want and stick to a regular routine, all in the comfort of your home. With a treadmill, you can exercise your leg muscles, heart and increase your core strength. It also has a lesser impact on your joints and bones than running outside. And finally, cardio workouts help your brain to release endorphins, contributing to increased mental health. Beware though, a treadmill can be dangerous for those who don’t know how to use them properly, so be mindful that you stay safe while using one.
- Jump Rope
A jump rope is a simple equipment to have in your gym, but it can work wonders for both your heart and lungs. As you skip, your heart rate increases, naturally leading to deep breaths. This allows your lungs to expand and contract fully. When you inhale and exhale properly, you are less likely to be overcome by fatigue, enjoy a stable blood flow, and can be more relaxed in stressful situations. Furthermore, deep breathing is crucial for your body to release toxins that could cause diseases like cancer. A jump rope is inexpensive and takes up almost no space—perfect for those living in small apartments.
- Dumbbells
Dumbbells are convenient to have for resistance exercising. You can search for dumbbell exercises on reputable online fitness pages. With the right techniques, you can exercise different parts of your body with dumbbells, like your arms, shoulders, and chest.
Having these in your home, gym as opposed to relying on gym dumbbells, means you’ll always have reliable workout equipment available. And since they come in many sizes, you can even take a few smaller ones with you when you go on holiday to keep up with your exercise routine.
- Punching Bag
You can hang a punching bag from your home gym’s ceiling, or purchase one that hangs from a rod. Punching bags make for good hand, arm, and leg fitness, improves your coordination and core strength, and helps clear your mind by blowing off steam.
- Ballet Bar
Ballet bars are excellent installments to have for several stretches and poses. Stretching enhances your flexibility and prevents muscles from bulking up unnaturally. Ballet bars are especially useful if you do a lot of resistance exercises, but don’t want to look like a bodybuilder.
You can search for a tutorial that shows you how you can use ballet bars to stretch and pose in ways that exercise different parts of the body such as your back muscles, calves, and gluts.
- Yoga Ball
The beauty of a yoga ball (also known as a stability ball) is that it can be used for intense fitness routines or yoga and meditation. Yoga not only exercises your body but also your mind.
With a yoga ball, you can increase your core strength, improve your balance and flexibility, and improve your spine and back muscles. If you have the space in your home, this is definitely worth the investment.
Conclusion
Great exercise equipment for your home gym makes it convenient for you to reach your fitness goals. You get to exercise in private and at your pace without having to worry about external factors, like the weather. Make sure to purchase such equipment from recommended and reputable vendors for quality products.