29 Dec 2020Working Out at Home? Here’s What You’ll Need
Whether you’re stuck in quarantine or avoiding crowded places, exercising from home may be the only way to get in a workout these days. You may miss the gym atmosphere, but when working out at home, you’ll never have to queue for a machine, clean up after the sweaty guy before you or avoid the crazy guy doing sets next to you. The downside is that professional gyms will always have more equipment that is most definitely more durable.
If you decide to focus on a home gym, at least for the time being, here are our recommendations on how to get it set up.
Designate a Workout Space
Before starting, choose an area where you can exercise comfortably. In this area, you would also need a little bit of storage area to keep basic equipment, so that it’s nearby when you need it. It doesn’t need to be high-end storage space – places like under your bed are good enough. When working out at home, you’ll also need to make sure that you have enough space to move around, depending on the exercises you intend on doing, ideally without knocking over any valuable items. It doesn’t even need to be indoors, a terrace or balcony will work.
Choose your equipment wisely
If you intend on setting up your home gym with all the machines you see at your local gym, then I hate to break it to you, but it will be rather pricey, and once again you will need the space to put all of it. Choose to invest in key pieces that can be used to perform various exercises, and that won’t take up too much space or break the bank. You should also look at equipment that does not just focus on cardio or just strength training, but a mixture of both.
a. Resistance Bands
A lot of fitness addicts swear by resistance bands, especially for working out at home. Easy to carry and cheap, they can be used to administer a number of strength exercises as well as can be used for recovery and stretching. Read our full list of pros and cons here.
b. Skipping/Jump Rope
If you can’t use the gym treadmills or the weather is too bad to run outdoors, getting yourself a skipping rope will cost much less than a treadmill to get your cardio in without having to do burpees.
c. Dumbbells
Dumbbells can be used in so many exercises and can be used when targeting different areas of the body. Most gym machine exercises can easily be replaced with dumbbells. The benefit of using machines is that they facilitate posture and good form, so take extra care on this when using dumbbells. Some dumbbells are adjustable in weight, so you can increase or decrease it depending on the exercise or need, without having to buy a new set for every weight variant.
Other Good-To-Haves which do not cost too much or take up too much space are a yoga mat, yoga blocks, a foam roller, balance trainers, a TRX set and kettlebells. If you want to take things further, a small but adjustable gym bench will see you through many exercises.
Mirrors
The reason why gyms are filled with mirrors is so that people can keep an eye on their form. If the space you chose doesn’t already have a mirror, invest in a mid-size mirror that you can easily bring out from your designated storage space when it’s time for your workout.
Music
Set up a good playlist, connect your phone to a Bluetooth speaker, and blast those jams! You are no longer tied down to a pair of headphones, especially if you don’t have a pair of wireless ones. You can also sing out loud to your favourite songs, without anyone giving you dirty looks.
Ventilation
You’re almost definitely going to work up a sweat, so make sure the area you have chosen at the very least has a window you can open. Fans are great alternatives and don’t cost as much as air conditioners.
Now that you don’t even have to commute for your daily dose of exercise, getting a workout done in the comfort of your home should help you stick to your workout routine. Whilst exercise is a great way of keeping healthy, a good health insurance plan is also of utmost importance. Learn more about our health packages at Laferla.