We know the pandemic has been rough, especially for those of us who incorporate fitness routines into our day to day life. With studios and gyms closing left and right, we have been left to resort to the enclosed spaces of our homes as the gym floor and the collection of online YouTube videos as our personal trainers
I don’t know about you, but I for sure do not have a built-in at-home gym in my house. Like most of us have had or continue to do, I work out in the most open spaces I can find, such as the living room, basement, or even my bedroom. All of these make-shift at-home gyms spaces all have one thing in common… not enough space. Even if I wanted to, I do not even think I can fit a full-blown treadmill or indoor bike for cardio in my house, as much as I would love to.
Obtaining our desired fitness goals has gotten even tougher, but these inexpensive spacing saver at-home gym essentials have got you covered.
- Resistance bands
Resistance bands have been my best friend during quarantine and the pandemic. Although they are often referred to as “booty bands”, you can use resistance bands on any muscle in order to activate it. In addition to activating your glutes and hips, you can also use resistance bands to activate your biceps and traps. The best part about resistance bands is that they usually come in a pack ranging from light, medium, and heavy. I usually use the heavy or extra heavy bands (the bands with the most resistance), to activate my larger muscles such as my glutes, and then the lighter resistance bands (least resistance) on my upper body.
2. Jump rope
A jump rope is one of those essentials that you did not know you needed until you got one. Jump ropes, specifically speed ropes are one of the best forms of cardio you can do. 10 minutes of jump roping is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging or even running an eight-minute mile. For those who have bad knees from wear and tear from exercise or sports, jump roping is less detrimental to your knees since the impact is absorbed into both knees rather than one after the other like running or jogging. This has been my favorite form of cardio especially since it is freezing cold where I live therefore running a 5k every day is not ideal. 10 minutes of jump roping is a great way to get your heart rate up before you begin your exercise routine/training. Keep in mind that speed ropes or jump ropes with a thinner rope are the ones you want to get since they’ll help in speed compared to a normal thick jump rope.
3. Exercise disc sliders
Disc sliders are great for at-home workouts because you can use them on any surface, such as hardwood floors or even carpet. Sliders aid in that core activation and stability that is often hard to get when you have difficult surfaces to work on such as carpets. It is an excellent low impact essential that aids in strength training such as when you do lunges with weights or even for the waistline when you do core exercises such as mountain climbers. It is a low impact because the sliders reduce that harsh impact you may have on your bones and muscles when you do high impact exercises like mountain climbers or lunges that require you to step heavily.
Gabby Gormas February 11, 2021
I love this post! I have definitely been struggling to find new ways to workout throughout the pandemic without having the ability to go to the gym. My sister got a pack of resistance bands for Christmas and they are so nice for leg exercises. However, my friends often uses a jump rope for a quick cardio warmup and I definitely want to try that out too!
Maggie Rosa February 14, 2021
I really like how you included multiple options for people, no matter where they are in their fitness level. For me, I am still recovering from ACL surgery and I found it helpful that you included the speed rope as a low impact alternative for people with bad knees such as myself. I think It would be interesting if you suggested types of workouts to do with each piece of equipment because many people are not familiar with them.
Ben Doyle February 25, 2021
I think that these are great ideas, especially in terms of making sure that people will still be able to work out when they are locked inside with limited supplies for a low price. Since I’m an athlete myself, I had to take a lot of time over the lockdown last spring to evaluate what things I would need and resistance bands and jump ropes were great solutions for me. I also think that the use of the sliders is really creative, since you are able to work a lot of muscles with it and a lot of people will already have them in their house for furniture.