Everyone is trying to get in shape these days. But given their hectic schedules, people often don’t have the time to exercise as much as they want. With the average gym membership costing between $50-75 per month (upwards of almost $1000 every year!) and many people not utilizing that membership enough to make it pay off, a lot of money often gets wasted in the pursuit of fitness.
Solution? Build your own gym at home. You don’t need to spend a lot, you can work out when your schedule allows and you’re guaranteed not to throw any money away on wasted membership fees. And the internet is the perfect place to find the equipment you need atreasonable prices.
Start with an exercise ball. They’re relatively inexpensive and you can use them for a variety of toning exercises. Traditional medicine balls are also great for building strength and flexibility.
You’ll also need a good exercise mat. Yoga and palates mats work as well; anything to keep you from lying on a hardened floor while working out. We recommend buying a jump rope as well, since it’s the perfect warm up exercise to get your heart pumping and the muscles warm. Exercise/resistance bands are also a cheap purchase that can help your warm up and cool down stretching.
So now you’ve got the little stuff; items that are low-cost and good for basic fitness and stretching exercises. But you probably want more equipment.
Start with dumbbells. Remember that dumbbells can be used for both heavy and light muscle-building so do your research and find the right style and set of weights for your needs. Fixed weight dumbbells don’t offer the same flexibility as the pricier models that allow you to add or subtract weight.
Your home gym should also have one piece of bigger equipment, and this represents the largest expenditure as well. Talk to your doctor and consider which exercises you prefer when deciding on this option. Treadmills should be ruled out since you can basically run/walk anywhere outside anyway.
We’d recommend instead an exercise bike, rowing machine, or elliptical trainer all of which offer a full range of exercises for flexibility, stamina and strength. However, if you’re really more geared towards strength and muscle-building, take a look at one of the traditional home gyms.
Got more ideas for a home gym? Leave us a comment.
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