Best At-Home Workout Equipment To Have On Hand
While gyms and fitness studios remain closed, it’s been amazing to see how gym-owners, instructors, and fitness communities have used their creative and dedicated minds – innovating new ways to bring you amazing fitness experiences. Now we see workouts popping up all over the internet, social media, and in shared outdoor spaces. And while bodyweight and calisthenic based exercise are always an amazing route to reach your fitness goals, it can be helpful to have a few staple pieces of workout equipment on hand at home.
Now of course, not everyone has the space to pop a full on squat rack and barbell set up in their homes. But really, you don’t need anything that space-consuming or expensive to enhance your at-home or outdoor workout. Check out this list of my favorite at-home workout equipment below!
*Please note that these are all my own opinions and I use each of these accessories either in my own home or in studio. That said, if you decide to purchase the product through my provided links, I will receive a kickback which helps maintain the Ligne website. Thank you in advance!
I can’t emphasize the importance of the 2/5 INCH enough. It will save your knees without sacrificing your stability. One of my least favorite things about yoga mats is that they always feel too thin or too thick. Use one that’s too thin and you walk out of every class with bruised knees and sore wrists. Use one that’s too thick, and your feet sink into them like quicksand. When I opened the studio, I experimented with a number of different mats and until I found the Gaiam 2/5 Inch Yoga Mat, and now I won’t ever use anything else.
Can you bicep curl the same weight that you squat? Do you lunge the same weight that you chest press? I didn’t think so. And that’s why I encourage you to shell out the extra $40 and spring for a dumbbell set rather than just one pair. Your legs will thank you when you have something a little more challenging to work with than those 3 – 5 lb weights that you’ve been using for your shoulder pulses. If you have a little more cash to burn, there are also heavier options available than the standard 3/5/8 lb. sets.
There are so many different kinds of “resistance bands” out there that figuring out which kind to get can become overwhelming. My favorite style to use is the “theraband” which are basically just oversized rubber bands. I find them much easier to work with and more dynamic overall. The wide, flat design in comparison to the skinny, tubular resistance bands offer more variety and I find much less cumbersome. I would highly recommend getting a set of light/medium/heavy bands so you can figure out which bands work best with different movements.
Ankle and wrists weights are quickly becoming a new obsession of mine. I’m not sure how or why these accessories fell out of fashion, but I’ve been adding them into my Pilates workouts and they definitely add heat! It’s pretty incredible how much intensity two pounds can add to a leg raise. Plus, they’re small enough to fit in your sock drawer so if you struggle to find space your workout gear, these are a great accessory to keep handy at home.
Balance Ball or Mini Stability Ball
Balance and stability balls add an awesome challenge to virtually any movement by introducing the stability and balance factors. Balance balls are those large bouncy balls you see in most gyms that people can do planks on, sit ups, or even push ups. Stability balls are much smaller and may be a better option for people in smaller spaces with limited storage. By exercising on these unstable objects, you’re forced to engage your core even more and fire up your stabilizer muscles. This means more muscle recruitment and activation which leads you stronger you.
There’s certainly no reason that you can’t have an effective and challenging workout in your home-space or local park. By adding in some of these at home staples, you’ll be able to up the intensity and continue on your health and fitness progress until we’re all back in studio!
If you’ve been looking for an online class to add into your schedule, I’d highly recommend stopping by to try out one of my weekly LIVE virtual classes. Check out the class descriptions here and use the code FIRSTFOR5 to receive $10 off your first class!
