Regular exercise promotes sleep, improves mood, manages weight and boosts energy!  Regular exercise also lowers your risk for many diseases and conditions.  Unfortunately many of us struggle to get in any exercise.  But before you throw in the towel, it has never been easier than now to put in a home gym and get all the convenient exercise you need and you don’t have to spend a fortune.

 

Benefits Of A Home Gym

Convenient – No commute time.  No child care necessary. (Here is a great idea you can get the kids exercising with you.)  You can squeeze in 15 minutes of exercise throughout the day if time is tight.

Low Cost – There is no monthly membership fees.  Once you have purchased some basic equipment there should be no other costs.  You can often find used equipment without a lot of cash outlay.

Unlimited Variety – There is a wide assortment of free classes online so you will never get bored.  You could set yourself up for a “Yoga Monday” and “Cardio Tuesday”.  You get the idea, pick activities that you love and find an online class.  When you use online tools you control when you hold class not the gym.  Find exercise activities that you love.  If you love to dance.  Find a dance workout program online.  This is a fun one for people of all ages.

 

Consistency and variety will help you work all your muscle groups!

 

Tips for Setting Up Your Home Gym

Space

You need to find a dedicated space so that everything is ready and organized when you are.  It does not have to be a lot of space but a dedicated space will make things easier.  Popular spaces are garages or basements but even a spare corner can suffice.  At our house we have a main floor office, we moved our office upstairs to an extra bedroom space and use this main floor office as our workout space.  That is what works for us.  If you live in a climate that doesn’t get cold snowy weather you may be able to use space outdoors.

Your space will determine the size and amount of the equipment you can get.

If you have very limited space a stationary bike that lives in a corner may have to do.  You could hide it with a screen if you wanted but being in plain sight may motivate you to get on and ride.

If you decide on a garage or basement space with concrete floors you may want to consider some mats or pads to help cushion your joints.

Don’t forget you can use your walls to hang up some of your equipment.  This will keep things from piling up on the floor.  Peg board can be your organization savior.

If you need to be able to tuck everything away, a tote where all things are in one place is a time saving solution.

Jazz up your fitness area with fun paint, posters, a mirror or a TV if possible.  TV watching can distract you from sweat and muscle burn.  Do what you can to keep you motivated and excited to exercise.

Gear

Spend wisely and remember you don’t have to buy everything at once.  If you want to start with yoga all you need is a tv or computer connection and a mat.

Super cheap is a jump rope.  Jumping rope is a crazy good workout and your kids can jump along with you.  You will be surprised how many calories you can burn jumping rope.  Use Health Surgeon’s Calories Burned Calculator to discover how many calories you can burn jumping rope. A weighted jump rope can increase your exercise intensity.

Basic Gear:

  • Exercise Mat
  • Resistance Bands
  • Jump Rope
  • Adjustable Dumbbells
  • Foam Rollers – Foam rollers can speed recovery.

Machines

If you have the space and money purchasing a treadmill or exercise bike can up your routine.  Used exercise equipment can be found for great discounted prices on Facebook marketplace or at a used sports equipment reseller.  If you love to walk or run, a treadmill could be perfect for you.  If you only think you will enjoy walking or running by a lower cost treadmill and upgrade when you see you are actually going to use it.

Spin bikes, stair climbers and rowing machines are great workout choices also.

Punching bags hang and that saves floor space.  Your garage may not have much space but a punching bag takes up very little.  Punching bags will help you work up a sweat, improve muscle conditioning and improve coordination.

 

Takeaway

Physical activity is critical for good health!  Exercise improves mood and helps us get good sleep.  Exercise also helps lower our risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Exercise can be fun and convenient.  A home gym may just be the perfect solution to help you meet your health goals.  A home gym does not need to be expensive or big to be beneficial.

 

 

READ MORE:  Fitting In Fitness: How To Make Exercise Part Of Your Daily Life


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