After you’ve finished a grueling workout, the prospect of traveling home afterward can be off-putting – especially if you could just flop straight onto the couch instead. As more of us work from home than ever before, many are now also looking into doing their exercise at home instead of the gym. And more of us are paying attention to exercise due to mental and physical health initiatives during the pandemic.
Saving money on gym memberships is
certainly an attractive option, although it’s also worth bearing in mind that
putting together a suitable home gymnasium is likely to include its own costs.
Be sure to fully consider
the financial outlay before committing to anything but, if you’re looking
for inspiration for a home gym, here’s a look at some of the equipment that you
might need.
Weights
There are some things that you always need
in a gym – weights are one of them. They are likely to be incorporated into
almost any exercise
plan, especially ones for beginners, making them one of the most useful
pieces of equipment that you can get. While they won’t necessarily break the
bank on their own, you’ll want to settle on a weight range that suits you so
that you don’t find yourself needing to buy a new set a little way down the
line.
Flooring
There’s a reason it’s best to set up a
dedicated home gym instead of simply exercising in a random room of your house
– and that’s all down to flooring. Carpet, wood panels, concrete… none of these
are comfortable or healthy surfaces on which for you to work out. You also risk
damaging the floors of your house if you don’t have the right protection set
up.
Look for soft foam if possible. This will
provide support while exercising and reduce the impact of any falls or hard
landings. Fortunately, it’s easy to find foam flooring cut into the shape of
puzzle pieces so that it can be assembled and disassembled easily, so you don’t
need to entirely replace the floor of a room in your house. Just put it down in
the best space and remove it when you’re finished!
Larger
equipment
You’ll want to tailor your purchases for
the kinds of exercise that you enjoy most or that best fit the fitness plan
that you want to pursue. Bigger pieces of equipment to fit inside your home gym
could include anything from a treadmill or exercise bike to a rowing machine or
even kickboxing equipment.
