Always makes me LOL a little when I go to someone's house for a session and we spend 10-15 minutes taking boxes off the treadmill, plugging it in, wiping it down, or search for a missing dumbbell in the garage so we have a matching pair. More times than not, people have an overabundance of equipment that they either 1) don't know how to use 2) aren't ready to physically use or 3) have no intention of using. Most fitness equipment now is really well priced, you can get bands, balls, mats, ropes and lighter weights for under $20 with minimal shipping cost, and bigger items such as treadmills, bike, full body gyms come in a range of qualities making it often much more affordable than joining a gym.
But buying home equipment doesn't necessarily mean you will use it. Having equipment close to you, eg. in your garage doesn't necessarily mean you will do workouts more often.
Here are few handy hints to consider if you want to enter the home gym scene:
1. Are you someone that can block out a messy house? a busy house? a noisy house? Being able to leave any chaos and go to your 'space' to move will dictate if working out from home will or won't work for you.
2. What permanant space do you have to do your workouts in? Size will dictate the type of workouts you can do/ equipment you can fit in that area comfortably. Is this space going to be appropriate to support what you need?
3. Start with 'some' stuff first to make sure this environment is going to work for you.
4. What are a good first few items you ask?
- A kettlebell. (6-8kg if you are new to exercise), (10-12kg if you have been active recently), (12kg + if you are moving from gym to home).
- A set of dumbbells. (2-3kg if you are new to exercise), (4-7kg if you have been active recently), (8kg + if you are moving from gym to home).
- Looped resistance band. Great for floor exercises to add resistance. Normally come in a 3 pack of light, medium, hard resistance.
5. How do I warm up or do 'cardio' if I don't have cardio equipment?
- walk/ jog outside.
- cycle outside around the block or down the drive/ bike on a wind trainer.
- step ups.
- dynamic stretch sequence.
6. Remember anything 'big' is heavy, hard to move, often hard to put together, and if you want to sell it can be difficult to pass on. Before purchasing big items such as a treadmill/ stair machine/ home gym machine, make sure you have a good habit already going at home. Even think about renting a piece of equipment before purchasing.
7. If you are walking out into your exercise space, and making things up on the spot to do, you aren't being efficient. Having a structured plan to follow will 100% make your experience that much easier. Take away the thinking barrier.
8. Just because a skipping rope is $7, and a massage ball is $4, doesn't mean you should add it to your cart just 'because'. Be directed in what you want and what you can do. If your pelvic floor is poor, you are prone to calf strains, a skipping rope isn't for you. If you find stretching boring, you have a dog that destroys balls, a massage ball isn't for you.