There are many personal reasons why you might want to work out in the comfort of your own home.
It’s a great way to supplement sessions at the gym, you might not live near a gym you like, or you don’t have the money for a membership. Either way, working out at home definitely has its benefits, especially if you have the machines and equipment to do so. However, people do generally forget about gym accessories – they are usually cheaper and smaller, and can be extremely helpful, especially for exercising on the go.
Foam Rollers
Foam rollers are perfect for stretching, massage and providing stability. Trigger point rollers are also helpful for myofascial release of sore and overworked muscles. See my post on my fave foam rolling exercises
Suspension Trainers
Suspension training is an approach to fitness training that uses a system of ropes and webbing or rings called a “suspension trainer” to allow the user to work against their own body weight. These are done with the aim of developing strength, balance, flexibility, and joint stability simultaneously. Suspension Training can be considered a type of resistance training as your body is required to utilize more muscles than normal to perform the movement. This teaches your body to begin working together effectively, helping to improve strength and toning your body at the same time.
Skipping Ropes
Chances are you probably have a skipping rope lying around somewhere in your house, whether it be a childhood memento or something you bought for your own children to play with. Skipping ropes are actually a fun and simple way to work out, and you don’t even need a ‘professional’ one to get some good use out of it.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are great for strength training, and the best thing is that they are extremely portable, so you can do exercises involving these bands almost anywhere. There are different types of bands with different levels of resistance, so make sure you choose something that you feel comfortable using.
Gym Balls
Gym balls force you to use more of your muscles while you exercise, as opposed to just sitting on a hard and stable floor. Keeping your balance is paramount, so you are engaging and strengthening your core and back muscles. They are also often used in physical therapy sessions, so if you are recovering from any kind of injury, you may want to consider getting a gym ball so you can use it both for your recovery and for working out.
The list really is endless and it really comes down to what type of workout you are setting yourself up for at home. If you are looking for items for a particular purpose, it would probably be best to do some research before heading into a store to try out your chosen accessory. Speciality retailers have a great range of gym accessories to choose from. Remember to keep an open mind when you are testing out equipment because you might just end up with something better than you had anticipated.
Do you have any gym accessories at home? Which ones are your favourites and why? What kinds of exercises do you use them for?
