Working out at home doesn't mean you have to haul in the heavy equipment, according to the pros at Shape Magazine.
“When most of us think of a home gym, we think of big metal pieces of equipment, treadmills, and weight machines,” said Sharp Magazine fitness editor Jeanine Detz. “But you don't need that to get a good workout. You can get a good workout at home with some simple, inexpensive, lightweight materials.”
Several easy to store gadgets can help you build a smaller home gym for a total cost of just under $300.
The body bar starts at a cost of about $30.
“You want to think about strength training, you need something to add resistance, and a body bar is a great tool to do that,” said Detz. “It's just a padded bar and it comes in a few different weight ranges.”
You can also slide your way to killer inner thighs with gliding discs costing just under $40.
“If you have carpeting in your apartment, just a little square of carpeting, you can put one under your hand and one hand on the carpet and use them to do push ups and push out when you do them,” said Detz. “You can stand on one with one leg when you're doing lunges to side.”
Some discs can be used to glide, while others can be used for balance.
“It kind of works like a stability ball would,” said Detz. “You can stand on the ‘Exerdisk’ when you're doing any kind of exercise and instantly your whole core has to work harder to support you. And for apartment dwellers not blessed with high ceilings, there's something called a "ropeless jump rope.”
It's a little pricier than the schoolyard version at about $60, but Detz said it could come in handy when jumping around your junior one bedroom.
Working out at home doesn't mean you have to haul in the heavy equipment, according to the pros at Shape Magazine.
“You hold it in your hands while jumping, as if you were jumping rope and it even makes the sound effect of jumping rope. But you don't need the rope swinging above your head,” said Detz.
Instead of clunky dumbbells, try resistance bands. With all these lighter items, it’s a good rule of thumb that if it can fit in a suitcase, it can easily fit in your apartment.
“A great way to think when you are building a home gym that you want to be storable, is to think, ‘Are these things I could take with me when I travel?’” said Detz. “And if they are, they're probably great for a home gym.”
For more tips on how to use home equipment, visit www.shape.com.