Exercise is an essential part of staying healthy, both physically and mentally. And who doesn’t want to be healthy, right?
Millions of people visit their local gym multiple times a week, dedicating a large portion of their free time to lifting weights and commuting to and from the gym. Others, also in millions, claim they have no time to work out and let their body “crash and burn” instead…
But you know what?
15-20 minutes a few days a week is actually all it takes to start the transformation from couch-potato to a new, healthy you. And it’s achievable by only using an affordable at home gym set-up!
Your Life Situation Affects Workout Habits
You know the story…
Suddenly you have two kids and a dog, what happened? No more time to hang out at the gym, and your body slowly pay the price…
Sounds familiar?
So how do you maintain a healthy and fit body, while at the same time being a loving parent? It is actually pretty easy…
Getting Fit Without a Gym Membership
According to Erik Larsen from hometraininghero.com, the solution might be just in front of you:
Working out at home!
Exercising at home is cheaper than a monthly gym membership, and it’s tons more practical.
Investing in smart home exercise equipment costs less than a year at the gym, and will last for years!
And guess what?
Some equipment can even be made by yourself, spending only an hour and a couple of bucks!
Let’s dive in…
How To Set Up a Super-Effective and Affordable At Home Gym
So, where and how do you set up your at-home gym?
Your living room!
All of the equipment needed for a full-body workout fits perfectly in your living room. In fact, most of the equipment can be tucked neatly into a cabinet or drawer when not in use.
And when it’s “exercise time” you will be up and running in just a couple of minutes!
You can even use some of your household items for your workouts:
- Chairs,
- low benches,
- your doors,
- a sturdy broomstick,
- bed sheets,
- and towels
All of the above will allow you to do both cardio and strength-building exercises.
So, the following equipment will form your “at home Golds Gym”:
Skipping Rope
Yes, you need to do some cardio… And no exercise equipment beats the skipping rope when it comes to practicality and effectiveness!
You know what?
Playing around with a skipping rope can actually achieve a crazy “burn rate” in the range of 700 – 1000+ calories per hour if you really give it everything you got! That’s about 0,1 to nearly 1,1 calories each time your feet leave the ground!
A skipping rope can be brought for 5$, or you can even use some piece of ordinary rope from your messy garage.
Ab Wheel
There’s more. The home gym wouldn’t be complete without a core workout…
You have most likely seen those commercials for expensive, bulky equipment used to work out your core. They come with a “six-pack guarantee,” and the guys and girls in the commercials have abs out of this world!
I have good news!
There is a better solution. The next addition to your home gym is the ab wheel. Small, simple, affordable, and just as effective as the 100$ machine!
Door Frame Pull-Up Bar
Why stop at the core? Yeah, we all dream of good posture and those abs being flat and tight, however, you need to exercise every muscle in your body.
And guess what? There are smart home gym solutions taking care of the rest of your body as well…
Want to work on that “V shape”, and build a healthy, strong back? Invest in a door pull-up bar. In addition to working your back, it can also be used for elevated push-ups, dips, and feet anchored crunches.
This genius piece of equipment attaches to the door and will cost you around $50.
Let’s keep going!
The Suspension Trainer
One of my absolute favorite pieces of exercise equipment, EVER!
With the suspension trainer, you can do hundreds of exercises, with the possibility to target every single muscle in your body.
By using your own body weight, this strap-thingy can challenge people of all strength levels. From beginners to elite weight lifters.
And also, it can be packed away neatly when not in use.
The suspension trainer will be the most costly part of your home gym, but it’s worth every penny! There are also some pretty nice DIY suspension trainers out on the web, be sure to check them out if you do not have the cash to splash on branded ones.
Resistance Bands
Here are another one of my favorite whole body options:
Drum roll…
Resistance bands, AKA rubber bands!
These colorful pieces of rubber are both effective and super practical.
Resistance bands both replace dumbbells besides providing you with a tool to do all of the “big 3 exercises” in the comfort of your own living room:
- Resistance band deadlift
- Resistance band chest press
- Resistance band squats
With a great variety of resistance, ranging from 5 to 350 lbs, they should provide good glute exercise machine for people of all fitness levels.
Yes, feel those muscles growing!Motivating Yourself
Honestly, you don’t need a gym membership.
Home workout equipment is affordable and way easier to start using… Would you rather travel an hour to the crowded gym or step into your living room workout zone?
And you know what?
When having the equipment in your own house, you will get reminded every time you walk by it; “REMEMBER TO WORK OUT!”
But what if you are the type of person that needs instructions? No problem!
There is 1000’s of exercise videos out there screaming for your attention. The DVDs, or even Youtube videos, will hold your hand and walk you through the workouts step-by-step.
Some videos focus on strength training, some focus on cardio training and others on weight loss. Choose the video that matches your goal and never look back.
Not only do the videos teach you, but they also motivate you! As you might know, sometimes the hardest part of working out is the motivation..: Your body won’t work if your mind doesn’t tell it to.
Well, motivation won’t be a problem while watching an exercise video accompanied by upbeat music. Your heart will be pumping as the on-screen instructor firmly tells you to hold that painful plank for 5 more seconds… Come on, you can do it!
Conclusion
You need to work out, period!
If you don’t work out, you won’t stay healthy. That is the harsh truth!
But the good news is you don’t have to spend all your time and money on the gym to be able to exercises.
Setting up your own at-home gym is easy, affordable, and provide you with just as good workouts as the 50$-a-month-gym!