Since my daughter was born I've been working out at home, and I've surprisingly grown to love it. I just can't beat the convenience and it is definitely possible to get a great sweat in at home.
Below I’ve shared equipment for all budgets to create your own set of home gym gear. I've set it up so that you can start with the first items and slowly build up a nice little set up. All of it is pretty compact, so you don't need a lot of space. I also went through the products that were a middle range price and had excellent reviews on amazon, but most of these items you can get anywhere.
Stick to the basics!
There are soooo many gimmicky products available for home workouts. Don’t waste your money on items that serve only one purpose! I stick with the basics here and suggest using items that are good for multiple exercises. Next week I’ll be sharing a ton of exercises you can do with this equipment.
I start with a mat. It's an essential for everyone because with it you can workout anywhere. You can take it outside and get a workout while your kids are playing or workout in any room of the house without sliding around. There are mats at all price points, but I would avoid buying a super cheap ones because they fall apart and don’t keep you in place! If you are doing something like hot yoga however, you definitely want to invest in a higher end product to keep you from slipping.
Workout bands. These up the ante from simply doing bodyweight workouts and give you a good resistance workout without needing free weights. There are exercises you can do for each body part with bands…. A lot of bang for your buck! From there you can move on to weights (medicine ball, kettle bells, and dumbbells) using whichever you like most.
(*note: the prices I have listed may be different than on the amazon link because they are for a different weight. Product prices will vary by size, weight, etc.)
Budget: $100
for $100 you can get quite a nice setup for home workouts.
[Yoga mat and bands plus the following]
Stability ball ($22)
Medicine ball ($25)
Total: $91
Budget: Less than $50
Yoga mat ($20)
Resistance bands ($12)
Resistance tubes ($12)
total: approx $44
(give or take a few dollars depending on where you buy the items)
Add some weight...once you have the basics, I highly recommend adding weight to your workouts. Adding muscle mass is great for the metabolism and gives that lean mean mom machine look ;)
Budget: $500
(all items listed above)
Spin bike ($250)
I have this and I LOVE it. It's available on amazon prime, so you don't have to pay anything for shipping. For the price, the quality it great. There are a TON of great reviews, so you don't have to take my word for it. Also, most cardio equipment is anywhere from $500 - $1500+ so this is a great deal!
Budget: $250
(all products listed above as well as the following)
Kettle Bell ($17)
Set of dumbbells (approx $100) 2 different weights (anywhere from 8 to 20 lbs- do not buy weights less than 8 lbs) Just FYI most places online sell each dumbbell individually, so make sure you order a set!
Of course, as I mentioned before- the prices for different weighted items will vary. If you are brand new at using weights I'd start with 8-15 lb and then go up from there! **one more tip** Another option for inexpensive gear would be to check out your local craigslist type site... people are often selling gently used workout equipment.
