You can achieve a good level of fitness working out at home. You may prefer to home-based workouts because there there are no suitable gyms near your home or work place, gym fees are prohibitively expensive, you don't like the gyms near your home or a myriad of other reasons. Fortunately, you can keep several types of exercise equipment at home.
Benefits and Drawbacks
Working out at home offers a number of benefits. You can work out in the privacy and comfort of familiar surroundings, there is no need to waste time commuting and you can exercise whenever it suits you. But there are some potential problems associated with working out at home. Space may be limited and prohibit you from performing some of your favorite exercises, you may be interrupted by other people in your home, noise may be an issue for neighbors or you may find the convenience of having exercise equipment available all the time means that you keep putting off your workouts "until tomorrow."
Cost
One of the primary considerations when selecting exercise equipment for your home is your budget--you can set up an effective home gym for less than $100 or spend many thousands. If money is no object, then equipment such as light commercial grade treadmills and home gyms are a viable option. If you budget is more restricted, you can achieve a good, albeit lower tech, workout using a jump rope, exercise mat and stability ball.
Greater expense does not necessarily equate to greater fitness results. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, resistance bands can be just as effective as free weights for developing general strength and muscle tone.
Types
Select equipment that meets your exercise goal. If you want to develop muscular strength, tone, size, power or endurance, you will need to exercise your muscles with some form of external load. Resistance bands, free weights, home gyms, medicine balls, sand bags and kettlebells are are suitable home workout tools for this purpose. Cardiovascular fitness--related to your heart and lungs--can be developed by using a jump rope, mini trampoline, rowing machine, exercise bike, cross trainer, stepper or treadmill. Choose exercise equipment you think you will enjoy--if you don't enjoy running, a treadmill is not a good choice.
Storage
When selecting home exercise equipment, consider how and where you are going to store your equipment. Some workout equipment, such as collapsible weight benches, dumbbells, exercise mats and resistance bands can be stored in closets, under a bed or in your garage, while other equipment, such as home gyms and treadmills, cannot. If you intend to dedicate a room in your house to exercise, storage space becomes less of a factor. When purchasing home gyms and cardio equipment, ensure your floor will support the extra weight, as some of these machines are heavy.
Home Exercise Caution
Working out at home is generally safe, but accidents can happen. To minimize the risk of injury, perform your exercises in the biggest clear space you can find. If you are lifting heavy weights that might fall and crush you, make sure you have someone nearby who can spot for you. Home exercise equipment is not as sturdy as commercial exercise equipment, so do not overload it as it may break. This is especially true of resistance training equipment. Before starting any new workout get a physical from your doctor to ensure you are fit enough to exercise.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2009
- ibodz; Home Exercise Equipment
- "Complete Home Fitness Handbook"; Ed Burke; 1996
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