If you like going to a fitness studio or gym, have you considered mimicking one in your own home? With a home gym, you can perform your exercises even when life comes in the way. With the right equipment, you can do your cardio routines, strength or resistance training, high-intensity interval workouts, etc. from the comfort of your personal space.
The following are basic workout routines that you should familiarize yourself with before buying your home gym equipment:
- Cardio Exercise. This exercise helps improve your breaths and heart rate while using your large muscle groups. It helps you move faster and harder. Common cardiovascular exercises are biking, running, jogging, jumping rope, squat jumps, jumping jacks, etc.
The advantages of cardio exercise include stronger bones and muscles, reduced levels of anxiety and depression, better sleep, weight loss, improved lung capacity, and a better immune system, among others. It is advisable to do a moderate-intensity cardio workout for about 150 minutes every week.
- Strength Training. Also referred to as resistance or weight training, strength training is designed to build muscle groups using weight machines, free weights, or body weight to work against external resistance. Strength training is a vital factor in your overall fitness, regardless of age. Individuals with heart conditions, arthritis, or obesity can benefit from strength training. Regular strength training also prevents lean muscle mass loss that occurs with aging.
- Balance and Flexibility Training. One fitness booster is balance and flexibility training. Doing them increases performance, prevents injuries, aids in weight loss, helps gain muscle, and makes workout routines more effective. Balance and flexibility training improves strength, agility, endurance, and speed. While balance promotes better control of your body, flexibility helps enable your body. Yoga is an excellent example of this.
How to Choose Home Gym Equipment?
Before shopping, create a workout plan that indicates what you want to achieve. While various exercises work well together to improve your overall fitness, it is better to start targeting one to two specific areas to focus on your goals. For example, if you want to work on strength training, you can begin with a set of dumbbells or resistance bands. If you target cardio, a rowing machine or treadmill is ideal gym equipment.
Besides the kinds of workouts you want to perform, another factor to consider is your budget. It does not need to cost you an arm and a leg to outfit your home gym. You may be planning to fill your garage with a lot of gear; the entire process should not be a costly affair, but rather the best value for money.
When choosing your home workout equipment, the space available in your home is a crucial consideration. It is important that the items you get can fit the intended space in your basement, garage, or other spare room. So, make sure that the treadmill, multi-functional trainer, or power rack you are eyeing will have plenty of room in your house.
It is easy to stay active and healthy when you have a home gym. The most important thing is if you enjoy using a specific machine and it addresses your fitness goals, then purchase it. You can always upgrade and add to your collections over time.