Whether you're trying to shed some unwanted holiday weight during the dead of winter or trying to improve your summertime beach body, there's no better time to start investing in fitness and exercise equipment. If you don't feel comfortable going to a public gym to work out in front of others, you don't have to. You can choose to invest in a set of affordable and effective workout equipment for your home gym.
1. Ankle Weight
Leading our list of the cheapest pieces of workout equipment in which you should invest are small but effective pieces of strength training equipment known as ankle weights.
Ankle weights are a popular piece of workout equipment worn by athletes and self-motivated fitness gurus worldwide. Their desired benefits lie in their ability to strengthen your leg muscles while doing seemingly ordinary tasks such as walking, jogging, or running.
Ankle weights boast a simplistic design in that you merely attach them around your ankles for a desired period of time. The weight they add to your ankles cause you to exert more effort when you move your legs. This added effort is what causes an increase in muscle mass in your legs and glutes.
In addition to all of these benefits, ankle weights are also incredibly affordable and can be used in the comfort of your own home.
2. Treadmill
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Treadmills have been a favorite household piece of workout equipment for decades. Companies that develop and manufacture treadmills have made great strides in the technological advancement of treadmills in the past decade.
Not only can treadmills provide the usual health benefits of regular exercise, cardiovascular strengthening, and calorie consumption but they are also equipped with advanced monitoring systems that read your health status and provide you with detailed data derived.
This monitoring system can help you by allowing you to tailor your workout in a more precise manner to hit certain calorie burn goals, heart rate goals, or distance walked goals. Many modern treadmills also allow you to adjust the incline which provides resistance exercise in addition to the endurance workout of walking or running on a normal treadmill.
A simple search online will provide you with many affordable treadmills to suit your financial and fitness needs.
3. Resistance Bands
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A continuing trend among fitness enthusiasts is a little miracle item called a resistance band. These small bands are workout powerhouses that are incredibly versatile, can be transported easily, stored in minimal space, and provides a myriad of different exercises and training benefits. The type of exercise a resistance band provides will be dictated by its structure, shape, and size.
Before you begin a resistance training routine with your bands, you should read the instructions carefully. Every piece of workout equipment will come with a heavy list of benefits and a list of precautions. Resistance bands are very affordable and can be found in most department stores or online retailers.
4. Stationary Exercise Bicycle
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A staple piece of exercise equipment that has been found in homes spanning the past few decades is known as the stationary exercise bicycle. This piece of at-home workout equipment affords you the myriad of health benefits of a regular bicycle but allows you to exercise in the comfort of your own home.
While riding a normal bicycle outside will provide many other additional benefits, including beautiful scenery, fresh air, sunlight, and wilderness therapy, there are just as many benefits to using a stationary bicycle instead.
A stationary exercise bicycle is just as affordable as a normal bicycle and can be equipped with modern technological analytic devices such as a heart rate monitor, calories burned counter, and an exercise timer.
5. Gymnastic Mat
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Although this may not seem like an impressive piece of workout equipment immediately, you'll be surprised to learn just how versatile a gymnastic mat can be when you set out to begin exercising at home.
A gymnastic mat can provide you with a comfortable layer of cushioning should you begin to perform stretches before starting your daily workout routine. It can also assist you with your daily yoga sessions.
Many different types of workout exercises require you to either lay on the floor, jump on the floor, or kneel. These types of exercises can be excruciatingly painful if you don't provide yourself a cushioning buffer between your body and the hard floor.
That's where a gymnastic mat comes into play. It is perfect for crunches, jumping jacks, yoga, sit-ups, leg stretches, and jumping rope. Best of all, it's incredibly affordable, compact, light-weight, and easy to store.