Between telehealth rehab and frequent exercisers out of a gym, Amazon and online ordering have been in a hard place keeping tools in stock for home fitness! Here are some alternatives to classic tools that you can put together for the short term with limited tools!
Ideas for Weights
– No hand weights? Use water bottles! Lighter weights can often be substituted with water bottles, which were designed to fit into your hands! 1 pound will be about 16 ounces of water!
– Need heavier weights for the upper body? Try body weight exercises! Different modifications for pushups, dips, body weight rows, pull-ups, suspension curls, and suspension kickbacks can put out similar resistance level to dumbbells when performed well!
– Can’t get your squats heavy enough? Go single leg! Modifications of the single leg squat varying the non-supporting limb placement, depth, and resistance levels can put just as much force through the leg as a loaded up classic squat. And you’ll often get some bonus stability training out of it!
Ideas You May Not Have Thought Of
– Suspension trainers out of stock or too expensive? Rock climbing rope can easily be looped and is designed to support your body weight! Easy to get in custom lengths and tie in loops too. You’ll be amazed at how well this holds up and stores! You can even use short cuts of PVC pipe as handles by looping the ends of the rope through it and knotting a loop over the top!
– Need inspiration for a workout? Take advantage of YouTube! A lot of channels and videos exist for a variety of exercise types including home resistance routines. You can even try searching your specific equipment! Cardio routines like step aerobics, Zumba, dance, and calisthenics can all be found on Youtube! And don’t forget various kickboxing and martial arts routines like Tai Chi can help you learn at home! This can also be a great way to get introduced to something new! Also, watch your favorite health locations’ social media. For similar, our Hohman Rehab page on Facebook is doing live exercise routines multiple days a week!
Low Equipment Options!
Some low equipment options for home exercise exist but can be hard to get right now. If you are still having trouble getting the burn in while gyms are closed try some of these options.
– Jump rope is considered one of the best cardiovascular activities for home exercise! Along with being a great coordination and power drill for the lower legs. The act of jumping is considered “calorically inefficient,” meaning that it takes a lot of calories to do even a small amount of work! For fuel consumption this would normally be a bad thing. But, you are getting lot of work done in little time, so this is a great solution!
– Kickboxing into empty air does not sound like much, but almost any boxer will tell you that it can actually take more energy to miss a target than to make contact! Even without equipment like bags or gloves, you can get a phenomenal workout from “shadow boxing”. I would highly recommend this for anyone who is worried about the impact on their joints!
– Yoga is for everyone! A large variety of yoga programs exist to hit various goals, be it balance, flexibility, strength, rehab, or stability! I even participate in one for fencers called longsword yoga! If yoga is not somewhere in your weekly routine, no matter what your fitness focus, you are missing out! This is a great compliment to almost any goal!
– Bodyweight circuits can really wear you out too! More than just pushups and air squats, bodyweight exercises can be done with things you happen to have around your home. Utilize your walls, chairs, and stairs! Circuits can vary by intensity level and length to allow all levels to work out in this manner, from brand new to exercise to experienced athlete!
Setting up a Temporary Home Gym
So if you’re planning on setting up a temporary home gym, what are the best pieces of equipment to do it on a budget?
– A suspension trainer! I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, this is the best piece of resistance equipment you can own! All levels of resistance from beginning to elite. It includes exercises for almost every single muscle of the body. You can even find great models priced as low as $30! They’re also easy to store and set up. They’re versatile and easy to use, you just can’t beat it! It’s one of the top reasons we use them in clinic!
– An exercise ball! Those big Physio Balls are not just for ab workouts! While some of your best core workouts often include a big exercise ball, you can also use these for great strength and stability exercises in both the upper and lower body! These are usually very affordable, and can be found for as little as $10!
– Yoga Mats are another inexpensive, and more optional, addition to a home gym! Depending on your floor, these can be excellent both for keeping your sweat off the floor and for softening up a surface on your body when doing floor exercise! Not a necessity, but a nice way to keep sanitary and comfortable!
– Your own motivation is the only other key! As we talked about above, home exercise can be affordable and accessible in a variety of formats. However, the hardest part about not having a gym is not having the location to keep you motivated! Whether you need to set up a tracker, a schedule, an alarm, or a friend to call and keep you accountable, use whatever tools you need to keep you honest and moving!
