The first step to outfitting your own home gym is determining how much space you have, what your budget is, and which equipment is most to you.
The benefits of working out at home: You don’t have to mess with crowds. You get to skip the travel time and expense. You don’t have to worry about how you look. And you can exercise whenever it fits into your schedule.
Plus, experts say if you design routines you can do at home, even if they’re shorter, you’ll likely log more frequent workouts.
“Research shows you don’t have to work out for an hour or even 30 minutes to experience numerous health benefits, which is why working shorter workouts into your day, and doing this at home, is truly the future of fitness,” says Tom Holland, a personal trainer and fitness consultant based in Darien, Connecticut.
After all, you might not be willing to suit up and head to the gym for a 15-minute workout, but 15 minutes of core exercises before showering may be easy to fit into your schedule. A study published in March 2019 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that bouts of exercise lasting just 10 minutes conferred benefits in terms of overall mortality rates. And one of the key changes to the updated 2018 physical activity guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was to remove a minimum duration of physical activity in order for that activity to count toward your weekly total. According to these latest guidelines, even activity done in bouts that last less than 10 minutes counts toward your overall weekly physical activity target.
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But picking out the right equipment for your workout needs can be daunting. Holland (who has personal trainer certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise, among others) says to consider a few basic factors to start with: How much space do you have? What’s your budget? And who’s going to be using the equipment? If you can, it's ideal to outfit your space with both strength-training and aerobic exercise options.
“Cardiovascular exercise adds years to your life, while strength training adds life to your years,” Holland says.
Here’s what the pros say about six home-gym picks. And remember, the best options for you are the ones that work for your preferences and your space — and that you’ll use. Your home gym might simply include a yoga mat and your favorite jams.
Exercise Bikes
The benefits “They’re low impact, you can burn significant calories and lose weight on them, and they’re suitable for beginner through advanced exercisers,” Holland says. Although you can use the bike on your own, you can also download cycling apps like Peloton and CycleCast, and join group cycling classes, some of them live. According to the American Council on Exercise, you’ll burn anywhere from 350 to upwards of 600 calories in a 45-minute group cycling class.
The right one for you Comfort should be your top factor in choosing a bike. For some people, that will mean an upright version, while others prefer a recumbent bike. “If you’re not comfortable on it, you’ll never use it,” Holland says. Choose what features you want — basic stuff like time and distance tracking, or more advanced features, like video content or app connectivity. Also decide how much you’re willing to spend (exercise bikes come in a wide range of price points).
Elliptical Machines and Treadmills
The benefits Which you choose will depend on your goals and health. “Walkers and runners will be best served on a treadmill, while those with joint issues may want to opt for an elliptical,” Holland says. The biggest differences between the two machines is that most elliptical machines give you the option of working your upper body and your lower body at the same time. But you may find that a treadmill offers more variety in terms of the workouts you can do (such as whether you want to run or walk, how fast you go, and what incline you want to use). It’s best to decide which machine you think you’ll use over the long haul when choosing between the two.
The right one for you Elliptical machines all have different movement patterns, so make sure you try whichever one you’re considering to ensure that you like the specific pattern of that machine. Also, some elliptical machines have handles and others don’t; decide whether you want the option to work your entire body in your workouts and choose one with handles if you do.
When it comes to treadmills, look for durability and a good warranty, especially if you’re planning on using it frequently. Then check that it has the specific functions and metrics you’re looking for. Will you just be walking on it or do you want a variety of workouts to choose from, including running? Do you want Bluetooth connectivity so you can use different third-party fitness apps with it? Do you want video workouts that are built in?
“Decide how much technology you need and choose your treadmill accordingly,” Holland says.
Dumbbells
The benefits They’re one of the best options for strength training at home. “They’re relatively inexpensive, small and compact, and you can perform an infinite number of exercises with them,” Holland says.
The right one(s) for you Dumbbells come in several styles, but the most common is what people often call a fixed dumbbell. They’re the kind you generally see sitting on a weight rack at the gym, and they’re sold in pairs, each pair a different resistance. They come in weights ranging from a pound to 20 pounds and up. There are also adjustable dumbbells if you want to have several different weight options but don’t have the space or budget for an entire set of fixed dumbbells.
Be sure to choose dumbbells in weight options that work for you and your fitness routine. Using weights that are too heavy can lead to injury.
Resistance Bands
The benefits When you use resistance bands to do strength training, you not only build strength, but you also work your muscles from many angles, says Jaime McFaden, a master trainer at Aaptiv and a personal fitness coach based in Redwood City, California. Plus, because you’re working against tension throughout the entire exercise, you work more muscle groups than you would performing a move without a band, and you may reap some benefits from having to work on balance and coordination at the same time. Resistance bands are also extremely affordable, and compact enough to travel with.
The right one(s) for you Resistance bands come in different strengths — the different tensions usually fall into light, medium, heavy, and very heavy categories, and they're color-coded by tension — so consider having several options on hand, McFaden suggests. Bands also come with handles or without, and while both are effective, make sure the handles are comfortable if you go with that option. You can find bands in different shapes, too (think circular and figure-8 shaped). McFaden suggests starting with a basic long band unless your workout requires something different.
Stability Ball
The benefits They’re inexpensive (expect to pay about $30), compact (when deflated), and multipurpose, Holland says. You can use it for a wide variety of exercises, including core work and unilateral lower body exercises, as well as some upper body strength moves. The ball can double as a weight bench, allowing you to do exercises such as seated or supine (lying down) chest presses with dumbbells.
The right one for you Stability balls are sold in different diameters that can range from 45 to 85 centimeters, and the size that’s best for you depends on your height. In general, you should be able to sit on the ball with your knees at a 90-degree angle and your hips either in line or slightly higher than your knees. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines to see which size best fits your height. If, for instance, you’re between 5’1” and 5’5”, you would buy a 55-centimeter ball, such as the Balance Ball from Gaiam. No matter the size, look for one that’s burst-resistant.
TRX Suspension Trainer
The benefits You can do literally hundreds of exercises with this one piece of equipment. It’s a set of heavy-duty adjustable straps that you use to build strength through the force of gravity and your body weight. You’ll need either a sturdy door that you can hook the system onto or you can hang the TRX from an overhead hook (which you’ll have to buy separately), allowing a space about eight feet by six feet. You make the exercises as difficult as you like just by adjusting your body position in the straps.
It’s not just muscular strength endurance that you’ll build but cardiovascular fitness, too. Proof? When adults ages 21 to 71 did an eight-week program that alternated traditional TRX exercises like lunges, chest presses, and pull-ups with cardio exercises like agility ladder drills or kettlebell swings, they decreased their waist circumference and body fat and made significant improvements in muscular strength and endurance, according to sponsored research published by the American Council on Exercise in 2017.
Also, you’re constantly working your core with every exercise on the machine, McFaden says.
The right one for you This one’s a no-brainer. “I would go for TRX, the original,” McFaden says.
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