If there is one thing we have learned from COVID-19, it is that our house can become as many things as we want it to be, all it takes is a little desire, some money and a lot of imagination. The house arrest to which half the world has been submitted during this spring has led us to have to turn the room of our house into a work office and gym.
Most people have been locked up in less than 50 square meters and without a terrace or a garden where they can go out to stretch their legs and sunbathe, which has made this lock-in even more frustrating and ended up having very harmful effects on their mental and physical health. The only way to alleviate all that is by doing sport. Sport has been and will always be the best way to escape from all our problems and the lack of space does not have to be an inconvenience.
Now we can go out to the street, but what if we find ourselves locked up again because of the Coronavirus second wave? What if we don’t want to join a gym to save on fees and want to be able to exercise from the comfort of our own home? Then we should start thinking about building our own home gym.
Throughout this article, we will explain how to build a home gym without having too much space. Sometimes having a free room or just a few meters of space can serve us to fulfill our goal, it all depends on how we look at it and how much we want to achieve it.
What Do You Need for a Basic Home Gym?
1. Pull-up Bar
A drawbar can be your best ally to mitigate the effects of too long a confinement This simple accessory can be easily installed in any door or wall that has a little height; at least that it is above our head and that we can remain suspended completely from it without touching the floor. The pull up is a very versatile tool that will not help tone and work the back, shoulders and arms, although there are also those who use it to tone the core area.
On the other hand, these bars also serve to carry out a series of basic exercises or warm-ups prior to our training; everything will depend on our physical condition and what we seek to achieve with this complement. It is also important to emphasize that to be able to use this bar properly it is necessary to have an optimal physical condition since it requires a level of effort that could cause an injury in those people who barely do sport.
2. Plyometrics Box
The pile driver’s box is known as the “jump training” box since it is a slightly elevated platform that we must jump continuously to exercise. These training boxes are perfect to have at home since they barely take up space and we can clean and store them in any closet or under our bed for convenience.
With the pyrotechnic boxes, we usually carry out high-intensity interval training, where we will test our resistance and push our leg muscles to the limit and increase our explosive power.
3. Medicine Ball
As their name indicates, medicinal bullets were initially only used by physical therapists who wanted to recover their patients from some kind of injury. However, over the years medicinal bullets have become a basic tool within the world of fitness and sport in general, being very valid to work both jumping training and to improve the movements of central force.
Even though it is a medium size ball that we can have in almost any place, it is convenient to have a minimum of space to be able to store it, since the ball can never be deflated and it could become a problem if we live in an excessively narrow apartment.
4. Kettlebell
If you want to bum calories at lightning speed and exercise all the muscles in your body without having to go crazy looking for endless exercise routines, what you need is a Kettlebell. With these bells, you will be able to exercise your whole body in a thousand different ways: doing squats, push-ups, cross jumps, etc. In addition, using a simple 2 kg kettlebell you can burn in just two minutes, the same calories as running a kilometer, incredible, isn’t it?
The best thing about this sports tool is not its efficiency in making us burn calories and move all the muscles in our body, but that it is so simple to use that even the most beginners who have led a sedentary life up to now will be able to use it without fear.
There are all kinds of bells and with a wide variety of weights to choose from: the heavier you are, the more difficult it is. If you want to start trying them out for your training at home, we recommend that you start with the 2 kg ones and work your way up. You won’t be disappointed!
5. Jump Rope
Do you think jump ropes are just for kids to play with? Well, you’re wrong! A skipping rope can help you burn calories and tone your whole body in a simply amazing way. There’s a logical reason why Rocky in his movie doesn’t stop jumping with a rope: it’s a perfect cardio and body coordination workout.
By jumping 20 minutes a day we can exercise all the muscles in our body and tone them: quadriceps, hamstrings, arms, forearms, calves, etc. In addition, a rope is something that will barely take up any space and that we can use in practically any corner of our house (although if we put away nearby objects better).
If you have never practiced before with the rope, you should buy a rope specialized in cardio without added weight, but if you already have a certain physical form you can choose to buy a more complete one that will help you work better throughout your body. Who would have thought that by jumping like you did when you were a child, you could exercise your body and feel much better? Well, it is possible. Try it now!
Conclusion
These five home gym essentials may seem few compared to the amount of machines offered by a real gym, but to exercise your whole body and help you burn calories and clear your mind they are more than enough.