Working out from home has its pros and cons. I love that I don’t have to go to the gym, but I hate that I don’t have all the equipment I need. And so, I have been getting everything I need to work out from home, as I decide, maybe this is the place I want to be spending my time. We’ve reviewed plenty of fitness products, this year especially, but these are all of our favorites for making your home into the perfect home gym.
A yoga mat, for me, is to a home gym like a rug is to any room—it brings it all together. Yoga mats are great for lifting weights, core work, stretching, and well, yoga. My personal favorite yoga mat is this reversible one from Lululemon. It has enough padding to support my knees and it goes great with a non-slip yoga towel, too.
Scouted Contributor Jessica Booth calls the Bowflex C6 “the budget-friendly alternative to Peloton” (it also might show up quicker). There is a mount for propping up your tablet, can be easily moved around your space thanks to its wheels, and Jessica says “as someone who regularly did cycling at the gym or SoulCycle before getting this bike, I find it to be just as good, if not better, than the professional equipment I’ve used in other studios.”
“Why pick one or two dumbbells in a set when you can mix and match with the twist of the dial?” asks Scouted Contributor John Brandon. He recommends these Bowflex SelectTech weights that can change from five pounds to over 50 pounds with just a few clicks.
Scouted Contributor Angela Johnson loves these adjustable dumbbells, calling them “the perfect solution to my tiny home fitness predicament.” She writes, “Its compact design includes one dumbbell that adjusts between 5.5 and 27.5 pounds. This serious piece of space-saving workout equipment eliminates the need for crowding your workout space with several dumbbells or kettlebells in different weight amounts.”
I use these resistance bands every time I exercise. They are like a non-committal TRX system. You can work pretty much every part of your body with these, through tricep work, lunges, rows, squats, and plenty more. There are five bands, each with a different resistance level and a door anchor, making them easy to snap on and off to convert your home into a state of the art gym.
If you’re looking to make your workouts that much more difficult, I can’t recommend these enough. Better yet, they are great for turning everyday activities like walking up the stairs into a sweat-worthy experience. While most ankle weights are rather silly looking, these are sleek and easy to use. Plus, there’s no better feeling than taking them off and feeling like I am super strong.
I hate foam rolling. There are some great ones out there (highly recommend the Triggerpoint GRID if you must) but Scouted Contributor Hilary Sheinbaum loves her Theragun, going as far as saying “it’s going to be your new favorite way to recover.” The Theragun comes in three varieties: G3PRO, G3, and liv, and there is even a Theragun app to help guide your recovery.
Instead of going to the physical therapist or getting a massage, I’ve been using this personal TENS machine. It feels weird to use, kind of like your muscles have turned into spaghetti, but that’s just more blood rushing to the targeted area. And it’s a great way to recover—plus, you can use it while you’re cooking dinner or doing chores.
Scouted Contributor Terri Williams writes that this treadmill “solved all of my workout problems and then some.” Not only is the treadmill sleek enough to roll under her couch when she’s done using it, but it’s pretty quiet, meaning she doesn’t have to crank up the volume on her music or favorite shows, either.
Scouted Contributor Steven John says these BlazePods can help improve your agility and speed. It’s about “the size of a hockey puck,” and via an app, “you can set up programs that will make them flash in a pattern of different colors or with randomizations.” This allows you to set up your own customized footwork workout in no time.
Scouted Contributor Maggy Lehmicke writes, “purchasing the RW200 Nordictrack during the pandemic made quarantining much more tolerable.” Because of injury, a tread or bike was out of the question so a rower it had to be. And she loves it. Especially since you “fold it up and roll it into the coat closet” when she’s done working out.
Deemed “the only enjoyable exercise system” by Commerce Editor Jillian Lucas, the TRX is a multi-purpose exercise tool that is pretty much all you need for your home gym. The suspension training strap and anchors come with an app that shows you how to do exercises, and makes for easy set-up and take down, too.
Scouted Contributor Whitson Gordon says these push up handles “provide the perfect at-home workout—without the wrist pain. They rotate to encourage good form, but don’t slip an inch thanks to the rubber grip on the bottom. It’s the one piece of workout gear Whiston says he can’t live without.
This is how I’ve been keeping myself accountable during the pandemic. Whether it’s walking outside with a face mask or pacing like a mad-man in my apartment, I simply have to get in my 10,000 steps. I love that it helps me monitor my sleep, heart rate, and calories burned, too.
Scouted Contributor Rachel Krantz loves this trainer for helping her get a good stretch in. It allows her to enjoy “the circulatory and mood benefits of headstands and upside down yoga poses for much longer than you would be able to on your own.” Plus, it makes the idea of inverting or just stretching into something Rachel actually enjoys doing, instead of something that feels like a chore.
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