The 5 Best Items to Have for Fitness at Home and Traveling
Whether you workout at a gym or with a trainer, or get your sweat on in your living room, we're giving you some of the best items to have for fitness at your home or hotel. These pieces of small equipment can help you get in a great workout in 10 minutes or an hour.
1. Resistance Bands: Resistance bands are some of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can have and use when it comes to working out from home. Generally, bands come in sets of differing weights which allows you to build strength and maintain intensity while you're working out. You can perform almost any movement with a resistance band--from squats, to rows, even pushups! Bands can be attached to banisters, chairs or other sturdy furniture to change up the angle and use of the band. What's also great is that resistance bands are fairly small and very bendy so they can easily be hidden away when not in use.
Best moves to try: Banded reverse flye, monster walk
Check out our Full Body Resistance Band Workout as well.
2. Mini Bands: They might look innocent but mini bands pack a big punch. While they appear to be fairly similar to resistance bands, mini bands are actually a lot different. These large elastic bands are great for adding tension and work especially well when doing leg exercises. Mini bands are great for doing lateral movements and stability
work and can be used for upper and lower body exercises. Mini bands can help give you a nice muscle burn when used properly and can bring you one step closer to toning those muscles the way you want. Just like resistance bands, mini bands are small and foldable so they can easily be stored or packed.
Best moves to try: lateral band walk, banded glute bridge
3. Suspension Trainers: Suspension trainers can easily be looked up to
a door frame or connected to a wall so you can get your workout in anywhere you have space. These trainers can be used for a whole body workout and let you pick the intensity.
With each movement, you can control the difficulty by moving your positioning.
While suspension trainers don't take up a lot of space themselves, you do need a bit of room to use it properly.
Suspension trainers are low impact so they are great for exercising post injury or with any normal aches and pains that might occur.
Best moves to try: Rows and any ab move
4. Jump Rope: Remember jumping rope outside when you were young? It's just as fun as an adult! Jumping rope is an extremely effective calorie burner for cardiovascular health and
Not only does using a jump rope help your cardio, it works on your balance, speed work and agility as you simply jump or even mix it up a little.
Jump ropes are lower impact than running since you are jumping with both legs, however, if you need low impact activities, this one might not be for you.
A surprising benefit of jump ropes? They can help your brain! Exercise with mental and physical challenges stimulates your brain more than regular exercise.
Best moves to try: a Tabata set: 8 rounds of 20 seconds work/10 seconds rest and double unders
5. Yourself: This one may seem like a little bit of a cheater but bodyweight has become an underrated highly effective tool. Bodyweight exercise builds muscle, improves your
endurance, can be done as cardio--the list goes on!
Bodyweight exercises can be challenging no matter your fitness level or expertise, and keep you interested with a variety of movements and progressions for you to try. Bodyweight exercises challenges your balance, flexibility, strength, agility and cardio all In one depending on the exercise selection and format of the workout. You can do fast paced intervals or slower strength--they all work.
Besides the physical, bodyweight is free, doesn't take up any space and can travel anywhere.
Best moves to try: Squats and Pushups
Check out our Full Body Bodyweight Workout as well.
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Any of these great pieces of equipment (especially that last one ;) ) are guaranteed to challenge you whether you're working out at home or on the go.
