Ever crave a killer sweat session—yet the idea of getting dressed and schlepping to the gym sucks all the energy out of you? Not to mention dealing with crappy weather. Luckily, with a few key pieces of equipment and enough space, you can build the perfect in-house fitness area and get all your sweating on without leaving the house. Here, Leanne Shear, cofounder of Uplift Studios, a gym in New York City, lays down the five necessities every home gym needs.
A corner of a room
In a perfect world, you'd have a separate room to devote to fitness. But the truth is, it's actually not necessary—as long as you can carve out enough square footage to accommodate stationary moves as well as jumping in place, stretching, and laying down, you're set. If you can lie down with your hands over your head in two separate directions, without touching anything, that should do it.
Mats or pads
A yoga mat is all the padding you need so your muscles and joints are adequately cushioned on a wood or carpeted floor, even during cardio workouts, says Shear. Make sure the mats cover the entire surface you're using, of course. If your home gym is on a cement floor, like say in a basement, invest in heavier rubber padding.
Free weights
"The single best piece of equipment when you're doing any workout is your own body weight," says Shear, "So rather than install big expensive machines, buy one or two sets of 5- to 8-pound weights, which can be used one at a time or doubled up for a more intense workout." If you're a strength-training regular, you may want to opt for a heavier set as well. Check out this 20-Minute Power Workout: 2-in-1 Dumbbell Exercises for Faster Results for an amazing example of how to use those free weights to their full potential.
A jump rope
It's old-school, sure, but this playground staple is all you need for at-home cardio, says Shear. Case in point: These 7 metabolism-boosting jump rope moves. Plus, an added bonus: it's easy to store away, too, if space is at a premium.
Resistance bands
These tiny but powerful stretchy tools make resistance workouts extra challenging. Pick up different sizes and resistance levels, so you can use them for different muscle groups and get creative.
A foam roller
"This is great not as part of your workout routine but to massage and soothe muscles afterward," adds Shear. Check out these 7 awesome ways to use a foam roller for some inspiration.
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