Fit in your home gym: Sports clothing and fitness equipment for home

There are many advantages to shifting your daily workout into your home gym: If you are ready to start or restart training or if you are an ambitious amateur athlete who prefers the flexibility of working out where and when it suits you, then home fitness may be just the right solution for you. Of course, there is a huge selection of useful fitness equipment available, but you can also plan your home workout with very little or no equipment. If your goal is to keep fit in your daily routine or to do extra cross training, refer to this article for a selection of training equipment suitable for home use.

For a good range of enjoyable home workouts to choose from, there is no need to spend a lot of money on expensive and bulky equipment. Small fitness equipment for home workouts can go a long way, especially for functional training. Your training equipment should support your overall training and improve your performance in sports as well as every-day challenges: With the appropriate home workout and a few fitness gadgets you can build strength, improve your stability, endurance, and mobility, and stay fit overall. There is an overwhelming selection of small and inexpensive fitness gear available, which is why we have selected a few fitness gadgets for you to explore here.

Suitable fitness gadgets for beginners and those who are just (re-)starting out are inexpensive to buy, space-efficient and, most importantly, versatile:

• Yoga mat: A slip-resistant gym or yoga mat belongs to the basic equipment of a home gym. A mat prevents you from slipping, reduces the impact on your joints and protects your floor.

• Gym ball: Use a classic gym ball as a base for various bodyweight exercises. It allows you to work different muscle groups and train your balance and coordination at the same time.

• Fitness bands: Elastic fitness bands (or: resistance bands) can be used in many ways. The extra resistance intensifies stretches as well as strength exercises. For example: Upper body training can be enhanced by fitness tubes, which are tubular fitness bands with grips that offer additional stability without getting entangled and without the need to wrap them around your wrist.

• Skipping rope: With a classic skipping rope, you can easily carry out an effective cardiovascular training that improves your endurance and coordination.

• Fascia rolls or balls: These special massage rolls stimulate your circulation and can prevent tension. Fascia rolls of medium hardness are often recommended for beginners.

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Of course, training every day does not mean that you need to train indoors when it’s beautiful sunshine outside. You can comfortably do many workouts in the garden, the backyard or in a park, if that’s where you feel comfortable. Also, sports such as running or Nordic walking perfectly fit an active lifestyle with lots of motivation to train in fresh air.

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If you want to specifically train certain muscle groups or if you are looking for an extra challenge, there is a wide range of additional fitness equipment for you to purchase.

• Wrist and ankle weights: If you want to intensify your training, wrist or ankle weights may be a suitable option. It is important that you use them during strength exercises in order to carry out movements with more control and power – they are not intended to be used during high-impact training (e.g. running), as this would be too much impact on the joints.

• Pull-up bar: A pull-up bar offers an easy and affordable option for effective upper body workouts, where arms, shoulders, back and chest muscles are exercised. Indoor pull-up bars can be easily mounted to a wall, ceiling, or a door frame.

• Balance trainer: A balance ball or balance board perfectly trains not only your coordination and reaction ability, but also focusses on deep muscles. Stronger core and back muscles make you more stable and mobile while avoiding muscle tension. In addition, you can easily intensify most body-weight exercises using a balance trainer.

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If you want to train as a beginner with new and larger fitness equipment or with weights/dumbbells, then you should go to a gym. To prevent injury and guarantee that your training is as effective as you would like it to be, you should first learn how to safely use the equipment.

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If you are mainly working out at home, you are not exposed as much to the elements as you would during outdoor training. Still, it is important to choose proper technical clothing for your training to become as enjoyable as possible. Thermoregulating and breathable technical shirts and underwear ensure optimal evaporation of moisture during indoor and outdoor training and thus prevent you from overheating.

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If you like to complement your home workouts with regular outdoor running, you should add wind- and weather-resistant, technical clothing to your wardrobe. Find out more about layered clothing in our article on running clothes.

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Body-shaped clothes perfectly adapt to your movements during training and do not get in the way when you reach, stretch, or move up-side down. Tights or shorts with a narrow cut are therefore the preferred choice for many cardiovascular workouts or for sports such as yoga or Pilates. It is important that clothing is stretchy and that you still have enough room to move. Should you prefer wider cut fitness clothing, then cuffs should prevent clothes from crawling up.

With tight fitting fitness clothing you also lower the risk of getting your pants or sleeves entangled in the training equipment. However, your sports clothing should not be so tight that you feel uncomfortable or that you cannot move properly. Clothing that cuts into the skin may inhibit your blood flow and cause pain or cramps.

When shopping for sports clothing, women should make sure to buy a sports bra that fits well and supports the individual training goal.

• A sports bra must provide enough support during high-impact training, that is intensive training units, with moments of no floor contact (e.g. running, rope skipping). This reduces the impact on connective tissue and muscles.

• For low-impact-training, that is bone and joint-friendly training (e. g. yoga, Pilates), you should select a sports bra made of comfortable, elastic materials that offer lots of freedom of movement.

• For strength training, you require a sports bra with medium support that offers lots of flexibility, but also support. This will reduce the impact on your back during more strenuous exercises and prevent your bra from shifting.

Even though you don’t move across rough outdoor terrain, you still need to wear proper footwear. For strength training, you require well-fitting sports shoes that provide lots of support and a good grip. Yoga or Pilates training is normally done without shoes – here, non-slip socks give you more traction. If you are unsure which sports shoe is best for your chosen training, you can get expert advice from a specialist store.

For home fitness, quality rules over quantity: To keep fit every day, you don’t need to purchase expensive fitness equipment for home. With breathable technical clothing and proper footwear, you are well prepared for many types of training that require no or minimal equipment. More intensive training can be achieved by selecting fitness accessories that stimulate your muscles with new triggers so you can ease the path to reaching your training goals.

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https://www.self.com/gallery/best-at-home-workout-equipment

(accessed on 1st Nov 2021)

https://www.freeletics.com/en/blog/posts/tips-working-out-at-home/

(accessed on 1st Nov 2021)

https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/best-home-exercise-equipment/

(accessed on 1st Nov 2021)

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