Create Your Own Equipment

Working out at home has so many benefits. Home videos are a fraction of the price of a gym membership, you can fit sessions in around your busy lifestyle and you don’t have to worry about keeping up with those around you. It does limit your access to equipment though – a treadmill that costs a couple of hundred pounds or a set of weights that’ll set you back a day’s pay aren’t exactly bank balance friendly. Here are some household items that can just as easily be used in the same way:

Stairs
Gyms fork out a fortune on step machines but you can get the exact same results with the stairs in your house. Running up and down is a great cardio workout and you can also incorporate tricep dips, toe taps, and a whole other range of exercises for absolutely nothing.

Water bottles
Fill two water bottles or empty milk cartons with water to create your own weights. Whether it’s biceps curls or overhead lifts, they’ll work just as well as weights in the gym. You can tailor their size to your ability too. Once you’re more confident, opt for a bigger bottle to keep pushing yourself.

Tights
Resistance bands are used a lot in pilates and you can create your very own pair at home with a pair of tights. You can customise them depending on your fitness level just as you can with resistance bands too – the higher the denier, the harder the workout. Either cut them into two legs and use them as shorter bands or wrap one end around your fist for a less strenuous option.

The Sofa
Your sofa might be your favourite place for a Netflix binge but you can also incorporate it into your at-home fitness routine. Again, it’s an option for tricep dips but you could go one step further and use it as a base for box jumps too. The softer filling means you’re going to have to work even harder to engage your core and keep your balance and you could even watch your favourite series while you’re there if you have to!

Rope
There’s a reason that skipping is such a big part of a boxer’s exercise regime, it’s a great workout. If you don’t already have a skipping rope, just use any rope you have spare in the garage, it does the same job.

These are just some of the things you probably already have access to that could be put to good use for fitness purposes and incorporating any of the above is sure to add an extra level of effort to any workout.

Zoe from ZBody Fitness has a whole range of at-home fitness programmes that mean you can challenge yourself from the comfort of your own home too. Get in touch here to find out more.