If you have gym equipment at home, you eliminate one major hurdle of getting a workout in: finding time to get to the gym.
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The coronavirus pandemic inspired many people to invest in home exercise gear—buying everything from adjustable dumbbells to high-end treadmills and exercise bikes. And those investments can also help you stay in shape as the weather turns colder and darker.
Whether you’re looking to expand your home gym or setting one up from scratch, whatever your budget, making it easy to get your exercise in is essential:
The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines (PDF) recommend doing a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (half that amount if it’s vigorous) and at least two whole-body strength training sessions each week. That’s achievable at home, even with a very basic setup.
“There’s a misconception that you need all sorts of snazzy equipment at home, like what you see at the gym, but that’s just not the case,” says Michael Piercy, MS, an American Council on Exercise master trainer (he teaches other trainers) and owner of the Lab in Fairfield, N.J. “You can get a great workout with just a couple of pieces of equipment.”
At a minimum: Invest in a yoga mat (from $20), which you can use for yoga, stretching, and floor exercises. See CR’s guide to yoga mats to find a mat that will best fit your needs.
Then, for strength training, add two sets of dumbbells ($30 and up, depending on the weights), one lighter and one heavier, McCall says. For a little more versatility, he also recommends adding a two-arm resistance band that you can attach to a door frame (from $20). “It acts like a cable machine at the gym,” says McCall. “You can do a lot of exercises from a standing position vs. seated, which engages muscles from your shoulders to your hips.”
Cardio machines are hard to afford with a limited budget, but you can find indoor stationary bikes for less than $500 and rowing machines for less than $800. Quality varies. While CR does not currently test rowing machines, CR has rated a selection of exercise bikes, with the most affordable widely available highly rated bike coming in at $800.
You could also consider a set of adjustable dumbbells ($220 and up), which can facilitate a full-body strength-training routine.
If you already have an outdoor bike, mounting it on a bike trainer ($100 and up) lets you easily convert it into an indoor cardio machine.
A jump rope (from $10) is another versatile option with a small price: It can provide an excellent cardio workout (and is good for circuit training), as long as you have outdoor space or high ceilings.
If you’re considering buying a used treadmill, see our tips for choosing one that is likelier to last. Quality treadmills for less than $1,000 can be hard to come by, but if that is all you want in your home gym, CR recommends several treadmills right around this price. The Horizon 7.0 AT, $1,000, is durable, well-constructed, and easy to use.
To see more treadmills from CR’s reviews of dozens of models from LifeSpan, Nautilus, NordicTrack, Precor, and others, check our treadmill ratings and our buying guide for more information.
Keep the mat, weights, bands, and jump rope, and add a stability ball or a ball-bench hybrid (you can lift it, use it as a weight bench, or stand on it). McCall also recommends a suspension trainer (less than $200), such as the TRX, which anchors in a door frame and adds an extra stability challenge to body weight exercises.
For cardio, you have a few more options in this price range. With treadmills at this price, says Anzalone, expect a little more horsepower, a slightly thicker deck, a slightly larger running surface, and more connectivity (like Bluetooth) options than you’d get with the least expensive models.
You can get a fully featured folding treadmill (good for tight spaces) like the Sole F80 for about $1,700. It comes with a chest-strap heart rate monitor (key for tracking your intensity and progress over time) and a variety of exercise programs.
Plan for all of the above resistance training equipment, but expand your weight collection. If space is a concern, look into adjustable dumbbells that range from 3 to 50 pounds in one compact set.
You don’t need a multigym, a large piece of equipment that allows you to do different strength moves with a range of weight (usually in a seated position).
“I think even at high budgets, functional equipment options (dumbbells and a suspension trainer) add more value, versatility, and bang for your buck than a multigym,” says Piercy at the Lab in New Jersey.
If you do want to go the multigym route, he recommends a cable-based machine, which is more versatile and challenging.
Looking for more instruction for your weight workouts? Interactive home gyms such as Mirror and Tonal ($1,500 and up), where a virtual trainer (via a large display) walks you through moves for a variety of workouts—including Pilates, boxing, and yoga—are designed to make it feel like you have a trainer in the room with you.
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Add a fitness tracker or smartwatch if you want to monitor your stats during exercise and track your progress over time.
At this price, you can also get a top-of-the-line treadmill. The larger nonfolding models tend to be sturdier and well equipped for running at a fast pace, and many of these models also come with Bluetooth connectivity and interactive programs.
A smart home gym refers to a digitalized version of workout machines. It encompasses and supervises the various equipment a person uses to work out in their homes. It can come in diverse forms. Nevertheless, the fundamental aspect is that it has a touchscreen that provides virtual coaching and instructions during exercise. In addition to that, a smart home gym consists of free weights and other equipment for cardio, arm, leg, abdomen, and resistance training.
A smart home gym comes with specific fitness devices. They can get linked and connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Thus, an individual can stream diverse interactive and virtual training classes using the machines. This interaction can be with trainers or fellow people engaged in their unique workout sessions. It allows the individuals to get supervision from an expert or professional as they train from the comfort of their homes.
On top of that, the connection of the smart home gym can get done with TVs and phones. The primary concept and purpose are that the system should provide everything a person needs to work out. It should be in one place and have a coach guiding the individual over a virtual platform. That is why a smart home gym helps considerably to save space. It is so even if a person wishes to engage in full-body exercises.
Overall, a smart home gym can cover all scopes and aspects of exercise via its integrated cameras and touchscreen displays.
Several types and categories of smart home gyms exist in the market. It can get owed to its growing demand and substantial benefits. For this precise reason, it is essential to choose the product wisely and carefully. It helps ensure that the purchased item meets all the requirements and does not fail the buyer at any point or in any way.
Hence, a buyer must consider and assess various parameters before purchasing a smart home gym. A few of these necessary factors consist of the following:
Size is one of the first and most crucial elements an individual must consider before buying a smart home gym. The buyer must gauge and check the dimensions of the machine and its equipment before finalizing their choice. It can get owed to the specific space availability a person can afford in their workout area to keep the smart home gym.
In addition to that, the size of the smart home gym must be optimum to allow freedom of movement when an individual starts exercising using it. It should permit the person to move their arms and legs freely and without obstruction.
Suppose an individual has significantly less workout space. In that case, they can purchase a foldable design of the smart home gym. It would help them save substantial space.
A specification of equipment may not suit all individuals. In other words, one adjustment of the pullup bar may not match the requirements and preferences of another person. For that reason, it is essential to buy a smart home gym that allows adjustments for its various pieces of equipment.
For instance, the devices should come with adjustable handles and seats. Overall, it enables and facilitates the benefit of sharing the smart home gym with other people.
In most cases, a smart home gym is multifunctional and allows people to perform exercises of varying types. For instance, they can do upper body, abdominals, legs, and full-body workouts together. Otherwise, they can choose a particular one and focus on that. In such cases, they can use the specific equipment required for it. Hence, it is best to select a smart home gym that allows multiple exercises.
An individual can purchase a Tonal home gym for this purpose. It offers various effective and fun workouts, encompassing yoga, partner sessions, and HIIT. On top of that, they come with encouraging and uplifting music and several knowledgeable trainers.
An individual can purchase a smart home gym for varying levels and scopes of workouts. It may be from beginner to intermediate and advanced ranks. The efficiency of the exercise would depend on the type and kind of equipment a person uses. For that reason, it is vital to choose a smart home gym while considering the workout or fitness level a person in which a person needs to engage.
Thus, an appropriate choice of the smart home gym would determine how helpful a workout session is.
Price is another crucial factor to consider when buying a smart home gym. It can get owed to the constraint of the budget an individual sets aside for the purchase. Since smart home gyms lean towards the pricier side, it is necessary to know the allocated amount and not exceed it. In addition to that, the cost applies to the membership, Wi-Fi, and other associated aspects required to sustain and use the system. Nevertheless, diverse people can afford it owing to its varying price range.
A smart home gym must be durable and long-lasting. It should not malfunction or break down just a few years after its purchase. In other words, they should be no need to replace or repair the machine quickly.
A smart home gym operates using technology along with various equipment. For instance, the system can get linked and connected to Bluetooth, infrared remotes, or Wi-Fi. On top of that, it has an interactive touchscreen with HD displays. Overall, the technological aspect of a smart home gym allows it to get connected to diverse classes or trainers online for reference or supervision.
If these features do not work appropriately, the entire purpose of a smart home gym gets destroyed. Hence, it is essential to ensure their proper operation and functioning before the purchase. A warranty also helps in these cases. In addition to that, the features should match and suit the workout requirements of the buyers.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of intelligent power generation fitness equipment. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.