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When gyms began to shut down across the nation thanks to social distancing measures, I didn’t panic. Instead, I got my personal trainer certification from the American Council on Exercise to help folks make the most out of the space in their homes. After working out in tiny spaces in my living room for the better part of two decades (it all began with low-resolution Pilates DVD’s I bought from infomercials back in the early aughts), I’ve garnered enough strong opinions about the most important home gym essentials you can fit into any space and budget.
While working out at home might sound daunting after so many sedentary months of re-watching The Office, or relying on the familiarity of equipment and trainers at your local gym, introducing more at-home movement into your daily routine is an incredibly rewarding experience.
You’ll gain strength that’ll make activities of daily living easier, you’ll boost your cardiovascular endurance to help you master those stairs when your building’s elevator shuts down *yet again*, you’ll sleep better at night and wake up more rested, and you’ll boost your mood thanks to the release of endorphins. Not too bad for an initial commitment of 20 minutes every second day of the week. Now all you need is the right workout equipment to get started.
Building your home gym doesn’t need to evoke images of intimidating squat racks and barbells. Instead, my recommendations include user-friendly pieces of equipment that are relatively portable, affordable, and a total blast to use.
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