"Must-have" equipment for an at-home workout

What do you need for an at-home workout?

Just like selecting your space, a few basic pieces of equipment are all you need to get started with an at-home workout routine. Here’s where to start:

Exercise mat

Your mat will help define your space, and for general fitness training, you’ll want a mat that provides cushioning when doing exercises that involve being on your hands and knees, or lying on the floor.

If your at-home routine includes a regular yoga practice, you may want to choose a thinner “sticky” mat specifically designed for yoga, for non-slip hands and feet. A thick, cushy mat will feel better on your joints, but may affect your ability to balance in some of your standing poses. In my practice, I get the best of both worlds by putting my yoga mat over my thicker mat for a good grip, and I step off onto the hard surface of the floor for poses that challenge my balance, like Tree or Eagle.

Most mats sold for home use will roll up for easy storage. You may also find mats that fold up small enough to travel with you in your suitcase – no excuses for skipping your workout! Decide what features are going to be important to you for your preferred workout.

Don’t do cardio on your mat! That cushy surface has the potential to slip under your feet or catch your sneakers on some tricky turns. Hard surfaces are best for that kind of workout; save your mat for that final cool-down stretch.

Resistance bands

Bands are great starter equipment and have many advantages over dumbbells when beginning at-home exercise routine.

Space: even a full set of various levels of resistance bands will take up less space than a minimal set of dumbbells. Definitely a plus when you are traveling!

Cost: a full set of bands will not only take up less space, but cost much less than dumbbells.

Versatility: bands are much more versatile than dumbbells as far as varying exercise intensity, and for setting up various exercises. You can vary the resistance of a single band by making it shorter (for more resistance) or longer (for less resistance). With dumbbells, you must position the muscle you’re working in opposition to gravity to receive the most benefit from the exercise (this is why standing chest presses with dumbbells are not an efficient use of your workout time). Because resistance bands provide constant tension throughout the movement, your position relative to gravitational force is less of an issue. You can anchor your band at various heights, and set your body in various positions that work for you – seated, standing, or even lying down – and still get an effective and efficient workout.

Bands come in various types and lengths, so check out which types will be best suited to your favorite exercise mode. Narrower exercise bands in a “tube” shape, with attached handles, may work best for general strength training exercises. Wider, flat band without handles (sometimes referred to as “physio bands” or “therapy bands”) work better in applications like pilates. Bands also come in continuous loops, like big rubber bands, in various sizes from small “mini bands” to big loops that will go from your feet to your shoulders.

With an exercise mat and a set of resistance bands, you’ll have all you need to get started with your at-home fitness routine. As the great Arthur Ashe said, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”