As stay at home orders are in full effect, many of us are trying to convert corners of our bedrooms or living rooms into makeshift home gyms, signing up for all the free “challenges,” and obsessively following online fitness programs (No? Maybe that’s just me).
If you’re seasoned to social distancing and well accustomed to at-home workouts you may already have a small arsenal of props and equipment to use at home. For many of us though, we’re now searching the pantry for cans of beans that are relatively equal in weight to use as makeshift dumbbells. If you’re feeling a little lost as to how to incorporate prop alternatives into your workout, hopefully I can make your day.
I’ve put together a list of some pretty innovative alternatives to use if you don’t have certain pieces of equipment at home (and when I say innovative I mean creative but still practical and most importantly functional. I saw one dude on Instagram today try to make a kettlebell out of a 40lb. medicine ball wrapped in a towel! While I’m pretty excited to see the “after” video when that medicine ball slips through a fold in the towel and goes flying through one of his windows, I also wouldn’t want anything like that to happen to any of you!)
And if you know you just can’t live without the real deal I’ve also put together a list of some essential pieces of equipment I recommend, organized by the level of your home gym excitement.
Alternatives to some common props and equipment
Mat: towel (just be sure you’re not going to slip!)
Yoga Strap: belt, scarf, towel, dog leash
Yoga Block: book, firm pillow or bolster,
Pilates Ball/Fit Ball: If looking for something to provide support and cushion: rolled up towel, pillow, paper towel roll, toilet paper roll. If looking for something round to add challenge like a medicine ball: soccer ball, basketball, volleyball, small beach ball
Hand Weights: canned food, water bottles, bags of rice or beans
Barre: back of a chair, table edge, countertop, wall, side of bed, back of couch
Gliders: paper plates for carpet, socks or small towel for hard wood and tile
The Real Deal List of Essential At-Home Gym Equipment for…
The Hesitant One
“I want the bare minimum, something that will give me the most bang for my buck right now—after all, I got to save up for toilet paper.”
The Motivated One
“I’m really liking the idea of keeping up with an at home Yoga or Pilates practice.”
The previous list plus…
- Mat (thickness is personal preference but you’re going to want to invest in a quality mat)
- Pilates ring
- Pilates ball
- Light hand weights (Most places I’ve been looking are all sold out of light weights, so keep checking back if this link is sold out)
- Yoga block
- Yoga strap
- Resistance band (looped)
The I’m All In, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me #Goals One
“Studio closed? Fine then, I’ll just build my own.”
Everything in the previous lists plus…
- TRX Suspension Trainer (temporarily out of stock but check back soon!)
- BOSU ball (I linked to the smaller 50cm Sport version but they also make a PRO version that is 65cm)
- Reformer (I could write a whole blog post on the search for Pilates equipment but this is one I’ve been keeping an eye out for!)
