The first Lockdown forced many of us to change our lives in a number of different ways. Some used their extra time to learn new skills, languages or to play a musical instrument. Many concentrated on getting themselves fit…
If you weren’t particularly productive first time around then Lockdown 2.0 is another opportunity to get active without leaving the comfort of your home. With the weather looking a little grim and gyms shut, home exercise equipment will come to the fore even more. Getting fit at home is easier than ever with seemingly unlimited online workout videos, guides and articles to guide us through it.
To do our bit, we’ve put together a short list of simple and affordable exercise equipment which will give you a helping hand off of the sofa. We won’t pretend to be world renowned experts in fitness routines, so we’ll leave that to the rest of the internet and point you in the right direction. But here are some of the highlights of our huge selection of home exercise products and the benefits they provide. To see the full range click here.
No dumbells? No problem. Resistance bands are a brilliant way of building muscle and strength without busting your budget or taking up valuable space around the house. With a little creativity you can quickly create a full body workout.
You can even use household structures like bedposts and bannisters to loop your band around for extra resistance. Resistance bands are also widely used in physiotherapy to help build muscle back up after injury.
Not sure how to use your resistance bands? That’s fine, neither did we before this article! coachmag.co.uk have a simple to follow 9-part routine to “blast your whole body with” 🥵
If you’re looking to build a home gym on a budget then a swiss ball should be the next thing on your shopping list. I know what you’re thinking, it is a little bit retro. However, much like the resistance band, a swiss ball is an incredibly versatile, affordable and underrated piece of workout equipment. You might be thinking that it will take up a lot of space in the house but swiss balls are very easy to deflate when not in use.
Swiss balls are great for working on balance and coordination. For beginners it can be a useful tool for practicing squat technique with the assistance of a wall. While for more experienced gym goers, the instability of introducing a ball to your routine can add an extra level of challenge. The functional strength built by using a swiss ball has been proven to reduce the risk of sporting injury and improve posture.
Wondering how to use your giant ball? This YouTuber has some simple yet effective techniques ⬇
If you’re someone who struggles with sit-ups then an abdominal sit-up support might be a very helpful and affordable investment. By keeping your back properly aligned, the support helps you to effectively target upper, lower and oblique abdominal muscles.
Quick and simple to use; place the mat under your lower back as you perform your chosen exercise. The ergonomic design cushions your lower back through the movement, to reduce strain, while the groove allows for the spine to dip between the sides for additional comfort.
The benefits of the wobble board are similar to that of the swiss ball. It can help improve balance, posture and reduce risk of injury whilst also boosting core strength, neuromuscular integration and reaction time. It is also a popular muscle rehab tool for those recovering from injury or surgery.
There are hundreds of different ways that you can integrate wobble boards into your home training routine. Add an extra dimension to your strength training by standing on the wobble board whilst using your dumbells or doing squats.
Here are some wobble board tips by the very enthusiastic Coach Chris from the Criticalbench YouTube channel 👇
Shop the Entire Range
Hopefully, in the absence of the gym, this has inspired you to turn off Netflix, get off the sofa and use some of these simple and affordable tools to improve your fitness in lockdown.
But if none of this is for you, we’ve got plenty more home fitness and exercise products, so click here and have a browse!