Home Workout Equipment on a Budget

What is the best affordable home workout equipment? We have five pieces of equipment that we feel are the essentials for great home workouts. With these pieces of equipment you can build muscle, lose weight or just improve your general fitness, right in the comfort of your living room.

1. Dumbbells. Dumbbells are probably the most versatile pieces of equipment in your home gym arsenal. With light set of dumbbells you can work just about every muscle either directly or indirectly doing hundreds of unique exercises. Cost: 5lb set = $20.00, 25lb set = $45.00
2. Exercise Band. The exercise band is another versatile piece of equipment that again can be used to work every major muscle group in a wide variety of ways. Cost: about $10.00
3. Swiss Ball. The swiss ball or stability ball is a great tool for your exercise regimen. You can get a great workout using just body weight exercises or use the ball as a seat or bench while using your dumbbells or exercise band. More and more serious weight training is done using the Swiss ball, it’s not just for pilates anymore. Just make sure you purchase the correct size for you. A good way to know if you have the right size is to sit on the ball and if your legs are bent at 90 degrees in the seated position you’ve got the right size. Cost: $10.00 – $20.00
4. Step or Box. A step or box can be used in a variety of ways during your training program. It can be used for aerobics, plyometrics and resistance training. Cost: Varies, but if your creative or handy enough you can use the stairs in your home or build your own with a 2×4 and a piece of sturdy plywood.
5. Medicine Ball. The medicine ball has traditionally been used in abdominal or core exercises. However you can incorporate a medicine ball in most muscle group training and it’s a fun change of pace from weights. Cost: $15.00 to $30.00

You don’t need an expensive gym membership or pricey home equipment to get the most out of your workouts. If the items listed in this article are still too much for your budget, try to find items in your home that you can use as substitutes. For instance, a couple bottles of water work great as dumbbells, or use your staircase for your step exercises. A sturdy ottoman makes a great bench or Swiss ball substitute and you can use a heavy phone book in place of a medicine ball. Don’t let a lack of equipment dictate the effectiveness of your workouts. Be creative and get fit without draining your bank account.