Fitness is an important part of life. Whether it is working out in the gym or exercising in the comfort of your own space. As COVID over the last year has shown, staying at home has become essential, however that doesn't give way to excuses for skipping on your workout because you don't have the equipment.
Investing in equipment can be expensive. Either you get cheap quality products that don't last, or invest in good quality, which costs hundreds of dollars.
A safe in-between option is designing your fitness equipment. So instead of just shopping online, here we give you tips on how you can design your fitness equipment.
Sandbag
Strength training is essential to keep fit. Most trainers use kettlebells for strength training. However, an alternative to kettlebells can be sandbags. They work the same muscles and areas as kettlebells would, and besides, they provide a bonus. As the sand in sandbags is not compacted, it keeps shifting which, can make working out a more fruitful challenge, all the while working your muscles to the best.
To make a sandbag, you will need:
- Sturdy plastic bag or reuse any old duffle bag. These should be heavy duty to make sure all the sand is safely put inside and they can last long.
- Duct tape. This again needs to be heavy-duty to ensure proper enclosure.
- Sand
The listed materials are easy to find in any home. So before you think about investing in kettlebells, make your sandbag first!
Hand weights
As kettlebells are often used for cardio and strength training, another option is to go with dumbbells. However, as we stated before, this equipment can often be expensive and not worth buying for an in-home gym. An easy replacement for dumbbells can be many things around your house.
Many products such as water bottles can be used to perform exercises such as dumbbell rows, bench press, weighted lunges, and more. Water Bottles are just one option. Many other things around the house, which adds weight to your routine such as heavy boxes, books, bags filled with different things and more, can be easily incorporated for better working out results.
Medicine Ball
Sure, working out with the medicine ball can be annoying but the results it shows are worth it. Another addition to the cardio regime, medicine balls help build up strength and stamina, which is of course the ultimate goal.
Instead of purchasing the heavy ball from the store, all you need to do is:
- Take one of the basketballs lying around your house.
- Cut a hole in the ball the size of a funnel’s head.
- Use sand to achieve your preferred weight.
- Apply a heavy-duty glue such as liquid nails and leave it for 24 hours to cure.
- Using a paperclip, puncture the valve. This is an important step. If you don't do this, the ball might explode. The puncture allows air to flow out when slammed into the ground.
- This is a bonus step to provide more protection. Use heavy-duty tape to cover the ball, to make it last longer.
The steps may sound extensive, but they are not. All these products are easily available in everyone's home. This is an easy way to create a slamming ball, without any expenses.
Sliders
Jumping in and out from one form into the other is always difficult when you're not too flexible. But don't let this aspect be your ticket away from working out. The idea of sliders was introduced to help movement easier and more beneficial. These small circular discs are placed either under hands or feet to provide easy gliding on the floor.
So before you think about purchasing the expensive sliders, get some paper plates from your kitchen. As paper plates are made up of light material, they can easily glide on the floor without any disruptions. This can be a fun DIY to spend your time with.
Conclusion
The concept of working out has been made much more extensive than it is supposed to be. Without the addition of hundreds of equipment, the whole process is much easier. However, of course, we are not asking to remove the idea of weights altogether. Instead, look for solutions at home to make it more convenient for you. Start your workouts at home today!
