Gym's closed during lockdown with no access to equipment? Don't panic, we've got you covered with our home workout equipment alternatives
As gyms close for the second time around due to lockdown, maintaining your fitness routine at home can be a little tricky, especially when you don’t have the correct equipment….Or is it? By making just a few simple gym equipment swaps using things you have lying around the house, this can help keep you motivated, stay focused on your fitness goals and keep your mental health in check. With this in mind, we’ve come up with some home gym hacks to get you through lockdown and help break up the monotony of your usual home workout routine (which is probably looking a little stale right now, let’s face it!)
For home workout beginners, it doesn’t have to feel like a chore either. Ditch the idea that you have to get up at 6am to do a long and laborious 2 hour work intense workout each day to keep fit, workouts as short as 5 or 10 minutes have been shown to provide some health benefits. So whether you’re crazy for HIIT or a weight lifting champ, for a fuss free workout whilst staying safe indoors, make a few simple swaps with our homemade gym equipment ideas.
Use tights for resistance training
Most of us have got an old pair of tights stashed away in our drawers, if not you can pick up a pair really cheaply in most if not all clothing websites. One’s that have hardly been worn are best as they still have their stretch in them. Just tie the tight around the area you want to train, ankles, knees or thighs mainly, then get moving!
Not just for legs, tights are also great for toning the tops of your arms too. Speaking of arms, another great way to build, tone and strengthen your shoulders is with the humble bath towel. Bring your arms over your head and pull each end to the left then to the right, pulling with one arm and resisting with the other.
Use large bags of animal food for a bench press, overhead lifts and deadlifts
Perfect for barbell curls, a bench press, overhead lifts, deadlifts and squats, large bags of pet food are sure to help you get a sweat on and help you with your reps. Make sure the contents are evenly distributed to make sure it’s not un even or lopsided for best results. Similarly, a large tightly packed sack of rice or potatoes will do the job just as well!
Swap a kettle bell for bottled water
Simple but effective, a large bottle of water with a handle on top, usually 5L, does the job of a kettlebell just as well and are widely available in supermarkets. Perfect for squats and overhead lifts too, grip the handle with both hands and squat down whilst raising the bottle of water to feel the burn in your inner thighs and glutes.