Fitness Gear for the New Year
Iโm so excited to share some fitness plans, tips and inspiration as we head into the new year. I thought Iโd shout out some of my all-time favorite fitness gear to get your motivated for the new year!
Here are some ideas if youโre looking to spruce up or build a home gym, or update your workout wardrobe. Everything is ordered from โsave” to โsplurge,” and hopefully youโll find some ideas to change up your routine in 2016. Iโm getting together my fitness goals, but I already know that quite a bit of my fitness routine will be completed at home as I get cranking on Post Baby Bod and sneak in workouts here and there.
Workout Equipment for Home
Cardio
Jump rope. The classic never dies. You can get in some awesome Rocky-style workout (without chasing chickens). My favorite jump rope set is 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off, for 20 minutes.
HIIT timer. This is fantastic for bodyweight workouts or plyometrics at home. There are also some awesome apps, like the Tabata PRO app.
Spin bike. We purchased a spin bike before we left Tucson, and I was so glad that we had a solid cardio option to our home gym. I love being able to watch TV and spin in the garage, or prop my computer up on the bike to work while I pedal.
Treadmill. If you want to be able to run in the comfort of home (with your own TV, which you can blast as loudly as you please) a treadmill is a great option. They have inexpensive ones, to really fancy schmancy ones, so itโs a little easier to find one that works with your personal goals and budget.
Rowing machine (SWOON. I still would love to have one for our home gym!). The bonus about rowers is that theyโre extremely compact when you store them. You position them upright, and they donโt take up a ton of floor space.
Strength
Resistance bands. These are so inexpensive and are easy to store.
Stability ball. This is one of my all-time favorite workout tools. Here are some workouts to do with it, too.
Dumbbells (a light set and a heavy set).
Medicine ball. These are a fun way to change up your resistance routine, and fantastic for core work.
TRX. This is an extremely versatile tool and I love that itโs easy to progress or modify exercises.
Plyo boxes. These are more for fun than anything else, but are especially useful for decline push-ups, step-ups, and burps with a box jump.
Adjustable dumbbells. If you donโt want to invest in an entire set, these are a great option.
Kettlebells. Iโd only get 1-2: a light one, and a heavier one.
Flexibility
Stretching strap to modify stretches during yoga classes, or at home.
Foam roller. This is a very inexpensive option for self-myofascial release. It hurts so good. ๐ (For foam rolling tips, check out this post.)
Yoga mat. These can range from very inexpensive to more of an investment. Target has great mats on the cheap, but for one that will stand the test of time, I highly recommend Manduka.
Yamuna foot fitness. The muscles in our feet are very easy to neglect and can hold onto tension. This system not only feels amazing, but can impact stride, posture, and flexibility. The foot wakers are my fave ever.
Shoes
Attire
Some of my favorites for the winter months:
DVDs/Fitness plans
Some fave DVDs: Physique 57, Ballet Beautiful (on Amazon Prime, too), the old school Mari Windsor Pilates DVDs, Zuzka Light, Zumba (I miss the good olโ Zumba days)
Online services: Beachbody on Demand, Les Mills on Demand, Crunch LIVE, Physique 57, barre3
YouTube channels: Fitness Blender, Zuzka Light, Erin Motz
Iโm SO excited to try out the new Hammer & Chisel plan eventually!
Also, Winter Shape Up will be here in January, so get ready. If you want a January workout plan + first dibs on Shape Up workouts, be sure to sign up for my newsletter below:
(Donโt worry, I never spam ya.)
Hope you have a wonderful day and Iโll see ya soon.
xoxo
Gina
More:
I would love my own home gym. Thinking of you! Praying all is well with P.
I hope everything is okay! On the fitness gear front, I’ve been eyeing adjustable dumbbells for a while. I love the concept.
thank you. so much easier than having a full rack ๐
Hope baby P is doing okay.
Btw, has PostBabyBod already started? I emailed you a long time back (May 2015) about being on it. Then, I had my baby and totally forgot about it.
Can I get in on that program now? ๐
it will launch march first!
I love Swell water bottles!
they’re amazing!
I’ve been searching for a good yoga mat, and this is sending me down a rabbit hole of purchases I don’t really need. Thank you Gina for all of the fun items to browse through. ๐
haha anytime
Hope your medical stuff gets cleared up quickly…you’re in my thoughts…
thank you, jen <3 i appreciate it
Resistance bands are the best. They’re easy to use, I’m able to do so many different exercises with them, plus they’re easy to store.
yes, i love them!
I start Hammer & Chisel on Monday…so very excited. In preparation we add more free weights to our home gym and more resistance band options. We do have a rower in our living room too! My toddler things it’s such a fun thing…after a workout he requests a ride since his legs aren’t long enough yet.
WINTER SHAPE UP YAYYY! i’ve been waiting for the announcement post dearly ๐
lets see.. we have slowly been building up our home gym and i love it ๐ we have a tread mill, some light dumbells (would LOVE the adjustable ones!!), and a stability ball, resistance bands (awesome to take with us!)
Yamuna will be on my list! those look awesome!
We love our spin bike so much we bought a second. It’s totally worth it, now my husband and I work out together after the baby is in bed. We also have an app (Peleton cycle) that we use to stream live and on demand classes. Small monthly fee but waaaay less than two gym memberships, and totally worth it to reclaim our fitness dates from the pre-baby days!
Thank you for sharing! It’s great to have so many options and ideas to make fitness more accessible. I’m definitely eyeing some of those online services and DVDs.
those foot wakers look interesting. It looks like they would hurt in a good way ๐
your family is in my thoughts…
Hope you’re feeling better soon!
Have you ever tried an acupressure mat? I’ve been thinking of getting one for a while now but I don’t know anyone who has one, and I’m wondering if it’s actually worth it.