What's in Your Home Gym?

This is not really a loaded question. It's really a lead in to talk about my home gym. The options of doing gym based workouts and home based workouts has been discussed before. There are definite advantages to both and I think it boils down to a matter of personal preference. Some people find the gym workout more motivating. They enjoy the social atmosphere and the availability of the different equipment that is found in the gym. At the gym, you can complete your workouts without all of the interruptions that you can encounter at home. Another benefit is the availability of on site trainer to help with your workouts and show you how to use that equipment.

Some people just do not want to go somewhere else after a long day at work. The thought of having to shower at a gym does not appeal to many so the idea of doing a home workout is just a better one for some.

I have done both gym workouts and home workouts. I worked at a gym for a short period of time. I have to say that I did not mind going to a gym to my workouts but I did not enjoy working at the gym. The difference could be in the gyms themselves but for the most part I have to say that I prefer to do my workouts at home. When I did gym workouts I either went right after work before stopping at home, or I went home, ate dinner then went to the gym. Going directly after work was the best plan, however, you have to remember to pack your workout clothes to bring with you on the way to work. Going before work is not an option for me because I start work at 0630AM and I just like my sleep too much. In the time period that I went after dinner, I found that I rushed through my workouts so that I could get home to get on the business of whatever I needed to do at home. So now I do my workout at home.

To begin an at home workout, you need to make sure that you have an area that you can do your workout without having to disturb others at home. Finding a small workout space for yourself is a viable solution. Perhaps cleaning a part of the basement to set up as a small gym is an option. If you are the type of person who likes to follow a video/DVD you will need a TV and VCR/DVD player. Another option is a portable DVD player. This is actually an excellent option because you can carry it and set it up wherever you would like in your house. If the family is trying to watch their favorite show at your workout time, just take DVD player to another room that has enough room for your workout, and start moving.

If you can afford to do, maybe remodeling a room into a small home gym can be a nice solution for everyone. At our house we have an attached sunroom. This room was not winterized so my husband insulated it, put in new windows, patio doors, a new floor and replaced the walls and ceiling. The room was the nicest room in our house for a while. We put in a wall mounted television and VCR/DVD player for my DVD workouts. We also purchased a small home gym that fits in the corner of the room because it is not a huge room. We have a treadmill that folds up when not in use leaving more space for our workouts.

I realize that not everyone can have expensive workout equipment in their homes, however, there is equipment available that is very inexpensive. A gym on a shoestring would include such equipment as a skipping rope for cardio, a mat for floorwork, a resistance band for strength and, if you really want to splurge, a stability ball. With these small pieces of equipment you can set up a home program which includes cardio, strength and flexibility routines and you can probably set up your gym for about $50.00.

If you want to add, you can probably purchase a dumbbell set with 3lb, 5lb and 10lb dumbbells for about $30.00. Another relatively inexpensive piece of equipment is a step. They range from $50.00 to $100.00 and can be a very flexible piece of equipment. A step can be used for step aerobics for cardio and can also be used as a small bench for strength training moves.

Speaking of a piece of equipment for strength training moves, never underestimate the stability ball. There are some essential exercises that the ball is used for especially abdominal and core work but the ball can also be used in the same way as a bench for strength training. Chest presses and other upper body moves can be done on the ball by resting your upper back on the ball with your legs extended in a table top position to also work your core at the same time. The ball can be used to work your glutes and hamstrings by lying on the floor and your body in plank form, with your heals pressing into the ball and then rolling the ball towards your body. It his more difficult to describe without visuals but you can see demonstrations of these exercises on the website onlinefit.com.

Another piece of equipment that I find useful is the body bar. This is a weighted bar that can be used it the same as barbell. I often use the body bar as dowel when doing balance moves. It is available in several different weights depending on your individual needs. There are a copy of body bar workouts available on onlinefit.com.

If you read my informercial article, you are aware of the "as seen on TV" type of equipment. Some are good, others are not so good. For the most part, you can get by with the basics. If you are someone who likes variety, DVDs/videos are a good option. I suggest that if you are going to use any type of equipment that you learn how to use the equipment in the manner it was designed for and with the proper form. Injuries can occur if you just jump in without any type of training or instruction. There are personal trainers that could come to your home to show you how to use the equipment and start you on a basic program. They do charge for their services but many have a service where they can teach exercise basics and give you a safe program to start with. It is up to you if want to have more.

So if you want to work out at home, now is the time to start. There are many fitness deals out there at this time of year. And, as I pointed out, you do not have to sign your whole paycheck over to find good equipment for the workout you want.

Happy New Year!

The Christmas season has come and gone and now we are faced with a brand new year. With the advent of a new year, comes the resolutions to make change. It makes sense that a new year would be the time to make changes in our lives. We can trade old habits (hopefully the bad ones) for new habits.

Many people are of the attitude that they never keep their new resolutions so what is the sense in making them. Making a new resolution is basically the same thing as setting a new goal for yourself. If you set a goal that is unrealistic, then, of course, it will be difficult to attain it. It might make sense to make a series of smaller resolutions much in the same manner of setting smaller goals in order to help attain a major goal. This would be in keeping with the saying "baby steps".

If we decide to make no resolutions at all, then we are saying that we do not want to try to better ourselves. There is always room for some improvement no matter how perfect we may be and we all know the saying that "nobody is perfect". If we stop trying to improve our lives then we might as well just stop living. The world around is constantly changing and we need to make necessary changes just to keep up with an ever changing society. Eventually, ours cars die, our clothes wear out or stop fitting us, our houses start to need repair. No matter how much we think that we do not need change in our lives, our lives make it necessary for us to change something about what we do or need.

So no matter how much you think that you will not keep that resolution, it is very important that you sit down and try to make it. If you have some type of goal written down on paper, you have a reason to commit to it. Make it a goal that is not unreasonable. Many people decide to start a fitness or weight loss program at this time of year. If you design a plan to help you with your resolution or goal, that is half of the battle. You need to review and assess this goal and the plan periodically to see if you on the right track. Whatever change you decide to make stick with it. If something happens and you fall off track don't give up. You can always start again. This happens to most people with a goal and a plan. You need to see why you got off track, reevaluate the goal and the plan so that you can get back to making the original goal work.

So let's get back to business of change and sit down and write out that New Year's Resolution. Here's to a Happy and Healthy 2007!