Is the monsoon not letting you hit the gym? Or you are simply not a ‘hit-the-gym’ kinda person? Well, that doesn’t mean that you still cannot workout and stay fit right from the comfort of your home! All you need is a couple of cheap and easily available equipment, a free corner in your house and you’re good to go! So, we got in touch with Suraj Bangera, the founder of Fitsu Fitness in Mumbai.
Suraj, who is a certified CrossFit trainer, ACSM certified Marathon Trainer & Master functional trainer, started Fitsu Fitness to change the home fitness scenario. They specialise in providing custom made fitness solutions at the comfort of your homes, which is why we asked Suraj to list down some basic fitness equipment which can help us stay fit without hitting the gym and what exercises we can do with them.
1. Trx
TRX (short for total-body resistance exercise) turns every exercise into a challenge for your core by using two simple resources: gravity and your body weight. All you have to do is anchor the TRX straps to a secure spot — think a weight machine, a door frame, or monkey bars if you’re getting creative. Depending on the exercise, you’ll use your feet or hands to hold onto the straps.
In general, a part of your body will be suspended above the floor. You may also be leaning into or away from the straps to create resistance and destabilization. Knocking your balance out of whack gives you no other option but to adjust, which means engaging your midsection and back and firing up your shoulders and hips to maintain control throughout the movement.
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2. Loop Mini Band
Mini bands can be incorporated into almost every workout routine — and they should be! The bands can be used for both upper and lower body resistance training. They’re also perfect for stabilizing shoulder muscles and executing lateral movements and leg extensions. With mini bands, you can target muscle groups, including your core, and maximize strength-training results. You can also use the bands for stretching — it’s a win-win fitness tool.
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3. Resistance Tubes
With resistance bands, you can do just about any type of strength training exercise – chest presses, rows, shoulder presses, triceps extensions, bicep curls, and even squats – without the need for heavyweights. They are specifically designed to challenge your core muscles. You can often use familiar strength training moves with resistance bands, which means you don’t need to learn a complicated new routine.
For instance, resistance bands can replace the weights you use for biceps curls or can increase the intensity of your push-ups. These can also be used for a comprehensive, full-body workout that challenges virtually every major muscle group in your body.
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4. Sandbag
Sandbag is perfect for both beginners and advanced workouts doing Squats, Dead Lifts, Forward Lunges, Bicep Curls and more. Develop power and explosiveness. The perfect alternative to a medicine ball, Dumbbells or Barbells.
The Sandbag is suitable for muscle building, fat burning and achieving utmost agility. Achieve improved grip strength as your body is forced to use different grip strategies depending on the lift. Improve your torso strength and movement as you create amazing rotational drills to create a range of motion that conventional gym workouts cannot provide.
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5. Kettlebell
Kettlebell workouts engage multiple muscle groups at once, better mimicking physical activities such as digging, making them a perfect option for getting a whole body workout in a short time! Unlike traditional dumbbells, the kettle bell’s centre of mass is extended beyond the hand.
This allows you to perform swinging movements that are not possible with traditional dumbbells. Because more muscle groups are utilized in the swinging and movement of a kettlebell than during the lifting of dumbbells, kettlebell workouts are sometimes claimed to be more effective, better for improving joint mobility and to yield quick results.
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6. Jumping rope
Jumping rope is a form of cardio exercise that world-class athletes — from boxers to football pros — swear by. It helps to tone your calves, tighten your core, improve your lung capacity and build stamina. Jumping rope is a full-body workout, so it burns many calories in a short time
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7. Swiss Ball
Want to know the secret for strengthening your core, protecting your joints, and getting more muscle-building benefits out of every workout? It’s stability. Or, a stability ball, to be exact. When performing stability ball exercises, the muscles that make up the core and surround the hips and shoulders have to work together to keep the body strong through a full range of motion. Stable joints are less prone to injury because they have the strength to stay in the correct position during taxing movements.
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8. Dumbbells
Dumbbells are the most accessible free weights so they’re the first most people tend to try, either in the gym or as part of a home workout. As you already know, dumbbells can be used for innumerable workouts for your chest, arms, legs etc. They’re also among the most versatile weights you can use.
The unstable nature of holding dumbbells also ensures that your stabiliser muscles have to work hard to keep you steady while you perform the movement. Without realising it you’ll be strengthening your core and other stabiliser muscles, which can help prevent injury.
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