Best‌ ‌exercise‌ ‌equipment‌ ‌for‌ ‌at-home‌ ‌workouts‌ ‌

Starting a new fitness routine might feel intimidating, but getting a dose of physical exercise for at least 20 minutes a day can help reduce the risk of a variety of health conditions – including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure – and also helps to improve your overall mental health and wellbeing.

The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend adults aged 18 to 64 should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. To increase your endurance, build muscle tone, and maintain a healthy body weight, a balanced exercise plan should include a combination of cardio sessions, strength training, and core work.

You don’t need to invest in expensive workout machines to work up a sweat at home. From balls and bands to cardio bikes and personal training apps, you’ll find a range of exercise equipment and simple workout tools on the market to help with your fitness goals.

[Photo Credit: F8studio]

Workout mat: A high-quality mat is an essential piece of exercise equipment whether you’re starting a gentle yoga practice or sweating through a HIIT workout. Look for a mat with a non-slip grip surface and thick cushioning to help support you during your routine.

Exercise ball: Incorporating an inflatable stability ball into a yoga or Pilates routine will improve your balance while building strong abdominals and lower-back muscles. A half exercise ball (or Bosu ball) can be used with the flat surface on the ground for full-body cardio workouts and core exercises.

Free weights: Whether you prefer to lift dumbbells, kettle bells, plates, or a weighted exercise ball, adding some heavy weights to your workout will help build muscle and increase your strength for everyday life.
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Exercise bikes: Supercharge your metabolism and burn fat during a heart-pumping pedaling session on a stationary bike. Many indoor exercise bikes now feature integrated touchscreens with on-demand scenic rides and challenging classes that encourage riders to modify their speed and resistance to increase their calorie burn.

Resistance bands: If you want to build strength without lifting heavy weights, add tension to your workout with resistance bands. Available in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, these versatile bands are used for a myriad of upper- and lower-body moves and can be easily stored away if you’re short on space.

On-demand training apps: Online training videos provide much-needed guidance and motivation for at-home workouts.

• Cult-favourite Peloton offers daily live-streaming classes for its signature exercise bike and treadmill, plus a variety of floor workouts covering strength, barre, yoga, and more. The sophisticated app lets users compete with friends in real-time and filter workouts based on their musical tastes.
• Membership-based training platform Les Mills gives you access to more than 1,000 instructor-led workouts ranging from beginner to advanced, with a variety of bodyweight-only options (for those who don’t have any exercise equipment at home) and specialized programs for kids and teens.
• You can try almost any type of workout imaginable on YouTube without having to commit to monthly membership fees. Browse for new workouts daily or subscribe to fitness-focused channels like GymRa and POPSUGAR Fitness for a curated library of classes.

Recovery tools: Post-workout recovery is an important part of your fitness routine. When combined with stretching, foam rollers, percussive therapy guns, and massage balls can help repair tired muscles and prevent post-workout soreness.