The gym may be an ideal place to get fit but it is not really necessary to reach your goals. As long as you are driven, disciplined, and committed, then you can lose weight, add muscles, and stay healthy. You can start by using your own bodyweight for resistance to minimize the cost. However, you will probably want to acquire some tools eventually. The best home gym equipment are those that have the following characteristics:
Small
Few homeowners won’t be able to spare a room to create their own gym. Most will probably do their workouts inside their living room or bedroom. Any equipment will have to fight for space with the existing furniture. The ideal ones are small enough to fit in cramped rooms. For example, heavy-duty treadmills are great but they tend to be too long and wide for most rooms. You can still find a smaller alternative with decent motor power, max speed, and incline capabilities. You might even be able to fold it once you are through so it gets out of the way.
Portable
Consider items that are highly portable. In the case of the treadmill discussed above, you may find ones that can roll away to a corner or to the bottom of the bed when idle. You can also get free weights such as dumbbells with short bars and removable weights. Each plate is easy to slide in and out depending on how heavy you plan to push it. You can take them anywhere around the house depending on room availability. Simple things like a yoga mat can be useful, too. Use it in the morning at the deck to welcome the sun or in your room at night before you go to bed.
Versatile
Instead of buying a lot of equipment, buy a few items that can provide multiple uses. Versatile things like kettlebells are great since they can be used to work on different muscle groups depending on the movement. Fitness bands of various thickness can also be added to your arsenal if you want a wide range of resistance without carry a lot of weight. The thinnest ones are best for warming up the muscles while the thickest can assist in pull-ups and other strength-based workouts.
The best home gym equipment can stay with you while you achieve tremendous progress for many years. They don’t have to cost a lot or need much attention.