As January draws to an end, now is a great time to assess your progress toward your fitness goals. Whether you skipped the New Year’s resolutions this year or have been hard at work to stay on track, some shiny new fitness equipment can help inspire you on your health and wellness journey.
And the best part? You don’t even have to leave the house! With the wealth of stellar fitness products on the market today, you can get a great workout from the comfort of your own home. To share her favorite finds for building a simple home gym, fitness expert Alyssa Sparacino stopped by Studio 1A with plenty of ideas. From a smart, cordless jump rope you can use in small spaces to anti-slip pads that can help cushion your wrists and knees, there’s a fitness essential for everyone on this list. Plus, we even secured some exclusive deals for TODAY viewers.
So, grab your sneakers and get ready to breathe new life into your at-home workouts. We’ve rounded up the best home gym essentials below.
Looking for a simple way to up the ante of your at-home workouts? Sparacino suggests adding a little more resistance and weight, which you can do with this weighted vest that sits comfortably over your activewear and doesn’t strain your back or shoulders. These start at four pounds and go up to 12 pounds, so you can choose the best weight for you.
Ankle and wrist weights work the same way, Sparacino says — they offer that little extra “oomph” to pump up the burn of bodyweight exercises. While these are only two pounds, which might not sound like much, you’ll certainly feel the difference when you wear them through an entire workout. You can even throw these on when shopping or running errands to squeeze a workout into your everyday routine!
Jumping rope provides a fun workout, but Sparacino says it actually burns roughly double the calories of walking, depending on your intensity and body weight! While using a regular jump rope indoors can be difficult given space constraints, this neat option is cordless. It works by attaching weighted donuts (sold separately) to the handles to mimic the feeling of a real rope, without the length. You can even track your jumps and set goals in the app.
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This little ball packs a big punch. If you’ve ever taken pilates or a similar style of class, you might already know that a nine-inch ball like this can strengthen your abs, glutes, arms and inner thighs, Sparacino says. Plus, it comes with an exercise guide to give you plenty of workout ideas.
Anyone who has knee or wrist pain might benefit from these cushions, which come in a pack of two. They feature an anti-slip bottom so they won’t move during downward dogs or lunges, Sparacino says, and they can even be used as extra padding when you’re cleaning or doing chores around the house.
Sparacino thinks that resistance bands belong in everyone’s home gym, no matter what fitness level or type of workouts you enjoy doing. This set of three resistance bands spans from four to 19 feet in length, giving you plenty of options for working out, stretching and physical therapy.
Recovery is just as important as the workout, Sparacino says! The small-but-mighty handheld massage gun is a fast favorite, winning an award in the Start TODAY x Shop TODAY Wellness Awards.
“I’ve found that the Theragun massager gives instant relief to tension and discomfort while decreasing muscle soreness,” Sparacino reports. “There are three massage speeds and three attachments to target large and small muscles.”
Get 25% off now through Feb. 5 with our exclusive code: TODAY
No home gym is complete without a yoga mat to provide cushion and grip. Lay this affordable option down as the base for your next exercise, whether you’re stretching, doing yoga or other activities and set the foundation for a great workout.
We’re all on our feet a lot, from running errands to exercising, and sometimes soreness can set in. After a workout, a foam roller like this one can help relieve muscle tension and discomfort in the feet.
Relieve post-workout muscle tension with this acupressure mat and pillow, which the brand recommends using daily for 10 to 30 minutes to help improve circulation, release endorphins and boost energy levels. With 10,692 therapeutic spikes, many of the over 50,000 Amazon reviewers say that this spiky set is great for reducing pain, muscle tension, stress and even headaches.
Staying hydrated is an essential part of any home workout. This water bottle thoroughly impressed our editors in our Travel Gear Awards last year, beating out the competition for the title of best insulated water bottle based on its ability to keep beverages impressively cool for hours.
These chic weighted bars are way more aesthetically pleasing and portable than your average dumbbells. At 3 pounds each, they’re a great option for an added challenge when walking, strength training, doing aerobics and more.
No home workout is complete without a good playlist, and you can turn it up with this compact speaker. According to the brand, this new launch boasts 12 hours of playtime with a single charge and is water-, dust- and drop-proof.
This at-home workout machine was voted a favorite in our Viewers’ Choice Winter Edition poll earlier this month. If you’re looking for a full-body workout, this rowing machine can work your back, abdominals, arms, glutes and legs without breaking the bank. It can support up to 250 pounds and features a digital monitor, so you can track your total time, reps and calories burned.
Looking to level up your workouts? This futuristic tech find gamifies fitness experiences and immerses the wearer in their workout. There are a ton of fun games to play and get your sweat on, involving punching, swinging, stepping and more.
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews and even use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time.
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