Going to the gym can be a hassle. The parking lot is always crowded after work, and most of the machines are occupied. There isn’t an opportunity for personal enjoyment either, because people are everywhere. Sometimes, this is a good thing. Social interaction can help lift the inner spirit, especially after a stressful day. But some days you just want to be alone. Another hard part about going to the gym day after day is that it can get stagnant. After a long, hard day of work it might be tough to motivate yourself to go to the gym instead of going home to relax on your couch. The fact is that a lot of people end up getting tired of the same old gym routine for a variety of reasons. But one of the best ways to avoid gym pitfalls is to create a home gym. This way, you have options. For example, if you don’t feel like going to the gym, you can go home and workout instead.

Creating a home gym doesn’t mean that you have knock out a few walls or put on an addition. If you have a guestroom or a spare room, you can use that as your home gym space. Or, you can keep the equipment in the basement. It’s all about figuring out what works best for you. You don’t have to purchase large and expensive fitness machines, either. There are plenty of wonderful, effective and affordable fitness products that you can use in the comfort of your own home. Here are a few suggestions:

Exercise Ball — The exercise ball, or “Swiss ball” is a must-have for any home gym. It’s the perfect piece of equipment for abdominal workouts and core strength exercises. You can get the same workout on an exercise ball as you would with an abdominal machine at the gym, yet it’s a lot less expensive.

Free Weights — For strength exercises and building lean muscle, you need a good set of free weights. Free weight exercises are great to do on days that you are taking a break from cardio. Simple routines ranging from 20 minutes to an hour can help keep you feeling strong and looking fit.

Resistance bands — Take your strength training a little further with resistance bands. These simple rubber-like bands work with your body in the same way as the most expensive resistance machines. They are great for toning up your legs, arms and thighs.

Floor mat — Switch up your workout with a yoga or Pilates routine. All you need is a comfortable floor mat! There are hundreds of DVDs available that offer organized routines and simple instruction.

Treadmill or Exercise Bike — If you really want to upgrade your home gym, you can always add a treadmill or an exercise bike. These exercise machines are a lot more expensive that the previous fitness products, and you will need some space to store them. But it’s nice when you don’t have to wait in line to use your treadmill or bike.

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