The Best On-The-Go Fitness Equipment
Hey everybody! Thanks for stopping by. This post is all about on-the-go fitness materials and strategies. Whether you're out of town and the hotel gym isn't up to par, looking for a change in scenery and want to make your local park your gym, or if you want to work out at home but lack the money for the pricey equipment, these reasonably priced materials might be the perfect tools for a well-rounded workout.
The Warm Up
1. Jump Rope (purchase for no more than $10 from local sporting goods store or Amazon): this is an easy way to get your heart rate up in preparation for your workout. You control the speed and intensity, and it's small enough to fit in a suitcase or gym bag.
2. Yoga Mat (anywhere from $10-$25 at TJMaxx, Marshalls, or Amazon): After increasing your heart rate and warming up your body, you'll want to do some light stretching to prepare you for the workout ahead. A solid yoga mat should make stretching a little more comfortable if you're on a hard floor or outdoors on a surface that's slightly less stable.
The Workout
1. Sports Research Resistance Bands ($39.95 on Amazon): I love these bands! They come with 5 different weights that you can easily stack and attach to the carabiners for up to 75 pounds of resistance. They come with a nice little carrying bag, two foam handles, a door anchor, and two ankle straps so you can attach them to pretty much anything.
2. Sports Research Loop Bands: These are great for hip mobility and toning upper thighs, glutes, and arms. The bands come in 4 levels of resistance (light, medium, heavy, and x-heavy) and also come with a small drawstring carrying bag.
3. FitnessBlender (free!): This is hands down my favorite YouTube fitness channel! With over 500 videos to choose from and new workouts every week, you're bound to find something that suits your needs. They have workouts that require equipment and workouts that don't, and best of all, all you have to pay for is your internet connection.
4. Blogilates (free!): If you're into dance or pilates classes, Blogilates is also a great fitness YouTube channel. There are lots of workouts for sculpting and toning and again, all you have to pay for is your internet connection!
5. Yoga Mat: The yoga mat strikes again! It provides a soft et "grippable" surface that can be used during your workout for ab work, burpees, or any exercise that might require you to sit or lay.
6. DumBags ($12 on Amazon): If you're looking for strength training, DumBags are a great option in addition to resistance bands. These vinyl sandbags come in a range of sizes that fill with 4-22 pounds of sand, but they only take up as much room as a t-shirt. This makes them the perfect option for a portable dumbbell or kettlebell!
The Cooldown
1. Yoga Mat: Yes, the yoga mat works here too. After your workout, you'll want to stretch again!
2. Foam Roller (multiple sizes and prices): This is one of my favorite tools. This helps to break up the muscle tissue and reduce soreness, which leads to a faster recovery so that you can be ready to do it all again tomorrow :) Read more about the foam roller here.
And that's it! I hope you found this useful. Tell me what you like, what you love, and what you'd like to see more of. As always, thanks for journeying with me.