Home Gym Ideas for Dummies and Tummies!

It’s mid-January and I can’t help but ask, “How many of you have managed to stick to your New Years’ resolutions?” Don’t hate me just yet. The reason I ask is that I find myself floundering a bit when it comes to keeping mine. (Don’t you feel better already?)

The road to weight loss is paved with many obstacles, and for me, dragging myself to my Zumba class at 7:45 am is one of the biggest. This makes me curse the world at times and even though I love my Zumba class, I can’t help but wonder if I should think about a home gym.

Here is my list of essentials for the basic of ‘basic-est’ home gyms.

A weighing scale

I know you hate these things- I do too, but how else can you find out if your body mass has gone from massive to just very, very large?

You can choose from basic “spring scales” which are the oldest and most reliable types, and need just a knob to recalibrate.

If gadgets are your thing, go for the works- a digital scale which calculates not only your weight but also your BMI (body mass index), water content and muscle mass. Be warned though- you may not be able to fool yourself that your weight is all “water retention” with this scale!

You can find weighing scales at flipkart.com for Rs 800 onwards.

A skipping rope

I remember going to the gym and thinking: “Skipping? No problem- I can do hundreds of those. Have done them in my childhood.” Well, was I in for a big-time reality check! I am no longer the nimble kid I used to be and it’s way harder now! Nevertheless, a skipping rope improves your cardio routine, strengthens your heart, tones arms and calves, is less stressful on joints than jogging and burns a LOT of calories. Plus, it’s one of the cheapest and definitely most portable of all exercise equipment.

This Tunturi skipping rope with counter is available on healthgenie.in for Rs 400.

A stability ball

We Indians like our food, and it certainly shows on our tummies. Many crunches and killer abs workouts can leave your abs toned, but your neck and spine totaled. A stability ball is a gentler way to work out your core muscles. In fact, 15-20 minutes of exercise three times a week actually uses twice as many muscles as traditional crunches do.

The Nivia Ab-582 gym ball is available on Flipkart for Rs 1200.

A Hula Hoop

Now this is one skill I just can’t seem to master. Try as I may, I just don’t have the coordination to hula away my weight. But, I do believe it is one of the most fun ways to shed those pounds. Plus, your kids will love it too!

You can find good hula hoops in any toy store, starting at Rs 400.

Picture-health.com

Have I given you enough ‘thinspiration’ for the New Year?