You didn’t think I forgot about this series, did you? No way!
Welcome to another part of my posting series on fitness for beginners! As a complete fitness novice I want to share what I learn as I learn it so that you can use the information too! I’m not an expert or a professional (clearly), and you should always ask your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your health.
With all of the fitness merchandise out there, it can be difficult to know what you really need and what you can definitely do without. After having a consistent fitness routine for several months now, I wanted to share with you the items that have been most helpful in my fitness journey. It can really become an expensive endeavour if you let it, but there’s NO reason at all that becoming fit should put a hurting on your wallet. Here are the items that I would recommend to maintain a well balanced workout routine from home.
Good shoes
For the first month or so that I was working out (running on the treadmill, doing the elliptical, etc.) I was wearing 7-year-old Pumas that had been in the back of my closet and designated as “sport/outdoor” shoes. BIG mistake. Old walking sneakers are not what you want for running, or any other kind of exercise for that matter. As soon as I bought a quality pair of shoes meant for running, I noticed a HUGE difference in the ease of my stride and in my overall comfort while exercising. Not wearing the proper shoes is a recipe for disaster. All that impact without the proper support can lead to a variety of injuries and issues that you don’t want! Bottom line: get good shoes.
Good shoes does not have to equal expensive shoes. T.J. Maxx and Marshalls carry past season running shoes that are a great quality for a MUCH lower price than regular retail. You can also find running shoes at manufacturers outlets at a discount. I got these last season Mizuno Wave Riders for $40 at Marshalls, as opposed to the $115 that the new season shoes cost retail. I absolutely LOVE these shoes and know that they were a great value. Try on the shoes in the store to make sure it’s right for your foot shape. Of course you could always go and get fitted professionally if you’re wanting to get serious about running, but that will equal more $. Do what works for you, but make sure that you’re getting the quality that you need.
Free Weights
Dumbbells are a really inexpensive and useful tool to have at home. Target and Walmart both sell them at low prices and they last forever. Start with something that’s not too heavy so that you’ll be able to get use out of them without injuring yourself (I think for most beginners this would be 5 lb. weights, that’s what I started with), or better yet get a set in couple different weights so that you have options for different types of exercises.
For a completely free option, use household items! Things like full water bottles and cans of food can make great weights.
Workout Clothes
You don’t need a ton of fancy workout clothes to get in good shape! Do what’s comfortable for you. If working out in a regular cotton t-shirt bothers you because it gets all wet and gross when you get sweaty, then there are lots of moisture wicking options you can get for a great price. To build my fitness “wardrobe”, I started with 3 moisture wicking shirts (2 short sleeve and 1 racerback). I got these all on sale at Target for under $10 each and I love them all. They’re soft and comfortable and keep me dry and cool through my workouts.
I also got 3 pairs of running shorts. My favorite of these is the black Champion Women’s Woven Sport Short, which I got for only $13 bucks from Amazon. They’re perfect to me and I plan to buy more pairs in different colors. In addition to the shorts I got a pair of workout capris (for colder weather or cold gyms) and a pair of yoga pants (for yoga…obviously).
Stability Ball
This isn’t a necessary item but I really like it for a lot of reasons. It’s good to sit on (helps with posture) and there’s a ton of exercises you can do with the ball that help to engage your core and other muscle areas a lot more than you would without the ball. Here’s a move that I love.
Yoga Mat
Not a necessary item, but I would highly recommend it, especially if you’re working out at home on a hard surface. It’s a lot more comfortable, keeps you from slipping around, and you can always use it for going to yoga and Pilates classes. You can find these at Target, Walmart, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and of course sporting goods stores like Dick’s. I got mine 6 years ago at Target and I still use it several times a week. Great investment!
There are a lot of other items (kettle ball, resistance bands, pull-up bar, etc.) that you can buy for use at home, but personally I think that the ones I mentioned above are the best basics to purchase for beginners. You can always buy more gizmos later if you feel like you need them. If you’re a lady, a quality sports bra is also something you’ll want to invest in to keep you comfortable!
Before I sign off I want to show you an item that you actually don’t have to buy that can really help you with working out. It’s helped me to limit soreness, hasten recovery, and run faster!
The outtakes at the end may or may not be better than the video itself. 😉
Foam rolling (which I’m experiencing for the first time now that I’m taking Pilates) is more intense and can be used on more areas of your body, but I think the rolling pin trick has a very similar purpose and it doesn’t require you to buy anything extra.
That’s it for now! I’m planning to do one more post in this series when I get back to Virginia on different ways to exercise (the ins and outs of Zumba, yoga, Pilates, running, Body Pump, spinning, etc.–I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting!) but I would love it if you could tell me any topic you’d like to see next. Also let me know if you have any questions about any of the above items and where/how I got them.
Great posts from the pros:
Top 5 Pieces of Home Fitness Equipment that You Need by Shape
6 Must-Have Home Workout Tools by Prevention
Tips for Finding the Right Exercise Shoe by FitWatch
Thanks for reading!
-Lauren
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Other installments of “Fitness for Beginners”