SELF’s product testers also recommend the Living.Fit Resistance Bands to use during a more extensive, full-out workout. They work well for everyone—from beginners to experts—and come in a set that ranges in resistance levels from 5 to 200 pounds (depending on which set you buy), so the exercises you can perform are theoretically limitless.
Read more: Best Resistance Bands; Best Mini-Bands for Larger Bodies
Speaking of versatility, David Harvey, CPT, a trainer and yoga instructor based in Texas, tells SELF that a medicine ball is a dependable piece of weight-training equipment to have on hand: Whether you’re working your arms, legs, or core, you can add one to a variety of exercises to up the intensity. This Prosource ball is made to be easy to catch and grip, plus it’s available in several different weights.
Read more: Best Medicine Ball
Wrist and ankle weights can make various exercises—including walking—a little more challenging (but still approachable). “I like to recommend them to my friends who are intimidated by weights but still want to ramp up their workout routine,” Christine Choi, a certified personal trainer in Atlanta, tells SELF. Both Bala and Tosamc sets are available in one-, two-, and three-pound sizes, with the former offering a bevy of color options, in case that’s your thing
Read more: Best Ankle Weights
If you want to get a challenging cardio workout in minimal space, you may want to try a jump rope. SELF exercise experts tested Sonic Boom’s speed rope, which won a 2022 Home Fitness Award for its adjustable length and comfortable, grippy handles.
Read more: Best Jump Ropes
A good yoga mat will cushion your joints while you stretch and flow, provide a stable base during balance poses, and keep you from slipping and sliding when things get sweaty. Manduka’s Pro Yoga Mat—described as the “Rolls Royce of yoga mats” by one instructor—can do all that and more. It’s heavy-duty, easy to clean, and just thick enough.
SELF testers also like The Big Mat from Lululemon, which brought home the award for best mat for big and tall folks in 2023’s Home Fitness Awards. “Because it’s wider, longer, and thicker than other yoga mats, it protects your body (and floors!) really well,” one tester noted.
Read more: Best Yoga Mats; Best Yoga Mats for Hot Yoga; Best Travel Yoga Mats
We can’t stress the importance of workout recovery enough, and using a massager can help make those off-days from exercising feel especially restorative. The SELF-expert-tested, Home Fitness Award–winning Theragun Mini is small enough to operate with one hand, but it still has plenty of power for kneading out knots and breaking up tightened fascia around your muscles. But if you’re looking for another option, Hyperice’s Normatec Go boots use air compression to massage your calves after a run, and come recommended by SELF’s director of fitness and food, Christa Sgobba, CPT.
Read more: Best Massage Guns
A foam roller is another recovery essential, and the Triggerpoint is a solid SELF-tested option. Its dense, textured grid has long, smooth sections for rolling out sensitive areas that need a gentler touch, as well as smaller spikes to dig into deeply set knots. Hot tip from the Triggerpoint’s Home Fitness Award review: “Opt for the bright orange or neon green option and let it act as a visual reminder that you should probably be foam rolling more often.”
Read more: Best Foam Rollers
“If used correctly, the all-in-one TRX system can be the only piece of equipment that you need,” Victoria Nolan, an ACSM–certified personal trainer based in Houston, tells SELF. The Home2 System, in particular, won a SELF Home Fitness Award for its low-tech setup, ease of use, and ability to provide a truly challenging full-body workout with minimal fuss. “It’s effective for both assisting and amplifying bodyweight strength, flexibility, and mobility,” one judge explained. “That means you can use it to make some moves more intense and other moves more accessible.”
The benefits of at-home workout equipment
Having your own home gym can make it much simpler—if not straight-up easy—to stick to your fitness goals. “If you’re in a season in life where you’re unable to make it to the gym, need to be home, or just don’t want to join a gym, having your own equipment is the way to engage in the benefits of fitness from the comfort of your own home,” says Dr. McCartney.
Convenience
It’s the worst when you need to pause your workout flow to awkwardly loiter near a row of occupied machines while you wait for one to free up. Or maybe it’s late enough that you don’t want to leave your house, but you’re awake and antsy, so you want to blast loud music and blow off some steam on the treadmill. Either way, a home gym solves those problems and more.
