In the year 2020, many of us had to break from signing up for a year-long membership at the gym, which we may or may not use; mostly the latter because 2021 isn’t looking too different– but a girl can hope!

During the coronavirus pandemic, trying to get fit a few feet away from your bed hardly sounds like a recipe for success. Yet, after weeks of procrastination and a million fake excuses, home workouts became unavoidable. The underrated home workouts have taken over fitness freaks and the rookies. Yoga mats to resistance bands, home workout equipment has become increasingly popular. 

Slowly, but steadily we have all seen the charm of working out at home. You avoid bouts of anxiety, wondering if people are staring at you. You don’t have to wait your turn to use the equipment. But, most importantly, you need not publicly acknowledge that you can’t hold a plank for an entire minute. Skipping out of the gym might have been a blessing! Still, a rack of weights, treadmill, squat racks, cables and pulleys sounds like a *lot* of equipment, which in all probability will empty your pockets and take up space that you don’t have at home. This calls for an affordable home gym transformation.

Here are ten unconventional home gym equipment that will help you add something new to your workout without burning a hole in your pocket (We skipped on your quintessential yoga mats and dumbbells because come on, we’re not that basic). 

Stability Ball: You must’ve seen this huge lightweight ball at your old gym. It always looked too delicate, and you weren’t sure how to use it without embarrassing yourself. It turns out it’s excellent for your core! Stability balls are used mainly to stretch, for core exercises and as a make-shift bench while lifting weights. It can also help you fix your posture by just sitting on it for 30 minutes a day. 

Resistance Bands: Resistance bands are cheaper substitutes for dumbbells used in strength training. You pick a band according to its level of resistance and substitute it for lifting. They engage your muscles when you lift your arms but also when you swing them back down. This means that your power will be worked out in both directions instead of just one with dumbbells. 

Kettle Bells: These strange looking weights are used for strength and endurance training. Kettlebells help you use momentum (instead of traditional slow lifting) to build endurance. While they are similar to dumbbells, they focus on the entire body and help incorporate dynamic movements. 

Gliding Disks: Gliding disks are like large coasters that can be placed on any smooth surface to, quite literally, glide. They are used to train your abs, take part in some cardio and improve your agility. You put either your hands, feet or knees on the disk and move to see them slide on the ground to stretch you out. 

Jump Rope: Jumping through a rope is one of the most fun ways to incorporate cardio into your workout. It has shown excellent results for people trying to lose weight, improves muscle coordination, as well as your posture. 

Hula Hoop: A hula hoop is another inexpensive way to do some cardio. It helps tremendously in weight loss, challenges your core muscles and improves balance. Plus, it’s a neat party trick that doesn’t fail to impress people. 

Boxing Bag: Boxing allows you to use your upper body, lower body and core to participate in intense cardiovascular exercise. It can lift your endurance, maintain body balance and improve coordination. Plus, it’s a great way to get motivated if you stick a picture of your ex on it. 

Pull-Up Bar: As challenging as pull-ups can be, they’re a great upper body exercise to add to your routine. Even hanging off of it strengthens the muscles in your arms. Once you’re used to it, you can use your pull up bar to engage your back muscles as well as your core. 

Ab Roller: An ab roller is predominantly used for well, your ab muscles. You place it on the ground and use its handles to move in and out. While it focuses on abs, it works nearly 20 muscles! It adds challenge to your existing ab exercises and helps you reach your flat tummy goals. 

Ankle/wrist weights: These weights help you add extra intensity to your regular workouts. They help increase the number of calories you burn in a session to burn more fat. However, it would help if you didn’t use these during strenuous activities like running to lead to many sustainable injuries.

Since most of our goals didn’t pan out the way we’d hoped, we might as well try and find joy in little things. Adding a new challenge to your daily home workout qualifies as something exciting. It’s time to find your inspiration in fitness vloggers and Instagrammers who can teach you the correct techniques for using your new equipment. Soon, you’ll be able to spite past versions of yourself by getting that chiselled revenge bod!