Whether you’re going to the gym or working out at home, you might not want to deal with huge pieces of exercise equipment that are hard to move and manage. Maybe that’s why small equipment is the big trend in fitness right now. When it comes to shaping and slimming your body, it’s time to think small.
Portable Toning Equipment
You don’t necessarily need a special machine to tone every single part of your midsection and strengthen your core. You can work out most of your abdominal muscles using a small ab wheel. This tool is highly effective for giving you an advanced core workout, and it’s light and easy to transport. Ab wheels are simply a small wheel with a handle on either side. Grip it, roll it and work those abs.
Resistance bands should be part of any exercise collection. You can use them to tighten and tone every muscle in the body. Resistance bands can be added to many traditional exercises, or they can be used as a workout tool of their own. With resistance bands, you can add strength-training to any type of workout. They’re also lightweight and compact, and they can be rolled up and folded to take up very little space.
Weighted wristbands and ankle weights are another easy way to add some strength-training to any workout. Instead of dumbbells, which are heavy and can be difficult to store, get some weighted bands. This way, you can build muscle strength while you’re doing cardio, yoga and other types of workouts.
Easy Cardio Tools
Doing cardio can get old pretty quickly because it’s often at the core of many workout routines. You need cardio to burn calories, but it’s always nice to mix it up a little. Luckily, there are tools you can add to your exercise arsenal that are a lot smaller and easier to move than treadmills and exercise bikes.
There’s a reason that boxers and fighters train with a jump rope: it works and it’s easy. Anyone can learn how to jump rope, and it’s an inexpensive yet highly effective way to get some great cardio. Try it for five minutes and see if you don’t break into a pretty good sweat. Simply fold the rope when you aren’t using it and store it anywhere.
Under-desk elliptical machines have no handles and hardly any bulk. They are just two slim pedals for your feet with a mechanism between them and short, small legs that support the device. It’s made to fit under a desk and it can be used with just about any chair. With this compact machine, any regular chair can become part of your elliptical machine.
Big Results in a Small Package
Let the gym buy all the big equipment. You can get an amazing and effective workout using small equipment that can be tucked away in a drawer or cabinet when it’s not in use. Small equipment requires zero setup and it gives you portability and convenience. The easier it is to workout, the more likely you are to do it — which means you will be that much closer to getting the body you want.