Home workout essentials: The best fitness equipment, exercise machines and more
Our roundup of everything you need to get fit from the comfort of your own home
The idea of exercising from home isn’t new. But now, whether it’s morning yoga or following Joe Wicks’ HIIT plan, home workouts have never been so popular (at least not since the birth of the jazzercise VHS tape).
Much of this newfound popularity is thanks to a certain viral pandemic. With gyms across the country closed for the foreseeable future, many regular gym-goers might find themselves in a bit of a pickle when it comes to setting up a suitable alternative for home workouts. That’s why we’ve put together this roundup of all the equipment that you could need for your home exercise regime.
Unsurprisingly, due to the high demand on fitness equipment at the moment, stock is becoming increasingly difficult to guarantee. We’re trying hard to keep up with the fluctuating stock levels, so we’ll be regularly updating this page.
With that said, read on for our roundup of the best equipment to complete your home workout – including dumbbells, resistance bands, exercise machines and more.
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The best fitness equipment to buy
1. Fitness Mad Universal Training Bar
Price: £25 | Buy now from Amazon
Hook-on bars are often the easiest option if you’re looking to install a pull-up bar in your home. The Universal Training Bar is designed to fit openings between 70cm and 78cm, so it should fit most standard doorways.
With foam-padded hand grips, you can use the bar for multi-position pull ups and chin ups, as well as using it on the ground for push ups or at the bottom of the doorway for sit ups. The Universal Training Bar “allows any room to be turned into a gym”, and for £25 it’s a versatile piece of equipment that lets you vary your home workout with ease.
Also consider:
2. York 12kg Vinyl Dipped Dumbbell Set with Stand
Price: £59 | Buy now from Sweatband
If you’re a beginner when it comes to weightlifting, and you’d prefer to avoid heftier cast iron dumbbells for the time being, then this little set is a good place to start. With a combined weight of 12kg, the three dumbbells pairs (2 x 1kg, 2 x 2kg, 2 x 3kg) are perfect for toning exercises and Pilates. Plus, the stand is very handy to have when you’ve finished your workout. If you’re after something a bit heavier, see our list below for more weight options.
Also consider:
- Everlast Dumbbell Set, 15-30kg set (available from 25 Jan)
- Fitness Mad Neoprene Dumbbells, 2 x 5kg
- Physical Co. TuffTech PU Dumbbells, 2 x 10kg
3. Inmaker Resistance Bands Set
Price: From £10 | Buy now from Amazon
A good set of resistance bands is an essential part of your home workout kit. Not only are bands lightweight, portable and affordable, but they can be used for a variety of different workouts including strength training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and injury rehabilitation exercises.
The Inmaker set is a perfect place to start. You get a choice of two different ranges: Funda (4.5-18kg) and Pro.V (9-27kg), depending on your desired difficulty level. Both sets come with five bands, plus a carry bag, manual, 40-page workout ebook, and access to eight online videos.
Also consider:
4. Yoga-Mad Warrior Plus Yoga Mat
Price: £21 | Buy now from Amazon
A bit of yoga each morning can help with your strength, flexibility and balance. Plus, there’s evidence suggesting that it’s also beneficial for your mental health and can help to alleviate stress and depression.
Of course, you’re going to need a yoga mat, particularly if you’re looking at exercising on smooth, hardwood floors. Yoga-Mad’s Warrior Mat is a popular choice, and the Warrior Mat Plus offers a little extra length and padding. It’s a great all-round choice for both beginners and well-practiced yogis.
While Yoga-Mad claims that you can machine wash the mat at 40˚C, it’s not suitable for a spin cycle. Because of its bulkiness, you might find it easier to wipe it clean instead.
Also consider:
The best exercise machines you can buy
1. JTX Fitness Sprint-3 Treadmill
Price: £605 | Buy now from JTX Fitness (delivery from 15 Feb)
If you’re after a decent, reasonably priced and compact treadmill for your home, you could do much worse than the JTX Sprint-3. At just 162cm long, it’s one of the smallest treadmills in the brand’s range, and the running deck can be folded away for convenient storage.
The Sprint-3’s 2hp motor won’t get you the fastest of speeds, topping out at just 10mph, but it’s a sturdy machine and one that will give you that gym feeling in your own home. It also comes with in-built speakers and an aux input.
Also consider:
2. JTX Cyclo-6 Exercise Bike
Price: £539 | Buy now from JTX Fitness (delivery from 15 Feb) 
Much like JTX’s Sprint-3 treadmill, the Cyclo-6 gives you a near gym-standard experience at a three-figure price. It’s got a 22kg flywheel and friction resistance, which you can adjust to change the difficulty of your ride.
You won’t find flashy features such as smart connectivity or cycling technique analysis here, but, for the price, it’s one of the best exercise bikes you can buy.
On the other hand, if you’d rather buy a piece of equipment to turn your normal bike into a static one rather than splashing out on a dedicated exercise bike, then why not check out our list of the best turbo trainers?
Also consider:
3. Viavito Sumi Folding Rowing Machine
Price: £280 | Buy now from Sweatband (in stock on 19 Jan)
One of the main selling points of the Viavito Sumi is just how quiet it is, making it the ideal machine if you like to row while listening to music or watching TV.
It delivers in the performance department, too, with ten different resistance levels and an LCD screen that gives feedback on distance, calories burned and stroke rate. It’s not as sophisticated as some rowers, but at £280 it’s a fantastic mahine. Plus, when you’ve finished using it, you can simply fold it up for easy storage.
Also consider:
- JTX Freedom Air Rowing Machine
- WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine
- Life Fitness Row GX Trainer Indoor Rower
