New Year, new you?
One in five Brits have made New Year’s resolutions for 2023, and doing more exercise, improving fitness and losing weight top the list of what we’d like to improve over the next 365 days.
Whether you want to totally overhaul your health or just fancy feeling a bit fitter and shedding a few pounds, one of the easiest ways to make working out for weight loss fit around your work, family and social life is by exercising at home.
It can be hard to know where to start when you want to focus on fitness in your living room – luckily there’s some great gym equipment designed especially for use at home, and to suit the space (and the budget!) you’ve got available. We’ve picked ten of the best bits of gym kit for working out at home that’ll help you lose weight, tone up and smash your goals for 2023.
How to lose weight by working out at home
How to work out to lose weight is a concept often shrouded in mystery and old wives tales, but it’s actually pretty simple – besides eating less, more physical activity increases the number of calories your body uses for energy. The burning of calories through physical activity (which you can combine with reducing the number of calories you eat) creates a calorie deficit that results in weight loss. Simple!
Wondering what will help you lose the most weight at home? HIIT (High-intensity interval training, which alternates short periods of anaerobic exercise with brief recovery periods), running, cycling are all up there as the most calorie-burning ways to work out, and at home, skipping, shadow boxing and indoor cycling will also burn plenty of calories. Don’t dismiss other indoor workouts, such as yoga or table tennis, that might seem less intense – anything that gets you moving is a great workout, and often the key is to pick something you actually enjoy, and will stick to.
Key features to shop for in at-home workout equipment
First, think about what space you have available at home. If you live in a tiny flat, a yoga mat, dumbbells or a skipping rope will fit in with your lifestyle. If you own a larger home or are lucky enough to have a spare room that could double up as a gym, you could invest in a static bike or a treadmill to train on regularly. Whatever home gym equipment you pick, choosing kit that folds up and can be stored away is a sensible idea.
We recommend buying equipment that mirrors a sport or activity you’re already into. Keen cyclists could pick a static indoor bike, yoga enthusiasts may want to buy a foldable mat for at-home practise and gym fans might enjoy buying a step and weights to follow online videos with. If you hate working out but want to move more and lose weight, think outside the box and pick something that’s good fun, such as a table tennis table, a dance mat or a skipping rope.
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Ryman Folding Treadmill Machine
Taking up running is one of the best things you can do if you want to feel better, look better and lose weight over the course of 2023. As well as pounding the pavements or the trails outside, clocking up a few miles at home on a treadmill is a good way to keep your fitness levels up, especially if it’s dark or stormy outside. Home treadmills can be vastly expensive, but Ryman offers this affordable-yet-sturdy treadmill which we found easy to use and just as easy to store away, as it folds flat against the wall.
Buy now £269.99, Ryman
Gymproluxe All-In-One Portable Gym
This clever little kit takes up barely any storage space but fits a surprising amount of gym gear inside, including a foldable bar, exercise belt and HIIT bands that provide up to 90kg of resistance. This portable resistance workout kit is a cost-effective alternative to a pricey full-body workout machine, and don’t worry if it looks a bit complicated – Gymproluxe includes a handy workout guide to help you use your new kit effectively.
Buy now £195.95, Gymproluxe
KICKR ROLLR Smart Bike Roller Trainer
Love to cycle? Convert your road bike into a stationary training setup with the brilliant KICKR ROLLR from Wahoo. It’s quick to swap your bike from outdoors to indoors mode, and the Rollr feels super smooth to cycle. Ideal for winter training sessions or for cardio workouts at home, the Rollr will measure your speed and distance as you pedal. There’s even a handy bike compatibility tool to check the Rollr fits your bike before you order.
Buy now £699.99, Sigma Sports
Atemi Resistance Bands Set of 4
Resistance bands can make an exercise easier or harder depending on their stretchiness. You can use them to work just about any muscle to bring variety into any routine and help recover from an injury. This very space-efficient piece of gym equipment can help with mobility, flexibility and toning. Use in exercises like donkey kicks, glute bridges, side steps and squats to up the ante.
Buy now £6.95, Amazon
Decathlon Corenth Collapsible Bench Press
It’s a myth that weightlifting will just make you big and bulky – in fact, lifting weights burns calories even while building and toning muscles, so it’s a great way to tone up all over your body, and it’s an easy way to work out at home if you have limited space. Decathlon’s collapsible bench press with adjustable pegs for weights can be stored against the wall when not in use, is easy to put together and comes at a good price point (so now there are no excuses!).
Buy now £119.99, Decathlon
Kettler Indoor 3 Table Tennis Table
A big barrier to getting fitter can be how, well, dull traditional workouts often feel, especially if you’re trying to make them stick at home. If you want to get moving while making the whole experience fun, try activities that feel more like a game.
Table tennis is great as it raises the heart rate, helps strengthen muscles and mobilises the joints, and if you get competitive you can burn up to 272 calories per hour. We like this Kettler table, which is full-sized but which can be rolled away easily when not in use, and which also allows you to play independently.
Buy now £425.00, Amazon
Les Mills Total Body Reinvention Pack
If you want to up the fitness ante at home but aren’t sure where to start or find it hard to motivate yourself on your own, a guided workout plan is a brilliant choice. Les Mills’ Total Body Reinvention Pack does what it says on the tin – the kit includes includes everything you need for a Les Mills class (and to create a small home gym while you’re at it), including a step, barbell and weight plates. The pack also includes a 12 week workout plan to help you stick to your goals, but you’ll need to pay separately to sign up to the brand’s online Bodypump, barre, toning and combat videos.
Buy now £549.00, Les Mills
Dare2B Weighted Skipping rope
Meet the cheapest and most space-saving bit of kit you can buy to work out and lose weight at home – the humble skipping robe. Skipping for just 20 minutes a day can aid weight loss by burning around 240 calories as well as improving muscle tone while you’re at it. It’s fun, too! Dare2b’s affordable skipping rope comes with removable weights, is easy to store and is currently a steal at under £6.
Buy now £5.95, Dare2B
Kin Halcyon Ocean Yoga Mat
Yoga may look calm and gentle, but It’s actually a surprisingly good way to lose weight even as you strengthen and tone your body. As well as burning around 200-400 calories per hour, yoga has been proven to improve your mood and curb emotional eating – a mental and physical double whammy. If you’re getting started at home, this beautiful Halcyon Ocean mat from Kin is ideal for rolling out for daily sessions in a foldable travel-friendly size.
Buy now £55.00, Amazon
MyProtein Boxing Gloves and Pads
The ultimate stress relief, get sweaty and fitter fast by trying boxing. Few activities burn as many calories per hour as boxing training (it can reach 800), and the high intensity of a boxing session can help burn fat fast, too. We like this simple gloves and pads bundle from MyProtein, which is ideal for beginners who want to up the ante at home as well as at the gym. If you’re a boxing beginner, try following along to an online tutorial to make sure you get the moves down pat.
Buy now £43.99, MyProtein
