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Why set up a home gym for your heart health?Ideas and suggestions for your ongoing cardiac rehab exercises and heart health - in the comfort of your own home!
Advantages Disadvantages Getting Started Ideally, you have a space you can dedicate to your gym such as a spare bedroom or a room in the basement. It should be convenient to access and pleasant to be in. My daughter set up a workout space in a small, dark, cluttered room in her basement. Not surprisingly she didn't use it because it just wasn't a pleasant place to be. If you don't have the space but you are committed to having a home gym you'll have to be more creative with your equipment (i.e. a fold up treadmill) and your storage. The risk is if you have to drag equipment out, set it up before using, and then put it away again when you are done, will you use it? For most people, the chances are it won't happen. I know it wouldn't work for me! Here's a Great Alternative!
If you have limited space AND/OR a limited budget, that's no reason to abandon the thought of home workouts! My husband and I also use the Bodylastics What equipment do you need in your gym? You should include both strength and aerobic workout equipment. A very basic setup for a cardiac exercise home program would include a treadmill Consider Free Weights Free weights are not hugely expensive and they don't take up a lot of space. You can use them for a variety of simple exercises - see the program on our weight training page. You can get fixed weight dumbbells or adjustable sets. I prefer the fixed weight (although we have both) because I find them more comfortable to work out with, and I don't have to fuss with changing the weights. If you get fixed weight dumbbells you will want to purchase at least a small range of weights for different exercises. Buy quality. You get what you pay for. Cheap home gym equipment won't perform and won't last. But, buying exercise equipment doesn't have to break the bank. If you want a cheap home gym, check local thrift shops, classifieds, yard sales, and second-hand fitness stores. The good news is that many people buy quality fitness equipment with the best intentions, and then it collects dust and they end up selling it having hardly used it. Their loss can be your gain. My gym is a combination of new and used equipment. During my recovery I was so grateful to have a home gym - and I'm still enjoying it.
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