You probably don’t need to be told about the mental and physical benefits of walking, running, and lifting weights. Sometimes, there are obstacles to getting that workout in. Lousy weather, cost-prohibitive gyms, lack of childcare, and limited free time can all get in the way. Those are just a few reasons why home workouts are gaining popularity.
But what if you don’t have the space for a home gym? That’s okay; your everyday furniture can double as exercise equipment. Learn how to save space, time, and money with dual-purpose furniture that’ll help you get your steps and sweat in – and you don’t even have to change out of your pajamas.
Benefits of Exercising at Home
Are you trying to decide whether to spring for a gym membership or start exercising at home? Choosing to stay home can have some significant benefits, including:
- Flexibility: You can get a quick workout between meetings, after the kids are asleep, and during odd hours when a traditional gym may not be open.
- Privacy: Exercising at home means you can wear whatever you want, work out how you want, and even listen to your favorite music without worrying about any judge-y stares or awkward gym locker rooms.
- Personalization: Your home gym can have the exact equipment you want. You can also control things like lighting and temperature.
- Budget-friendly: Home exercise doesn’t have to involve expensive equipment or even a dedicated room! Keep reading for ideas on using furniture you may already have to get your sweat on.
- Effective: If you’re thinking about skipping the gym membership and expensive equipment in favor of bodyweight exercise at home, you may wonder, “Do bodyweight exercises build muscle?” According to Harvard Medical School, yes! And it’s not just muscle: simple bodyweight exercises can improve aerobic capacity, flexibility, and endurance.
What Do You Need for a Home Gym?
While you could certainly invest in an extensive weight system, that can get expensive fast and likely requires transforming an entire room to house it. If you’re interested in leveraging bodyweight exercises for a simple, low-intimidation workout with a small footprint, you can use your furniture in a few ways.
This is a friendly reminder before using any furniture for a workout: Make sure your furniture is stable and will not slide out from under you while you exercise. Depending on your floor, you may need a yoga mat for better grip. Always consult a doctor before exercising or if you have any health concerns.
Use sturdy chairs for tricep dips.
Ready to work on your upper body strength? Grab a seat — literally. A sturdy chair is necessary if you’re wondering how to do a dips exercise at home. Chair dips work on the triceps, which can be tricky to target. A well-made chair with a flat, stable seat (think: dining room chair) is perfect for this exercise.
According to Runner’s World, to perform a chair dip, follow these steps:
- Sit on the edge of a bench or chair, hands supporting your weight.
- Position your feet away from the bench, legs straight, and heels on the floor.
- Lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the ground, then push back up.
Lean on a table for incline push-ups.
Continuing on our upper body strength journey, let’s talk about pushups. They’re not just for punishment; Harvard says they can help build core, arm, chest, hip, and leg strength. The other great part of pushups? They’re customizable to meet your current fitness level and great back exercises without equipment.
If you need help doing a traditional push-up on the floor, get started with incline pushups. You can use the edge of your dining room table or bed, a wall, or a bench for an incline pushup. The more vertical you are, the less difficult the pushup will be, so you can use different incline angles to build up to a standard push-up.
Take a look at home gym mirrors.
Have you ever noticed that most gyms are lined with mirrors? It’s not just because weightlifters are vain and like to watch themselves. By watching yourself workout, you can correct your form, notice alignment issues, and even monitor your gradual improvement from previous sessions.
You don’t have to get floor-to-ceiling, dance-studio-style mirrors for your living room. A simple full-length mirror is plenty. If a full-length mirror in your living room seems out of place, consider storing it in your closet or bathroom while getting dressed. Then, if you want to use it while working out, simply bring it into another room with you.
Ottomans are perfect for seated exercises.
So far, we’ve covered house gym ideas that target specific exercises. What if you need a piece of furniture you can use for many different exercises? Meet the ottoman. Not only are ottomans flexible for your home (think end tables, seating, storage, and more), but they can also help you with many different exercises.
Ottomans’ lack of arms makes them great for any seated exercise. While chair arms can be great if you need extra stability, they can also limit your range of motion. Ottomans make great seated spaces for pistol squats, Bulgarian squats, knee extensions, seated shoulder presses, and more.
Bookcases, trunks, and credenzas can store your equipment.
Does your living room, home office, or bedroom double as an exercise space? Sometimes, that means stashing your kettlebells and resistance bands in bizarre places just to get them out of the way. Many fitness-specific storage solutions are more practical than decorative, so you may not want those displayed. You don’t have to sacrifice storage for style, though.
Consider using “normal” furniture for storage instead. A bookcase, trunk, or even a credenza can function as stylish furniture and storage for less aesthetically pleasing items like hand weights and yoga mats. Find a piece that matches your decor and your size needs to discreetly store your fitness equipment.
Turn to CORT Furniture Outlet for Multi-Purpose Furniture
Exercising at home can bring many benefits, including physical and mental health improvements. Even fitting a quick 10-minute workout into a break while you’re working from home can be enough to see benefits! But you don’t have to build an entire new home gym; you can use the furniture in your home.
When you’re ready to get stylish, multipurpose furniture for your home, turn to CORT Furniture Outlet. When you shop CORT Furniture Outlet’s previously-leased furniture and decor, you can score deals up to 70% off retail prices. CORT Furniture Outlet’s used furnishings are cleaned and inspected by our experts, so not only can you shop for your home without the long wait times for new furniture, but you can rest assured that you aren’t compromising on quality. Shop online or in-store today to start decorating a home gym – even if it’s just your home you’re using as a gym.
