The all-too-familiar scenario: You come home from work, have a bite to eat, and then want to head out for a round of sports - maybe biking, jogging, or going to the gym. But it's raining cats and dogs outside, and suddenly the couch seems so wonderfully inviting.... A few pieces of sports equipment at home would be great right now. That way, you could exercise as the mood takes you, take a break in between, and do your own personal workout thing all within your own four walls. Sound good? Then let's take a look at how we implement it. In other words, what sports equipment is suitable for you at home.

What kind of home gym equipment is there anyway?

With home gym equipment, you can work out whenever you feel like it. This is their great advantage. With suitable sports equipment for home you are independent of opening hours, weather, course offers and you can make yourself comfortable at home according to your wishes. There are plenty of useful fitness equipment for the home, but not all of them are suitable for your personal full-body workout at home. So let's first take a look at the options available to you for your new home gym equipment:

1. Treadmill
2. Crosstrainer
3. Weight station
4. Indoor bike
5. rowing machine
6. Trampoline
7. balance board
8. Pull-up bar
9. Gym ball
10. Back trainer

These top 10 pieces of sports equipment for the home are found in most apartments or houses, of course rarely all at once. There is usually not enough space, money... and certainly not enough motivation. Not everyone wants to get a six-pack or enjoy jumping on a trampoline. So that you do not train senselessly with any equipment in front of you, you should consider a few things before buying your sports equipment for home.

Which home gym equipment is suitable for me?

Now you know the most popular home gym equipment. But which one is suitable for you? Yes, exactly, for you. First of all, we have to take a look at your health situation, your space, your budget and - last but not least - your sporting goals. If you want to build up muscles with the right sports equipment at home, a treadmill is certainly not as suitable as a pull-up bar or an ab trainer. If you want to improve your endurance with home gym equipment, an exercise ball won't really help you. So let's clearly define which home gym equipment is good for whom.

Stress relief & fun: sports as a balance

You see sports at home mainly as a balance to sitting at work? Then you don't have a strict training goal, such as losing weight or building muscle, but you simply want to have fun and blow off a little steam with your home sports equipment. We understand that well - and for that we also have two good ideas. In this case, the following sports equipment for home is ideal for you:

Trampoline

Didn't you have a lot of fun on the trampoline when you were a kid? Why not today? Bouncing on an indoor trampoline releases a lot of happiness hormones! By the way, it is also an extremely effective whole-body workout that exercises numerous muscles - including the deep muscles. Ten minutes is as effective as thirty minutes of jogging and you will stimulate your cardiovascular system. In addition, you improve your balance and coordination, which has an overall positive effect on your posture. With the trampoline you have the first piece of sports equipment for your home, which can be integrated into your everyday life in a relatively inexpensive and space-saving way.

Balance Board

Exercises on balance boards are also guaranteed to be fun. By wiggling, you improve your balance, coordination and reflexes. In addition, the minimal balancing movements stimulate your deep muscles. After just a few sessions on the Balance Board, you will notice how your posture changes: It becomes more upright, your back stretches. This makes training on the Balance Board a very effective stability training. The great thing about balance boards is the steep learning curve and the variety of training. Just have a look at our beginner guide and the numerous other exercise videos . Or become part of the huge balance board community to enjoy even more indoor surfing fun together.

Fitness & Endurance: Cardio Equipment for the Home

If you want to improve your fitness at home, there are also many cardio machines available as sports equipment for home, also in the cheaper price segment. Especially the treadmill and the cross trainer are very popular. The only drawback is that both pieces of home exercise equipment are not exactly small. Although there are now also foldable versions, the question is whether you really want to bother putting them away every time. If you have enough space in your living room or maybe even an extra room, then one of these two pieces of home gym equipment is certainly a worthwhile investment.

Treadmill

On a treadmill, depending on the model, you can set your personal training plan, continuously increase and document your training status. Pay particular attention to your training pulse, which you should calculate in relation to your resting pulse. Start slowly and, above all, with a steady posture, short stride lengths and no bouncing. Look straight ahead and find your rhythm - you will increase automatically over time. By the way: There are now also treadmills without a motor as sports equipment for the home. They are driven by pure muscle power, which makes them even more effective and saves both the environment and your electricity bill.

Crosstrainer

When working out on a cross trainer, it's primarily the legs that get going, but the upper body also gets in on the action. Grab the handles, stand upright and keep both feet in contact with the pedals with the entire sole of the foot. When running, it's best to move your upper body forward a little and never push your knees all the way through to protect your back and joints. Our tip: If your feet fall asleep after a while, which is a widespread phenomenon, you can wake them up again by doing a few backward rotations. By the way, there is also an environmentally friendly (and therefore wireless) version of the crosstrainer, with which you generate the electricity needed for the drive yourself.

Muscle building: strength equipment for the home

You want to use your home fitness equipment to build muscle? Then you can't get around a more or less large weight station. These offer you the right exercises and weights for all important muscles or muscle groups. From biceps training to the six-pack to the bench press, everything is combined in one device. This way, you can put together your own individual training plan and keep all your muscles on their toes. Depending on the model, you can combine up to forty different workouts. The advantage: All exercises are guided. This minimizes the risk of incorrectly performed movements. This is an important aspect, especially for beginners who tend to work sloppily when training with dumbbells without guidance. The only disadvantage of the weight station: the size, even for the smallest weight station, is a problem for many apartments. If this is also the case with you, but we still have a good alternative.

Pull-up bar

If you don't have room for a weight station, you can use a pull-up bar. These are small and handy - and still offer you an effective way to build muscle. You can choose between different models for door, ceiling or wall mounting. In any case, please pay close attention to the respective kilo specifications for the maximum load. If the thing hangs, you can now strengthen your entire upper body, from the arm, shoulder and back to the abdominal muscles. Since you are hanging, your spine and also your intervertebral discs are relieved. Thus, the pull-up training is a very back-friendly training method. It's worth trying out!

Gentle on the joints: gentle but still effective exercise

While we're on the subject of "gentle training", we can go into this aspect in a little more detail right away. For many, it is the basic requirement, whether for reasons of age or injury. Those who already have a herniated disc or meniscus behind them certainly still don't want to do without sports, but must now proceed in a way that is gentle on the joints. An exercise ball can be a good start. Numerous exercises strengthen the back and abdominal muscles (including the deeper ones) as well as balance. In combination with therabands, the arm muscles can also be activated. Our tip: If you work a lot at a desk, you can also use the exercise ball as a seat. By sitting dynamically, you prevent tension.

Lose weight: These sports equipment for home let the pounds fall!

Are you looking for sports equipment to lose weight at home? Then in principle you can use all sports equipment at home that boosts the metabolism and fat burning. For example, treadmill, cross trainer or trampoline. In addition, we recommend targeted muscle training for the areas you want to lose weight, such as the abdomen, legs or buttocks. An absolute classic among the fat-melters aka calorie burners is and remains the indoor bicycle. With spinning, the pounds are guaranteed to fall off. So let's take a closer look right now.

Indoor Cycling

When cycling, the most important thing is that you get used to the right sitting position right from the start. Keep your back straight while supporting yourself with your arms and looking at your handlebars. The shoulders should remain loose, so really actively pulled down, otherwise you risk tension and headaches. When pedaling, make sure that you never fully extend your knees. If this is the case, you should lower your seat a little. If you are sitting well, you can start training. Again, start slowly and increase over time. This way you won't be out of breath right away and you will improve in the following areas in the long term:

• Strengthening of the cardiovascular system
• Increase fitness and endurance
• Stimulation of fat burning
• Tightening of legs and buttocks

Pretty effective, isn't it? Of course, a good indoor bike has its price, but this is worth it considering the many positive training effects, we think. In addition, cycling can be easily integrated into your everyday life. For example, you can use the time to listen to an exciting audio book. We don't recommend reading or watching TV, as this may affect your optimal head position. Our tip: If you have a cool bike, you can hitch it to a roller trainer and use it for indoor training. This is especially space-saving and of course much cheaper than a new indoor bike.

Back: targeted strengthening for back problems

Training on the rowing machine improves your endurance and strengthens your entire body - but especially your upper back. That's good, because that's where most of the tension is located, which is the cause of back pain, neck pain and headaches. As with cycling, a good basic posture is important here: The back must be straight, the torso tense, the elbows close to the body, the legs never completely stretched out. Start slowly, at about 15-20 strokes per minute, and maintain your rhythm. The correct movement sequence includes four steps:

1. First, push off with your legs.
2. Then lean your upper body back a little.
3. Now pull the handles powerfully and quickly backwards.
4. On the way back, you slowly return to the starting position, with exactly the opposite movement sequence as on the way there.

Of course, you can also do targeted exercises for a strong back with a weight station. It combines several pieces of sports equipment for use at home. There are also back trainers that primarily activate the lower back and lumbar spine. They are a worthwhile addition to the rowing machine. Our tip: To really tackle back pain effectively, stretching exercises, good posture in everyday life and also targeted abdominal muscle training are important. This is the only way to achieve holistic success. Yoga and Pilates can be very helpful here and are also easy to do at home.

Space-saving: small fitness equipment for the home

So, now we've gone through all the classics of home gym equipment. Do you already have a favorite? By the way, there are always new sports equipment for at home, which are adapted to the needs of different target groups. For many, for example, the space in their own four walls is crucial. Of course, everyone would like to have a fully equipped gym, but where to put it? Space-saving sports equipment for the home is therefore in demand. We have already mentioned the balance board in this context, but also therabands, swinging bars, fascia rollers or balls are suitable as small sports equipment for the home. Especially the balance board is a real all-rounder in this series with a high fun factor, whose purchase will pay off very quickly for you. With a cool wall mount, you can also store it quickly, safely and decoratively. Our tip: If you are looking for special sports equipment for children at home, the balance board is a good choice. Here the whole family can have fun and train their balance.

Are there any disadvantages to training at home?

Yes, of course there are. We don't want to hide that from you at all. The biggest obstacle that guards your home gym equipment on a daily basis, so to speak, is your inner badass. But you can easily outsmart it. Our tip: Create a workout routine in which you combine duty with fun. For example, you can do your must-have exercises first and then reward yourself with a relaxed wobble on the balance board or a bounce session on the trampoline. If you've got your inner badass well under control, you should exercise regularly. That means three to four times a week, preferably for 20-30 minutes. By the way, this is independent of the sports equipment you use at home. So get up and let's get started together with the help of the right sports equipment for home - for a healthy body feeling, more endurance and strong muscles.

What to consider when buying new sports equipment for home?

You now know which home gym equipment you want to buy? Perfect. Then you are now faced with the decision of which model it should be. Most sports equipment for home use is available in the low, medium and high price segments. Good advice is often expensive. Of course, cheaper sports equipment for the home can also work excellently. But especially for equipment with built-in technology or complex construction systems you should pay attention to good quality. It's better to use one piece of equipment less, but to train with the rest without any problems. Because nothing spoils the training routine more than quick wear and tear, broken parts or a rickety design. In addition, it is also better for your training if you first start small and gradually increase. This way you can easily see where you still need to close gaps in the training process - and which equipment is suitable for this. Many stores, including online stores, offer you expert advice. Take advantage of it! The consultants have often tested the equipment themselves and can therefore help you when buying sports equipment. Attention: Of course you can buy sports equipment used at home, but you should be careful. Especially with large devices with built-in technology defects can lurk, which then give your training enthusiasm an unnecessary damper.

Seven training tips for your workout at home

So, last but not least, we have a few everyday tips on how to get the most out of your home gym equipment, how best to structure your workout, and how to prevent injuries:

• Warm-up is a must: Five to ten minutes of loose movement before a workout minimizes the risk of injury and prepares your joints, tendons and muscles for the load ahead.
• Make sure you have the right posture: We have already mentioned that a long back, relaxed shoulders and a straight neck are important during the exercises. Please keep reminding yourself of this basic posture. A mirror can help here.
• Start small and grow big: Start your home workout with two to three 15-minute sessions. Increase over time to four to five sessions of 20 minutes each, if necessary with higher intensity, for example, more weight. However, please make sure to take break days. They are important so that your muscles can regenerate.
• Train evenly: Don't just concentrate on one muscle group, but pay attention to all muscles. If you have trained the abdomen, for example, it is the turn of its counterpart, the back.
• Bring variety into play: Some exercises can be done differently in between, for example blind or standing on a balance board. That way, you won't get bored so quickly with your workout routine.
• Little time is no excuse: By using sports equipment at home, you already save time on your way to the gym. If you only have a few minutes to spare for your workout, you can try a power program with short, intense exercises.
• Sometimes there's just enough space: Some home gym equipment may seem huge at first glance, but it can be cleverly stowed away, for example under sloping ceilings, the couch or the bed. Please keep in mind, however, that you need enough space for your movements during your workout.
• Allow yourself a cool down: Cooling down is often omitted, why actually? Enjoy the last five minutes of your workout with a little reward, for example a few loose tricks on the balance board.

Have fun!