Creative Gym Equipment Swaps

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With the current closure of gyms, fitness centres and outdoor parks, many of us have had to change up our training locations and get creative with the way we workout. Maintaining a regular fitness routine during these times is incredibly important for both our physical and mental health. For so many of us, working out brings us so much joy (albeit when the workout is finished!) and releases endorphins that keep us going for the rest of the day. If you have been lucky enough to get your hands on some gym equipment, check out these full body workouts that require limited equipment: Full Body TRX Workout Full Body Dumbbell Workout Full Body Landmine Workout If you haven’t been able to locate any equipment, not to worry! There are plenty of ways to get your usual workout in with equipment found around your home. Here are some of our favourite ways to use items around the house for your next workout:   A Chair or Couch… It’s amazing what you can do with either a kitchen chair or your living room couch. Upper and lower body exercises that you would normally complete using a bench or plyometric box can be easily swapped for these household furniture items. Get creative and complete a full body couch circuit workout! Here’s some examples of exercises you could complete: Tricep dips Incline push ups Decline push ups Bulgarian split squats Step ups Squats Side-elevated lateral lunges   Gym Bag or Backpack… Wanting to add some weight to your exercises? Easy! Fill up a backpack with heavy goods such as canned goods, books or water bottles. Once your bag is to a weight of your liking, either throw it on your back, hold it in front of your chest or in front of your hips and perform some of these exercises: Squats Lunges (walking, static, lateral) Deadlifts Good mornings Chest press Overhead press Bent over rows   Paper Plates or Towel… If sliding exercises are part of your usual exercise routine then don’t think you have to stop doing them! And if you’re yet to feel the burn of some of these exercises, now might be the perfect time to give them a try. If you are working out on hard floors, we suggest using towels as your sliders. If your workout space is on carpet, try using paper or plastic plates for these movements: Hamstring slides (double leg and single leg) Mountain climbers Reverse lunge Lateral lunge Ab roll out Pike Knee tuck   Water Bottle, Milk Carton, Laundry Detergent, Soup Cans… In replacement of a pair of dumbbells, give some of these staple household items a go for your next workout. While they might not be as heavy as what you would use in the gym, adjust the number of sets and reps you do and you’ll be sure to feel the heat and get in a solid workout. Front raises Lateral raises Bicep curls Tricep kickbacks Shoulder press Upright rows Arm circles Arabesques   Pet Food or Bulk Flour/Rice Bags… If you’ve got pet food or bulk bags of rice or flour lying around the house, use them for some weighted glute bridge holds or hip thrusts. You can also try out some single leg variations for an added challenge. Hold the bag of contents in front of your body and add in some combo movements such as: Squat press Lunge press Split squat press   Rolling Pin… Just as we don’t want our exercise routine to be compromised during these times, we also don’t want our recovery to be forgotten about. If you usually rely on your gym to provide a foam roller and don’t have access to one at home, give a rolling pin a go as a replacement. Use it to massage out tight muscles along your calves, shins, quads and hamstrings or ask your partner or family member to help out with a roll through your upper traps.   Hopefully our fitness centres and gyms are open soon, but for now, we hope you’re enjoying training in a different and creative way!    
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