By: Magdalene Ko, Staff Writer
With limited access to exercise equipment due to gyms temporarily closing, working out has gotten much harder. However, even at home, there are plenty of low-cost substitutes for the equipment normally provided at a gym.
Regular items around your house can easily be turned into weights. For light dumbbells, water bottles or canned food are an easily accessible replacement to tone your biceps, triceps, and shoulders, employing them for exercises like the bent-over row. These can be substituted for small bags of rice or beans, which can vary according to your weight choice. These small pieces together in a bag come with an extra advantage: if you don’t like the stiffness of a dumbbell, they mold to fit the shape of your hand.
A quick replacement for medium-sized weights like kettlebells are gallons of milk. The advantage of using an empty gallon is being able to fill it with other materials, like water, dirt, or sand. If you only use medicine balls for balance, sports balls like basketballs or volleyballs are good replacements. Other possibilities for bicep curls or weighted lunges include paint cans or a jug of laundry detergent. As a heavy medicine ball substitute, bags of books or canned food come in handy. Costco type bags of rice also double as weights for weighted squats. Another option using a bag of rice is putting it on a barbell if you have one. Instead of only carrying a book or water bottle, a backpack filled with heavy items is an easy way to add weight to your workout. A full backpack or duffel bag is an amazing addition while doing squats or good mornings, as it serves multiple purposes since it can also be used as a weighted vest if you want to maximize your workouts.
If you don’t have a jump rope at home, a garden hose is a nice replacement. Although a bit heavier, it certainly gets the job done. A towel is an easily accessible item to use during workouts instead of resistance bands. Comforters are a nice stand-in for battle ropes. Take both ends of a heavy comforter, then treat it like any normal battle rope. A heavy cast-iron pan is a great object to use for weight plates. Holding the pan in front of you, you can do exercises like Russian twists or single-leg deadlifts.
Regular stairs in your home or apartment building are the perfect substitute for a StairMaster, as well as doing wall exercises at your home. Supine hamstring stretches and elevated push-ups are just a few of the flexibility and regular exercises you can do on a wall. If you miss your treadmill or stationary bike, do mountain climbers, burpees, or jumping jacks. A situp machine can easily be replaced by simply doing planks on the floor.
A rolling pin can serve double duty as a foam roller to alleviate all the stress from staying at home all the time. Gliders are a great way to increase your range of motion and can be used even at home. Try substituting coffee filters or paper plates under your toes for an increased ab workout. All stretches, especially in yoga, feel better with something soft padding the floor. If a yoga mat isn’t available, a rug or blanket on a hard surface is just as comfortable to use to do those pigeon poses and downward dogs. Following on the yoga line, yoga straps are vital to those either new to the routine or not as flexible. A tie or belt is just as effective as a yoga strap in achieving the proper poses. Benches are almost a must-have in every workout, useful for exercises like step-ups or box jumps, but they can just as easily be done at home. Chairs, couches, and stools are all great resources to achieve the proper split squats or elevated push-ups.
No matter the type of workout, there are still substitutes available. There are plenty of replacements for gym equipment to stay healthy at home. Remember to make the most out of lockdown and continue your workouts!
