A fit woman with long blonde hair sits on a yoga mat indoors, wearing a blue tank top and black leggings. She appears relaxed, resting one arm on her knee, with a kettlebell placed nearby. The room has wooden flooring, large windows, and minimal decor, giving a calm and focused atmosphere.

A Fitness Expert’s Home Gym Essentials

by JJ Virgin on January 5, 2025

Your personal fitness revolution can happen in the comfort of your own home. With just a few versatile essentials, you can turn any corner of your living space into a dynamic workout zone that enhances strength, flexibility, and overall wellness.

Whether a fitness enthusiast or just beginning your journey, these essentials can elevate your exercise routine, improve your recovery, and accelerate your progress toward your health goals. The best part? You don’t need a gym membership to achieve remarkable results.

Here are my favorite tools to make the most of your home workouts.

Exercise Mat

An exercise mat can help you create a dedicated and comfortable workout space in any room. You’ll want it to help cushion and protect your joints during floor exercises, yoga, and stretching. Plus, it protects your floors from wear and tear, especially if you’re using it underneath heavy exercise equipment.

Mats come in varying thicknesses and the one you choose will depend on what you’re using it for. Typical yoga mats that you can use for most workouts are about ⅛-inch thick, but you may want something with a bit more cushioning, like a foam mat, if you’re doing a lot of floor-based exercises.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are a must-have for resistance training, offering versatility to target all major muscle groups. They enhance functional strength through exercises like bicep curls, shoulder presses, and lunges. As you get stronger, increasing the weight is easy, making dumbbells an excellent long-term investment for building and maintaining muscle.

If you’re not ready to invest in a full set of dumbbells or simply don’t have the space, try an adjustable dumbbell set. This is a space-saving solution that replaces 15 sets of weights and, depending on the set you buy, can offer a range of weight options from 10-50+ lbs per dumbbell. No need to buy a new set of dumbbells every time you want to progress your workouts! 

TRX Suspension Trainer

The TRX Suspension Trainer is a game-changer for your fitness routine. It’s a compact, versatile system that uses your body weight to provide a full-body workout. Plus, it’s easily portable so you can take it with you wherever you’re traveling—no excuses!

The TRX is great for helping strengthen and tone your muscles while also improving balance and flexibility. Research shows that suspension training works well for older adults: about 85% of them stick with it, 91% want to keep going, and using it consistently helps build strength.1

It’s easy to adjust exercise difficulty by changing your body position, making it suitable for all fitness levels. TRX is a great option if you’re not ready to invest in a set of dumbbells and still want a challenging, sweat-inducing workout without the bulky equipment. 

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are lightweight and portable, easily fitting in your purse or travel bag so you can keep up your workout routine anywhere. Studies show resistance bands can help improve body composition by reducing body fat.2 

There are two different types of resistance bands you can choose from. You’ll typically find the loop-style bands made of varying thicknesses of stretchy rubber, which offers different challenge levels. They’re ideal for lower body exercises, mainly targeting glutes and thighs. You can also use them for some upper body pulling exercises like lat pulldowns and band pull-aparts.

You’ll also find longer tube bands with handles. They’re a little bit bulkier than loop-style bands, but still easily portable. You can anchor them by stepping on them, or placing them around door handles, the legs of heavy furniture, hand rails, or other immovable objects.

Opt for a set with multiple levels of resistance, like this option.

Kettlebells

Kettlebells offer a full-body, functional workout that combines strength, cardio, and mobility in a space-efficient, affordable package. It’s versatile, scalable, and provides a time-efficient way to build strength and endurance.3

You’ve got lots of options when it comes to kettlebell exercises. The kettlebell swing is a go-to that engages the hips, glutes, and core while boosting cardio fitness. You can also use it for goblet squats that focus on the lower body, engaging the core and improving squat form. If you don’t have a set of dumbbells yet, you can use it for single-arm row to target the back while challenging core stability, or hold it while doing Russian twists and strengthening your abs.

I recommend having a few different sizes, and you can find an adjustable version as well to keep things simple. This allows quick and easy weight adjustments without needing multiple kettlebells. 

Medicine Ball

Like a kettlebell, a medicine ball is versatile and functional. It can be used for a wide range of exercises that engage multiple muscle groups, improve strength, and boost cardiovascular fitness. While kettlebells are primarily used for dynamic movements and resistance training, medicine balls are excellent for explosive, high-intensity movements, like slams, throws, and rotational exercises, that engage the core and enhance coordination, stability, and power. 

Medicine balls are also great for improving functional fitness, flexibility, and mobility through exercises like wall balls, Russian twists, or partner throws. Like kettlebells, they come in various weights, allowing for scalable intensity, and their relatively low cost makes them accessible for home gyms. Both are versatile tools for full-body workouts, making them complementary to one another in a balanced fitness routine.

S with a weight that challenges you without compromising form. For beginners, a 3kg (6 lb) medicine ball is typically a good starting point.

Weight Bench

A weight bench is a must-have for any home gym because it gives you a solid, stable foundation for key strength exercises like bench presses, dumbbell work, and bodyweight moves. It helps you maintain proper form, especially when lifting heavier weights, and expands your workout options by targeting multiple muscle groups, from the chest to the shoulders. 

Plus, it’s great for exercises like step-ups and seated movements, making it a game-changer for building strength and sculpting your body.

When choosing a weight bench, look for one that’s adjustable to offer flat, incline, and decline positions for versatility. Make sure it has a solid weight capacity, comfortable padding, and is made from durable materials for stability during lifts. Consider the size for your space and whether it folds for easy storage as well.

Exercise Ball

An exercise ball challenges your body by providing an unstable surface that strengthens your core, improves balance, and enhances overall fitness. It can be used for a wide range of exercises, from basic crunches to advanced planks and push-ups, and is suitable for all fitness levels. 

Beyond core work, it can help you improve your flexibility and posture, and its low-impact nature makes it joint-friendly.

You’ll want to choose the right size ball for your height to ensure proper form. Here are some handy guidelines:

  • 5’0″ and under: 45 cm ball
  • 5’1″ to 5’7″: 55 cm ball
  • 5’8″ to 6’1″: 65 cm ball

Your thighs should be parallel to the ground when seated, and your knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Consider the ball’s inflation level, too—firmer balls are larger and more challenging, while slightly deflated balls offer more stability. If you have a larger frame, opt for a slightly bigger ball for added durability and stability.

Foam Roller

Recovery is a key—but often overlooked—part of any fitness routine, and a foam roller is one of the best tools to help you recover, improve flexibility, and reduce soreness. This dense foam tube works like a self-massage tool, helping to relax tight muscles, boost blood flow, and release tension after a tough workout. Whether you use it before or after exercise, or even on rest days, foam rolling can help keep your muscles flexible and speed up recovery, making it an essential addition to your fitness toolkit.

You have a few different options. A smooth foam roller is perfect for beginners or anyone with sensitive muscles, offering a gentler, even pressure. For those with more experience or specific muscle issues, a textured foam roller with bumps or ridges will give you a deeper, more intense massage to release knots and tension. 

To get the most out of foam rolling, aim to do it 2-3 times a week, focusing on major muscle groups, and spend about 30-60 seconds on each area. Start with light pressure and gradually increase it as you get more comfortable—your muscles will thank you!

Walking Pad

A walking pad isn’t just essential for your home gym, it’s amazing to have in your office, too! It provides an easy, low-impact way to stay active without taking up valuable space. Keep it under a stand-up desk to use while you’re catching up on emails or listening in on a Zoom meeting. Or get your steps in while watching TV or catching up on a podcast.

You can burn calories, improve your cardiovascular health, and keep your body moving without having to leave the house—great in the winter months. Plus, walking pads are designed to be more compact than treadmills so you can easily store it away when you’re done, making it ideal for those with limited space but big fitness goals.

What I love about a walking pad is that it makes fitness accessible for just about everyone. Whether you’re new to working out or need a recovery day, walking is a great way to stay active without the intensity of running or high-impact exercise. It’s also a powerful tool for breaking up long hours of sitting, especially if you’re working from a desk or spending time on the couch. 

Weighted Rucking Vest

A weighted rucking vest is a must-have for any home gym because it adds an extra level of intensity to your workouts without requiring bulky equipment or space. By adding weighted resistance to exercises like walking (outside or on your walking pad), hiking, or bodyweight movements, you boost calorie burn, increase strength, and challenge your muscles in a whole new way. 

It’s an easy way to turn a simple walk into a fat-burning, muscle-building workout—perfect for anyone looking to get more out of their cardio or build endurance without hitting the gym. You can even wear it while doing squats, lunges, push-ups, and more to level up your training. Plus, they’re comfortable and adjustable, allowing you to customize the fit and weight to match your fitness level and goals. 

A Powerful At-Home Workout

My Resistance Training Cheat Sheet helps you build your own powerful at-home resistance training program that delivers impressive results, especially for women over 40. With just a few simple tools like resistance bands or your body weight, you can effectively build muscle, boost metabolism, and improve strength and bone density—all crucial as we age.

Download your FREE Resistance Training Cheat Sheet here

References:

  1. Gaedtke A, Morat T. TRX Suspension Training: A New Functional Training Approach for Older Adults – Development, Training Control and Feasibility. Int J Exerc Sci. 2015 Jul 1;8(3):224-233. PMID: 27182415; PMCID: PMC4833470.
  2. Liu X, Gao Y, Lu J, Ma Q, Shi Y, Liu J, Xin S, Su H. Effects of Different Resistance Exercise Forms on Body Composition and Muscle Strength in Overweight and/or Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Physiol. 2022 Feb 18;12:791999. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.791999. PMID: 35250604; PMCID: PMC8895240.
  3. Jaiswal PR, Ramteke SU, Shedge S. Enhancing Athletic Performance: A Comprehensive Review on Kettlebell Training. Cureus. 2024 Feb 3;16(2):e53497. doi: 10.7759/cureus.53497. PMID: 38440022; PMCID: PMC10910645.
  4. Ungvari Z, Fazekas-Pongor V, Csiszar A, Kunutsor SK. The multifaceted benefits of walking for healthy aging: from Blue Zones to molecular mechanisms. Geroscience. 2023 Dec;45(6):3211-3239. doi: 10.1007/s11357-023-00873-8. Epub 2023 Jul 26. PMID: 37495893; PMCID: PMC10643563.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern. 
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