6 Must-Have Exercise Tools for Home & Travel

You never know when the urge to workout is gonna hit. I squeeze in sets and reps at the most impromptu times. People always ask how I stay in such great shape. Not only do I eat a well balanced, we portioned diet. I lift weights when taking work breaks too…this gets the blood pumping and helps realign my body.

Try it sometime, do a few shoulder presses and biceps with light weights or resistance bands even if just for 5 minutes. This works miracles on sore muscles from that hunched computer posture we all have. At MM we read recently that small bursts of activity throughout the day encourages calorie burn & sustains weightloss and happiness levels throughout the day.

This equipment is budget friendly, won’t take up much space and will be well worth it, trust me!

Foam Roller Notice tightness in your back & legs? Get yourself a foam roller and knead out the pains. It’s like a self massage and way cheaper than going to the spa!

Light Weights Through the years I’ve found light weights have just as much impact on my muscle tone as heavier ones. Favorites are 2, 3, 5 and 8 pounds. High reps with lower weight is not only more fun to do, but you don’t make as many silly faces when you use them! Although heavy for luggage, these are great for road trips when you can just throw a set in your car. Keep them next to your desk too.

Yoga Mat Get down anywhere and do a downward dog and simple stretches. Having the mat makes it more comfortable to exercise and defines your workout space. It also provides a grippy surface so you don’t slip. It’s nice to have one handy for the Physique 57 workout we love so much.

Jumprope Get one! These are great for bursts of cardio, and gets you pumped up in the morning before work calls and meetings.

Exercise DVD We LOVE Physique 57. Recommended by my business manager when I was in Santa Barbara earlier this year. I was complaining that I had no time to get a good quick workout in & she she insisted that I try this program. OMG in just 30 minutes I felt reset & back to normal! What’s great about these routines is that you don’t need any tools, just your own bodyweight is all you need for resistance. Workouts are quick and they target the muscles in your arms, thighs, seat and abs to the point of fatigue then stretches them for relief.

Resistance Bands Talk about lightweight equipment you can take anywhere! Resistance bands come in different strengths so you can bring a few along wherever you go. A great tool to increase muscle tone for arms, chest, legs and all kinds of exercises. You can find lots of exercises on YouTube.