The best home exercise equipment for 2025

Some of the items listed are friendly for both experienced and new exercisers. We recommend you connect with a personal trainer or someone who knows their way around the gym to show you how to use some of the equipment you don’t know.

Suspension trainer: U suspension trainer it is a great tool to use as a beginner or if you are experienced, you can use it to make other body weight exercises harder or easier. It has adjustable straps and would need to hang an anchor on a door frame or have a strong and tall horizontal bar (like a pull-up bar) to crop it. The straps can be adjusted to suit the type of exercise you are doing. Luca Zocchi, a Personal trainer of the center says the great thing about suspension trainers is that they engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously while improving core stability. He explains, “the suspension trainer is great for all skill levels you can use it to increase the difficulty of an exercise or it can be used to decrease the difficulty of an exercise.” So for beginners, this is a good tool to use if you need extra support squatslunges and inverted rows. For experienced users, you can challenge your upper body with push-ups, tricep presses, bicep curls, inversions and even add in a kettlebell or dumbbell.

Yoga Nutrition: A yoga mat takes up minimal space and can be used for bodyweight or weight exercises, as well as for stretching, Pilates and yoga. You can also easily transport it if you want to take it with you when you travel. Zocchi recommends looking at the thickness, material, texture and size of a yoga mat. “The thickness will determine how comfortable and supportive a mat will be on your body, while the material and texture will help ensure you have a mat that prevents slipping on all surfaces, especially after a sweaty workout,” he explains. Also, he points out that standard mats are typically 68-72 inches long, so depending on how tall you are, you can choose a yoga mat that is more comfortable for your height.

Jump rope: The same applies to a jump rope that is compact enough to throw in your gym bag to take to the park or use at home. It’s an easy way to do cardio and create circuits with your own body weight or with strength training exercises. Zocchi recommends when buying a jump rope that you look at these factors: the handles, the length and the weight. “The handles should have a comfortable grip to prevent hand fatigue, while the length of the rope should be able to accommodate your height,” he explains. Also keep in mind that the heavier a jump rope is, the more resistance it provides for a challenging workout.

Kettlebells: If you are new to kettlebells, this piece of equipment is a good alternative to dumbbells and can also be used to do squats, deadlifts, overhead presses and core exercises. The kettlebell is designed like a cast iron cannonball with a handle in the middle, so when you hold it, the weight is distributed evenly in the hand, while with dumbbells the weight is at each end. Zocchi says: “it is important to buy a kettlebell that has a good grip as a smooth and slippery handle can make it difficult to maintain a secure grip”. They are a good strength training tool, but if you want to take things up a notch, you can use them for cardio and learn from a certified kettlebell trainer how to do kettlebell swings, cleans, rips and more to get into a full workout of the body

dumbbells: If you are using dumbbells, it is a good idea to have several. Zocchi says: “The weight cuts you should own depends on your fitness level, but in general we recommend that you have light, medium and heavy weights so you can challenge at all levels.” You can also opt for an adjustable dumbbell if you prefer, as these tend to offer a variety of weights (usually 5-50 pounds) and also save space. Having these options allows you to easily recall and progress exercises as needed.

Resistance Bands: I took into account that maybe not everyone has the space to have dumbbells or kettlebells and the alternative can be resistance bands. Resistance bands come in a variety of weights and lengths. Zocchi says that when buying a resistance band, it’s important to look at three things: the resistance level, the material and the length/width. “Lighter resistance bands are great for beginners or exercises focused on mobility and rehabilitation, while heavier bands provide more resistance for strength training,” he explains. Resistance bands are commonly made of rubber, latex or fabric. Zocchi says, “Rubber resistance bands tend to break easily during exercise, so the best option for minimal wear and tear is a fabric option.” I personally keep the long and mini resistance bands because it’s an easy way to do most of the harder exercises or for a warm up.

Adjustable weight bench: If you have the room, an adjustable weight bench is complementary to dumbbells, and you can use it to perform exercises such as lying chest presses, bent-over dumbbell rows, tricep dips and other upper body exercises on an incline or flat. . Most of the adjustable ones allow you to fold them flat or into a more compact size for easy storage. When shopping for an adjustable weight bench, Zocchi says it’s important to keep stability, adjustability, and padding and comfort in mind.

Medicine dance: A medicine ball is a weighted leather ball that comes in a variety of weights, so choosing the right one will depend on what you use it for. Medicine balls are usually used to build power, so you want something that is manageable for you to maneuver quickly, but still challenging enough. These types of explosive movements include exercises like wall balls, ball slams and med ball chops.

Cardio Equipment: Finally, some people just want a piece of equipment that they can jump on and move around. This is where owning a piece of cardio equipment can come in handy. Choose one based on your space capacity and which you are most likely to use. If you get bored going to a pace on an indoor bike, treadmill, rower or elliptical, you can always invent circuits to do in less than 30 minutes. These could include sprinting on the machine followed by a rest period and a few body weight or weight exercises, repeated several times.