Gym memberships help many people stay active and fit. But those monthly fees sure add up, mainly if you already have limited space at home.
However, you can create budget-friendly workout options right in your home to keep money in the bank without sacrificing fitness.
This guide will explore five home gym setups perfect for apartment dwellers and anyone seeking to cut unnecessary expenses.
You'll discover equipment, streaming services, and room layouts to build an effective home workout space for a fraction of the cost of a gym membership.
These home fitness ideas provide flexibility, convenience, and monthly savings with no contracts required!
Ditching your gym membership for home workouts offers many appealing advantages beyond just the monthly savings. Here are the top reasons a home gym can be a winning choice:
The most obvious perk is keeping $40, $50 or more in your pocket each month once you cancel that gym membership or class package. Even a barebones home setup with a mat and some weights saves you serious cash long-term compared to recurring gym fees.
No more being limited by the gym's hours and peak crowds. You can work out at home early in the morning before work, on your lunch break, or after the kids go to bed. Schedule flexibility removes excuses and makes it easier to stick to a routine.
Forget dragging yourself across town after a long day. Home workouts mean zero travel time, gas money, or parking headaches. You can pop in a quick YouTube workout on a whim versus having to plan a whole gym outing.
The pandemic made many wary of returning to crowded gyms and sharing machines, weights, and mats. Home workouts let you avoid unwanted germ exposure risks. No more waiting for your equipment turn either.
Exercising at home allows you to play your music, adjust the temperature, and wear whatever comfortable workout you choose. Privacy can help self-conscious beginners feel at ease—no more distractions from noisy gyms or waiting for machines.
The accessibility of a home gym makes it easy to squeeze in brief ten or 20-minute sweat sessions versus needing to block off a whole hour for the gym. More frequent short workouts improve consistency.
Clearly, home gyms boast benefits beyond just savings. Convenience, flexibility, and comfort—a personal home setup checks all the boxes to remove friction from being active consistently.
You don't need fancy equipment or a luxury home gym to start saving on workouts. Here are five surprisingly effective DIY solutions:
For just $10-$20 a month, streaming services offer unlimited access to studio-style workouts without any equipment required. Peloton, Daily Burn, NTC, obé and more provide engaging class options like:
● Cardio kickboxing and HIIT to blast calories
● Yoga and pilates to build strength and flexibility
● Dance cardio routines set to motivating music
● Barre sculpting classes that tone from head to toe
● Guided programs to progress over weeks or months
Beyond savings, these services provide more class variety than any standard gym. Get started with your body, willingness to work hard, and internet access.
An essential exercise mat allows hundreds of practical floor exercises in your living room. Options like planks, crunches, lunges, and burpees use your body weight to build strength. Follow along with free YouTube workout videos for motivation and proper form.
Over time, increase reps or add light dumbbells to intensify resistance. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) mat routines provide cardio too. An affordable $15 mat is the only investment you need.
A set of adjustable dumbbells replaces an entire rack of weights, saving severe space. Bowflex, PowerBlock and other brands adjust from 5 to 50+ pounds with the turn of a dial.
With just this one compact piece of equipment, you can:
● Perform curls, rows pullovers, presses, and more
● Adjust weight amount as you get stronger
● Build muscle and definition in arms, shoulders, back, chest and legs
● Boost metabolism with regular strength training
● Save big over equipping a whole home weight room
Affordable suspension trainers like TRX leverage body weight and gravity for hundreds of exercises using the resistance of bands. By mounting to a sturdy door or wall anchor, you can:
● Tone arms, shoulders, abs, glutes, and back
● Develop core stability, endurance and balance
● Perform rows, planks, presses and more
● Increase or decrease intensity
● Get a full-body workout with one compact system
Compact spin bikes deliver intense cardio without leaving home. Budget magnetic resistance bikes like the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 provide
the following:
● Smooth, near-silent magnetic resistance
● Adjustable seat and handlebars to fit multiple users
● Monitor tracks time, speed, distance, and calories burned
● Sturdy frame with stabilizer bars for carpet or hardwood
● Serious calorie burn and cardio conditioning
For less than $200, you get the essence of the Peloton workout at a fraction of the price.
As you can see, you don't need fancy equipment or unlimited space to make home workouts work. Start simple with proven budget options to start saving on fitness.
These home gym ideas have inspired you to cancel your pricey gym membership and start working out on your terms. Any one of these budget-friendly options will save you serious cash over a traditional gym.
Don't wait to start optimizing your fitness routine and savings account today. Even an essential mat and online workouts can slash monthly expenses. Investing in simple equipment like dumbbells or a starter bike will motivate you in your controlled environment.
Get ready to work out at home while keeping more money in your wallet long-term!
