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There has been a significant shift in remote work over the last few years, which means that many people are building home offices. However, adding home office exercise equipment is an overlooked but important part of the process.
Taking exercise breaks during the workday can be a productive distraction that leads to higher productivity levels. It also boosts your health and keeps you fit, which helps overcome one of the big problems of working from a home office.
In this article, you’ll learn about the top types of exercise equipment suitable for the home office and specific products that you can buy today. We have sourced the top home office exercise equipment to save you time and give you the best options.
Why Buy Home Office Exercise Equipment
Before buying exercise equipment may still be on the fence about why there are needed. After all, you’ve gotten this far without them. Perhaps, after reading this section, you’ll be sold on why exercise equipment in a home office makes sense.
Here are the top advantages of home office exercise equipment:
Improve Work Productivity
Taking regular breaks to exercise will get your blood pumping and increase alertness. You’ll feel a rise in energy levels and that transfers well to being productive when you get back to your work.
Health
It’s no secret that regular exercise helps maintain excellent health. However, with a busy work schedule finding the time can be tricky. With home workout equipment, you’ll find a few minutes throughout the day when you can take part in physical activity.
Breaks
Stepping away from the computer for 5-10 minutes per hour allows your eyes to rest. Exercise breaks are a good way of breaking up a long work session. You’ll develop a habit of doing something productive while taking a break.
Practical
You can buy home gym products that will fit your home office – even if it’s very small. Workout products come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, you can buy resistance bands or grip strength balls that take up virtually no space at all.
Avoid Injury
A few of the exercise products are ideal for reducing the strain on your body from sitting too long. For instance, a standing desk is a good idea to mix up the working position, or exercise balls can be used to rehabilitate your back if it’s hurting.
Home Office Workout Product top Factors to Consider
Have you never bought workout equipment for your home office and don’t know where to start? In this section, we will be covering the top noteworthy factors. You’ll discover what you should be thinking about when buying your next home office workout product.
Price
Consider your budget so you can stretch it to the max. It’s better to spread the available funds between several products instead of buying one expensive piece of equipment. You’ll have more options to work out and cover every muscle group.
Size
The equipment size might be a limiting factor for what you can purchase. For example, buying a large exercise ball might not be a good choice if you hardly have enough room for office equipment. Think about where you’ll be putting the products before you buy them. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a cluttered home office that won’t make for a good work environment.
Fun
You are not likely to use the exercise products for long if you don’t enjoy using them. Think about what kind of activities you like. It’s a tricky question to answer for some products because you may have never used them before. Perhaps a friend or family member has a product you want to buy so you can test it out in person.
Muscle Groups
Consider the muscle groups that are targeted by the workout product. Choose one that allows you to improve the muscles that you are interested in. Want to improve your lower body strength? Then consider purchasing a pedal exerciser that can be stored under your work desk.
Durability
Don’t spend your hard-earned money on a poorly manufactured product that will not last long after the purchase date. A lengthy warranty deal is a good sign that the manufacturer has faith in their products. Also, read what materials were used during the manufacturing process. You want durable materials that won’t break from regular use.
12 Exercise Product Types Suitable for your Home Office
Let’s look at various types of exercise equipment you can buy for your home office today. Purchasing just a few of the products from this list will boost work productivity, improve your health and add a bit of fun to the work routine.
Under Desk Treadmill
Under desk treadmills allow you to walk while working at a height-adjustable desk. Instead of standing up, you can be walking on one of these machines. They are ideal for the home office because of their compact nature. Also, they are designed not to be noisy, which helps you concentrate on your work.
However, it’s not designed for fast walking or running. The small size and compact nature mean that you shouldn’t put too much force on the treadmill. Use it regularly for a casual stroll during work sessions to increase your daily steps. It’s a viable strategy to help you achieve the recommended 10,000 steps per day quota.
Continue reading related under desk treadmill reviews and guides:
Adjustable Hand Exerciser
Do your hands feel stiff after working multiple hours? Then consider buying an adjustable hand exerciser to loosen them up. Just a few minutes per day with the adjustable hand exerciser and you’ll improve the strength of your:
- Wrist
- Forearms
- Hands
Working on the strength of these body parts will allow you to lift more weight during gym sessions. That’s because lifting heavy weights requires you to clench the bar using your hands, which can be overwhelming without the correct grip strength. These hand exercisers are affordable and take up a small amount of space. It’s ideal for small home office spaces.
Yoga Mat
Whether you’re doing yoga or stretching exercises, yoga mats are an excellent way of protecting your body from a hard surface. Even the smallest of office rooms should have enough floor space to lay out a yoga mat.
Yoga mats could prove to be pivotal to maintaining your health while working long hours. For example, back stretches will ensure that you don’t develop a sore lower back from too much sitting down. Consequently, you can work longer hours after giving your lower back a tune-up.
Balance Ball Chair
This home workout fitness product includes a large balance ball and a holder on wheels where it’s placed. The idea is to sit on the ball while working. Sounds difficult? It will improve your core strength and lower back health. If you have back pain, then it might recede after using the balance ball chair.
This product usually comes with a stand that’s on wheels. Therefore, you can move it in and out when it’s needed. You are not expected to sit on the ball all day. However, a few short sitting sessions can provide your body with a much-needed different sitting position.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands should be towards the top of your list when looking for the best home office exercise products; they are inexpensive and take up almost no room in your home office. However, they can work out virtually every muscle group in your body. It depends on how creative you are with where you place the band. You can look at social media videos to get an idea of the top resistance band exercise to complete.
Furthermore, you can buy bands of varying resistance levels. Choose the appropriate level for your strength level to avoid injury. Also, they are great for exercising body parts that are recovering from injury. That’s because you can control the exertion level of each rep.
Small Hand Weights
It might not be feasible to have a long row of 20 different dumbbell weights in your office. However, a rack of a few small hand weights could be all you need to be active in the office. You can lift weights periodically during the day to stay active.
Lifting weights is beneficial because you can lift them without getting burned out or too sweaty. Also, they will fit easily in small home office spaces since they are compact.
Stability Cushion
The benefits of the stability cushion are comparable to those of the balance ball chair. It will build your core strength and help alleviate lower back pain. If you find yourself constantly slouching forward in the chair, then the stability cushion could remedy your bad habit.
The stability cushion is used by placing it on top of your office chair. It will naturally raise the sitting position height. Therefore, you’ll need to use a chair that can lower itself, so you are not sitting too high.
Gym Chair
Consider swapping out a traditional, modern home office chair for a gym one instead. This chair has an integrated balance cushion and resistance band for the hands and feet. It allows you to have a full-body workout from the chair.
However, you may find it uncomfortable for long sitting sessions. Therefore, you’ll still need to keep your regular office chair around for the bulk of the sitting experience. Otherwise, you may develop back issues since the gym chair will not have the ergonomic features of an office chair.
Ankle/Wrist Weights
These weights strap onto your legs or arms, and you can choose the appropriate weight for the added pressure you want. They provide resistance to every movement of your libs that will improve strength and burn extra calories during the day.
It might not provide a significant workout if you are sitting at the desk for most of the day. However, when going to the toilet, making a sandwich in the kitchen, or taking the dog out for a walk, the extra resistance on your body adds up.
Cycle Desk
Want to make a bigger investment in your home office exercise equipment? Then consider buying a cycle desk. It’s basically an exercise bike with a desk instead of the handles. It’s not for everyone because cycling and working on the computer simultaneously can be challenging. However, if you want to take a zoom meeting while working out, the cycle desk is great.
Cycle desks with multiple resistance levels are ideal. It allows you to mix up the cycling speed. Also, models with a quiet mechanism is a must. You don’t want the other video conferencing call members to be angry with the noise your exercise equipment is making.
Fitness Tracker
Investing in a fitness tracker watch allows you to monitor the blood pressure, heart rate, sleep patterns, step count and much more. It’s a smart device that will inform you about your fitness and how much more exercise you need per day or per week.
Also, you can set alarms that will remind you to exercise periodically during the day and drink water too. Alarms for eye breaks can be included that will allow your eyes to rest from the glare of the computer screen. During an intense workday, it can be easy to forget about eye health until it’s too late.
Pull up Bar
In the doorway to your home office, you could install a pull-up bar. It’s a simple piece of equipment that allows you to work out your upper body by doing pull-ups. There is some variation to the muscle groups you can exercise by varying your pull-up technique.
It’s possible to install doorway pull-ups bars so the door can still shut. Doing just a few pull-ups at a time is an intense workout. Therefore, you don’t have to spend a long time exercising to get a result. That’s perfect if you want to complete high-intensity exercise to get a rush of energy, improve blood circulation and alertness before sitting back down at your desk.
Top Tips for Using Home Office Exercise Equipment
Are you trying to get the most out of your exercise equipment? Then you need to follow the top usage tips to complete exercise regularly and with the best effect. Follow these rules and you’ll be using the exercise products optimally:
Scheduling
You need to make time for exercise during the day. It could be 10 minutes at the end of every hour. This will give your eyes time to rest and keep you moving throughout the day. Alternatively, the session could be longer but less frequent.
Sticking to a schedule ensures that you don’t forget to exercise. Use a fitness tracker or other alarm to notify you when it’s time to use the workout equipment.
Keep it Fun
Don’t buy exercise equipment that you feel will be boring to use. Instead, invest in a variety of different products that you enjoy. Then rotate them so that different muscle groups are exercised by the end of the day.
Switching up the equipment you use will prevent the routine from getting boring. Also, don’t set in stone the equipment you have to use at a specific time. Instead, give yourself the freedom to choose what you feel like using at the time of working out.
Training Videos
Not sure how to use the exercise products? For example, small hand weights can be used for bicep curls, one-arm swings, triceps kickbacks and much more. Visit YouTube or other social media platforms to find out what exercises are available and how to complete them.
Using the products correctly means the muscle groups will be challenged appropriately and you don’t injure yourself. You’d be surprised at how slightly altering the technique can lead to significantly different results.
Exercise Daily
To get the most out of the exercises routine, you need to put forth a daily effort. At first, you may find that sticking to a routine is difficult. However, after your first few sessions, the exercises will become progressively easier. Eventually, you’ll look forward to them because you’ll want that natural dopamine high that you get post-workout.
Stay Motivated
You won’t use the exercise equipment if there is a lack of motivation. You can get motivated by rewarding yourself for completing an exercise session. For example, it might be food or playing video games at the end of your workday.
Goals are another great way to motivate yourself to push forward; before exercising, figure out a realistic number of reps that you can complete. Make sure to reach that goal and increase the reps each time to progress.
Advantages of Home Office Exercise Equipment
Understanding the pros and cons of exercise equipment lets you figure out if they are the right choice for you. Also, you can better decide the specific exercise equipment that’s to your liking.
Burn Calories
Working out allows you to burn extra calories, which will help you lose weight. Balancing out the intake to calories burnt equation can be difficult with a busy schedule. However, with regular exercise sessions in your home office, you can tilt the odds of success in your favor.
Improve Health
It’s no secret that exercise drastically improves your health. A short 20-30 minute session will help deliver nutrients to your cells, reduce the risk of heart disease, and improve your mental state of mind. In fact, exercise can help deal with negative emotions and decrease the chances of depression-like symptoms.
Break up the Workday
Regular exercise during the workday can offset the monotony of working. Let’s say that you have a repetitive day at the home office. The feeling of repetition can be reduced if you take part in a variety of exercises at least once in a 2-3 hour window.
Affordable
Unlike heavy gym workout machines, you can spend $10-50 on home office equipment. For example, the yoga mats and resistance bands are among the cheapest exercise equipment pieces out there.
Disadvantages of Home Office Exercise Equipment
Takes Time
During a busy workday, it can be tough to fit in a 30-minute exercise session; you may end up missing deadlines or feel like you are distracted when you sit back down again to work. The solution might be to execute short 10 minute sessions.
Takes up Space
Some home office exercise equipment takes up space, which could be problematic for a small room. For example, the cycle desk and balance ball chair take up significant room. You may have trouble storing these in the home office room. You can store these products in a nearby space, but that means constantly transferring them in and out of the home office.
Sweaty
You might get sweaty after an exercise session, which is not ideal when working in front of a computer. You’ll need to take showers, which take up even more time. Therefore, you may want to schedule the high-intensity sessions before you go for a lunch break or towards the end of the day.
Top Product Recommendations
Now let’s take a look at some of the highest-rated and functional home office equipment on the market. You’ll see suggestions for some of the most popular product categories.
Best Yoga Mat – Gaiam Yoga Mat
For around $30, you’ll get access to one of the best yoga mats out there. You have the option to choose from a variety of patterns so that it matches your interior décor style. The mat is only 6mm thick and the dimensions are 68″ x 24″. The size is big enough to allow for the execution of most exercises.
The anti-grip surface ensures that you won’t slip when holding a pose. Therefore, you won’t accidentally strain your muscles and ligaments. The material is soft with impact protection. It’s healthier for your bones and muscles compared to the hard rock floor. Overall, the Gaiam Yoga Mat is a top-tier choice that is also affordably priced.
Best Hand Grip Exerciser – GD Iron Grip
The GD Iron Grip is priced towards the premium end of the price scale, but it comes with an advanced design. You have a choice of 6 resistance settings, which are between 55 and 176 lb. Also, it’s manufactured from iron, so it has a durable construction. The handgrip is unlikely to break after many years of regular use.
The aluminum handles have a rough surface making them easier to grip. Also, they are the perfect size to get your hands around both parts of the grip. You can use the same grip for both hands too- no need to buy one for the right and left hand. Overall, it’s a good choice for home office workers that want to improve their grip strength for around $50.
Best Under Desk Bike Pedal Exerciser – DeskCycle 2
For around $200, you can buy the DeskCycle 2. It can be placed under the desk, which won’t take up additional floor space. It has a quick and easy setup, so you can get going just a few minutes after unboxing. It’s also sofa friendly, thereby allowing to pedal while watching the TV.
The adjustable Velcro straps ensure that your feet will not slip and all foot sizes are accommodated. Also, there are eight resistance settings. You can choose the setting that matches your fitness levels. The included LCD screen allows your real-time results to be tracked. See the elapsed time, calories burned, distance traveled and strides per minute.
Overall, the DeskCycle 2 is a great addition to any home office setup. You’ll love cycling while working as it’s ergonomically designed. However, the noise it makes when cycling quickly can become distracting at first.
Best Small Hand Weights – Amazon Basics Neoprene Coated Dumbbell Set
The Amazon Basics set of dumbbells is highly rated and with a large list of satisfied users. It includes three pairs of weights that come at 2lb, 3lb and 5lb. Each weight is a different size and color, which makes it easy to spot from a distance. You can also buy sets with different weights based on what exercise and weights you prefer to lift.
Also, the weight set comes with a stand, where you can store them when not in use. The neoprene coating ensures your hands will not slip. The material is also skin-friendly, so you may not need gloves to avoid blisters.
In conclusion, the Amazon Basics small hand weights are an affordable set. The value for money is off the charts and they are functional for any home office.
Best Fitness Trackers – Fitbit Charge 4
The Fitbit Charge 4 is an amazing piece of technology that will boost the quality of your workouts. You can monitor the heart rate and sleep pattern. Also, you can set reminders for when you should take exercise breaks.
The fit bit comes with 7-day battery life and there is a built-in phone. Therefore, you can take calls without reaching for your smartphone. In fact, the smartphone can be out of the home office so that it doesn’t distract you when working.
The Fitbit charge four costs around $130, but the positives are well worth it. It also has features that are useful outside the home office environment, such as GPS and a step counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What Home Exercise Equipment Should I Buy?
Answer: The home office exercise equipment that’s right for you depends on your needs. For example, if you are looking for a low-intensity distraction, then a handgrip exerciser or squeeze ball is all you need. However, if you want to burn a lot of calories, then a pull-up bar and cycle desk might be the best options.
Also, what is your budget? You can buy a huge variety of workout products for only $100. However, it’s possible to spend $1,000 on the same ones if you are shopping at the premium end of the market.
Other considerations include how much space you have to work with and the exercises you find fun.
Question: What Home Office Fitness Brand is the Best?
Answer: The best brands have highly rated products. Look for models that have hundreds, if not thousands, of positive reviews. The top brands consistently receive 4-5 star ratings for their products and create an impressive customer experience. It might be to add extra features or improve the quality of the customer service.
Finally, a lengthy warranty deal is desirable. It shows that the brand has a lot of faith in the quality of its product.
Question: Will the Home Office Workout Products Fit in My Room?
Answer: look at the product dimensions when buying. Once you have the measurements, then compare them to the available floor space in your home office. Also, consider how the exercise product is used. For example, for small hand weights, you need room to move your arms about. Err on the side of caution by giving yourself more room than you think is required.
Bottomline
Once you enter the world of home office exercise equipment, you’ll love the variety. There is enough choice to give your entire body a workout. Exercise between work sessions allows you to improve your health, have fun and lose weight. It should be a vital part of your daily routine.
We hope that this guide has helped you figure out how to choose the best home office exercise equipment for your needs. Consider the factors outlined above and you will make the right choice. Attentively, if you’re short on time, then pick one of our product recommendations.