With lockdowns in most cities, and covid-19 cases still rising, most gyms are closed. And even if your gym is open to members, it is only natural to feel that it’s unsafe to step out for a workout. Staying home is still the best way to stay safe, and working out at home can be enjoyable if you have the right equipment. If a basic home-gym set up is what you are looking for, here are a few new options for you to invest in.
For the yoga lover
The Alignment Pro Mat
Price: 2,099 available on www.yogaland.in
Nerul-based Sunder Bishnoi, founder of KhushiSeYoga, has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. She switched to cotton mats from the usual PVC mats a few years ago. Since then, she has been using her cotton mat for workshops, corporate and personal sessions. “The best thing about the cotton Yoga Land mat is the grip that it has. The mats I used earlier would often get sweaty and then slippery. If we used the PVC mats for long hours—sometimes I have back-to-back sessions—they would start smelling as well,” she says.
The eco-friendly Yoga Land mats come with an anti-skid base and the cotton absorbs sweat, making it easier to wash and keep clean. There is no flaking or shedding of smaller residues as happens with PVC or vinyl mats. However, the Yoga Land mats do not provide extra cushioning for beginners, so it might help to place a towel over it, or fold the mat to create a double layered base for your practice.
Also read: Why you need to stay home, stay safe and train hard
For the strength trainer
The FlexiKettle
Price: ₹6,999 and ₹9,999, available on www.flexnest.com
No gym, no weights? Nope. At the same time, you don’t have to invest in a room full of weights to get your strength training session done. These smartly packed weights—kettlebells, dumbbells and more—can be adjusted to serve the training needs of different users and are easy to store too.
New Delhi’s Sukriti Sharma started attending functional training workshops online during the first lockdown. In a few days, Sharma and her husband realized they wanted some basic weights and decided on purchasing a kettlebell. They picked up the Flexikettle because of it was easy to store in an apartment.
“The weights my husband uses are different from the ones I use. But the Flexikettle gives us the option of just changing the weights, and both of us can use the same one. It is functional and easy to store. For the past two months we have been using it religiously and are now considering going for the flexible dumbbells,” says Sharma.
The Flexikettle comes in two variants. The 20lb variant lets you adjust weights from 5lbs to 20lbs in 2.5lbs increments, while the 40lb variant, lets you adjust weights from 10-40lbs in 5lbs increments. It uses weighted plates, and there is a dial which lets one select the weight one wishes to work out with.
Also read: Why you need to train with a kettlebell
For the cardio lover
Smart Bike
Price: Rs.1,20,000, pre-order on https://synq.fit/
Can’t go out for a run in the lockdown? Well, worry not, an indoor cycle with an in-built trainer might be what you have been looking for.
When a friend asked Mumbai-based Vaibhav Ladda to try out the Synq.fit smart bike in the pilot testing phase, Ladda took it up. After all, he was a district level basketball player who went to the gym regularly. A new exercise machine at home sounded great. He tried it for about 10 days to share his feedback with founder, Pratik Sud.
Also read: How to create your weekly training plan
“The thing I liked the most about the bike was that you can choose how you want to work out at what time of the day. For example, if I wanted to get my heart rate up, I would choose the track from their collection and get an instructor-led workout on the bike. For a recovery ride, too, I could choose a different program,” says Ladda.
The Synq.fit bikes come with an on-demand archived video library, a wide variety of classes and live sessions where one can interact real-time with the trainers. The workouts can be accessed with monthly subscriptions. The multipoint adjustment system allows you to change the position of the handlebar, the seat, and even the screen. The bike itself is light and compact and fits into any room.
Also read: Why do we lack the motivation to pursue fitness?
