Endorphins are known as the “feel-good” chemical that floods the brain during physical activity, but for some, this chemical never quite kicks in. Without endorphins, though, workouts feel long, monotonous, and exhausting, not exactly the ideal encouragement for keeping up a decent fitness routine. People who hate working out find it impossible to motivate themselves to endure a 30-60 minute workout, even if they have a home gym complete with every kind of exercise equipment.
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Physical fitness is essential for complete, whole-body health. It doesn’t matter how many Brussels sprouts you eat – no food can replace the heart-healthy benefits of a cardio workout or weight training regime. Running and lifting weights are two of the most common workouts, but they certainly aren’t your only options.
If you hate working out, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite less traditional home gym equipment that doesn’t involve the standard running, biking, or free weights. There’s no endorphin guarantee, but the out-of-the-box gear below will definitely make working out suck less.
Tempo Studio
The Tempo Studio takes all the guesswork out of working out. With a wide selection of live and on-demand classes for all levels, sophisticated form-tracking and rep-counting software, and heart rate monitor, this smart strength training machine and fitness mirror is the closest experience to having a personal trainer that a machine can offer. The high-quality accessories including barbells, dumbbells, and weight plates ensure you’ll never want to go back to a crowded gym ever again.
Echelon Connect Bike EX-7S
The Echelon Connect Bike EX-7 isn’t just a cycling bike. With one machine, you have access to thousands of indoor cycling workouts, as well as yoga, boxing, and core strength classes through The Echelon Fit app. Simply turn the 21.5-inch reversible monitor around, lay out a mat, and pick your workout. With endless training options, this Echelon exercise bike allows you to mix up your workouts to fit your preferences.
FightCamp
FightCamp turns your garage or living room space into a boxing ring complete with a freestanding bag, smart boxing gloves that track your punches, and an app with hundreds of classes to train with. In each workout, you’re also encouraged to complete or exceed the punch goal for each round to keep you on your toes and out of breath. The FightCamp app and punch trackers really elevate this boxing workout and immerse you in the experience more than your typical heavy bag and gloves.
Weighted Jump Rope
This isn’t your daughter’s jump rope. Weighted jump rope combines cardio and strength training in one piece of equipment. Just a few minutes of weighted jumps work the shoulders, triceps, forearms, back, glutes, and hamstrings. Great for cardio and HIIT training, jump ropes also increase endurance and are great for performance training. Beginners should aim for intervals of one to five minutes, three times a week.
Amazon Echo Seven-Minute Exercise
If you struggle with finding the time to workout during the day, Amazon Alexa’s seven-minute exercise will get your heart rate up and muscles burning in under 10 minutes. Just say, “Alexa, start seven-minute workout,” and she’ll walk you through a scientifically proven set of exercises designed to increase metabolism, improve energy, lower stress, and burn fat. Moves include squats, jumping jacks, and planks to work your entire body in a short amount of time.
Yoga Class
Contrary to popular belief, all yoga isn’t just stretching. There are a ton of online classes available on-demand with challenging strength-building and balance-improving poses that will have you screaming for your mommy – in the most Zen way. We love Daily Burn for its wide variety of classes for all fitness levels and goals.
Roller Skates
Get ready for the most fun cardio workout you’ve ever had. Roller skating is a full-body workout and burns anywhere from 350 to 600 calories per hour, according to the Roller Skating Association International. You’re using your arms and back to stay balance, along with your arms and shoulders to gain speed. You’re also effectively in a squat position throughout the duration of your skate, resulting in toned legs and glutes. If you’re going to pick up a pair of skates, don’t forget about protective gear like knee pads, wrist guards, and padded shorts.
Balance Board
Balance boards not only improve your balance, but also your core strength, agility, and coordination, and they improve your posture. They work the small stabilizer muscles that work in concert with your ‘star’ muscles (chest, back, thighs) to execute heavy lifts, which don’t normally get activated through weightlifting exercises. Spending a few minutes every day on the balance board is a fun physical and mental workout that will develop your mind-muscle connection, which you can then carry over into other strength training exercises.
Ankle Weights
Ankle weights make any leg movement even more challenging, so wearing them on a walk or during leg exercises will make your quads and hamstrings work harder to move this increased load against gravity. They’re like wearable dumbbells, weighing you down with every move. Amp up your lower body workout with this tried-and-true strength-training tool.
Perfect Push Up Rotating Push Up Handles
Push-ups are a classic chest exercise move for building upper body strength, and these rotating handles maximize the results you get from push-ups while also minimizing stress on the body. They allow your arms and wrists to move naturally, which helps to engage more muscles for more defined arms, shoulders, chest, back, and abs.
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