If you are still wary about returning to public fitness centers, you may be looking to get the most out of your at-home gym – especially during the summer season. That may mean subscribing to on-demand fitness classes or upgrading your exercise bike, both of which have become increasingly popular options.
To help make the most of your workout routine and reap the potential health benefits, consider rounding out your at-home gym with these five pieces of equipment – many of which are used during on-demand fitness classes.
1. Resistance bands
You can usually find these varying in resistance from light to heavy. They may provide a great strength workout for just about any muscle group or a good warm up for pre-workout routines. Plus, they may be low cost and easily tucked away.
2. Yoga mat
Yoga may have a number of benefits and may be helpful to stretch out your muscles after other more vigorous exercise. A yoga mat is a relatively easy addition to an at-home gym, and you can roll it up when you’re done. Need a place to start? Follow along with this on-demand yoga flow.
3. Dumbbells
A lot of fitness classes may provide modifications to increase the intensity, including using dumbbells for an additional arm workout while you’re keeping the rest of your body moving.
4. Heart-rate monitor
Whether you have a smartwatch or strap on heart-rate monitor, either may help you analyze your performance while working out. Track your activity when you try these five at-home strength exercises.
5. Foam roller
With all of the different exercises you may be trying, it may be beneficial to roll out your muscles to help you recover. No need for a fancy or expensive massage – a foam roller may do the trick. You may also consider trying these five stretches to help improve your flexibility.
All of these pieces may be used in combination or addition to bigger equipment like ellipticals or exercise bikes. If you haven’t already hopped on the trend of on-demand, streamed fitness classes, a new program may help make it more accessible.
UnitedHealthcare has a new program with Peloton, an interactive fitness platform that combines technology, content and live instructors, to help empower members through fitness. The new program will give eligible UnitedHealthcare plan participants a 12-month subscription to a Peloton Digital Membership – at no additional cost – starting Sept. 1 as part of their health plan benefits*. Through a Digital Membership to the Peloton App, people can access thousands of fitness classes, both live and on-demand, including strength, yoga, cardio and meditation.
For more information on the new program, click here.
*Peloton App access will be available at no additional cost for up to 12 months starting Sept. 1, 2021 to those enrolled in eligible UnitedHealthcare fully insured employer-sponsored health plans. Some additional limitations or state-specific restrictions may apply. Please see your UnitedHealthcare representative for more information.
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