5 pieces of equipment you already own

If you’ve been separated from your beloved gym gear for the time being, and panic buying has cleaned out all the exercise equipment, don’t sweat it – your favourite workout tights still have a reason to come out of the drawer! Even without a fully kitted-out home gym, you have a house full of effective exercise gear. You just need to look at certain items in your home a little differently...

We’ve laid out the equipment most commonly used in your FIT At Home workouts to point out the handy equipment options you may not have realised you already have at home, as well as a few key exercise alternatives to work the same target areas.

1. Dumbbells

Dumbbells are strength training 101. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get started without them if all the stores are sold out! Raid your fridge or pantry to use soup cans and water bottles as hand weights, or punch up the weight and intensity by gripping a bottle of laundry detergent or milk.

2. Kettlebells

How are you supposed to swing or get down with those glute-burning shovels without kettlebells? It’s time to get creative. Upsize your dumbbell substitutions by grabbing bigger and heavier jugs of water, the family-sized detergent dispenser or a bag of potatoes. Just make sure whatever you select has a strong, secure handle and won’t go flying into a window or over the balcony.

3. Resistance band

You can use a rolled-up towel raised above your head to work your arms and shoulders, or in a sling around your foot to increase resistance on stretches. Where you would use a resistance band around your legs, try tying up an old pair of tights or stockings, or the tie from your bathrobe.

4. Swiss ball

No Swiss ball? You can still target your core with planks and bring your glutes, hamstrings and hip flexors into play with knee tucks. You can use sliding plates to replicate knee tucks without a ball, too. As for Swiss ball hamstring curls, our clever FIT community members have already hacked some great alternatives:

• using a chair with wheels

• lying on your back with two feet on the wall or heels on a bench or step, then raising your glutes in a bridge movement

• classic glute bridge (raise your heels when lowering your glutes for an extra hamstring challenge) or reverse bridge moves.

5. Bench

Where you would use a bench for step-ups, find a step or solid box. For incline/decline push-ups and similar exercises, a steady chair, sofa or solid coffee table makes a simple stand-in. Many exercises you would do sitting or kneeling on a bench can be adapted for the floor.