When I moved to 8,400-feet just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, I had no idea that I’d struggle to stay fit. I was surrounded by mountains and hiking trails, wasn’t that opportunity enough? Then the wind came. Several days a week, the whole mountain range was accosted by 50 mph gusts, making it extremely hard to self-motivate and get outside. But over the course of a year, I started to build a small home gym with the help of my sister, who runs the group fitness department of a NYC gym. We added items like bands, shiftable dumbbells, and kettlebells to the mix. Here’s some of the equipment that helped me get into shape while living in the frigid Rocky Mountains.
Resistance Bands, Dumbbells, and Kettlebells
Did you know that we lose 3 to 8 percent of our muscle mass every decade after the age of 30? Yet our muscles help us with daily movements as well as athletic performance, which means that strength directly impacts quality of life. For these reasons, focusing on strength training is an important part of any athletic routine. Here’s what I use in my tiny little mountain cabin to build muscle:
Pro-Tec Athletic Bands
Athletic bands can be a really helpful tool if you’re rehabilitating an injury or just getting into strength training. Resistance bands like the Pro-Tec Athletic Bands are usually the tool you’d want to use when graduating from bodyweight activities since they add a few pounds of added weight. Most resistance bands come in a package of easy, medium, and hard strain options. This gives you the ability to focus on progressive growth.
BowFlex 552 Dumbbells
One of the difficult parts about building a home gym is the sheer amount of space that it demands. Many households have an entire room dedicated to fitness equipment. Put yourself in a cramped space like a mountain cabin, and this challenge gets even more frustrating. Fortunately, the Bowflex 552 Dumbbells take the space of just two large dumbbells, but they give you adjustable weight ranges that cover 5 to 52.5 pounds. This set makes it really easy to focus on muscle gains even when you don’t have hundreds of weights at your disposal.
BowFlex SelectTech 840 Adjustable Kettlebell
Like the 552 Dumbbells, the SelectTech 840 Adjustable Kettlebell allows you to adjust the weight from 8 to 40 pounds to maximize the benefits of your workout. This is a great tool for those low-impact cardio workouts that blast your core. Both the dumbbells and the kettlebell can be used to improve overall strength while supporting coordination and versatile movement.
Fitness Trackers
Fitness trackers allow you to monitor your athletic progress and recovery, giving you insight into workouts and lifestyle activities that are supporting or harming your goals. There are dozens of fitness trackers on the market, but some of my favorites include:
The Wahoo Tickr
The Wahoo Tickr is one of the most accurate heart rate monitors on the market, which is ideal if you’re training for exertion. The design requires that you place it around your torso in order to get accurate readings, which can feel a bit awkward at first. But once you find the right adjustments, the data helps you fine-tune your athletic strategies.
WHOOP
The WHOOP is a phenomenal fitness tracker and recovery tool because it monitors data like your heart rate variability, skin temperature, resting heart rate, sleep quality, and exertion to tell you how capable your body is at handling stress on a given day. This device is intended to be worn all the time.
Recovery Tools
An important part of any workout regimen is the recovery phase. Without it, muscle growth suffers, fatigue tends to increase, and performance starts to decline. The recovery phase of the week can involve everything from mobility-focused movement to stretching, and self-care. The products are great additions to both of these categories.
The Yogo Ultralight Folding Travel Mat
The Yogo Ultralight Folding Travel Yoga Mat is the perfect companion for on-the-go recovery. It packs down to the size of a large water bottle, making it easily storable in backpacks or even hand bags. But it really excels when it comes to grip, which is ideal for those who are looking for stability while stretching.
Chirp Wheel Set
So many of us operate with hunched-over backs all day. We lean forward over our desks or stare down at the table while we work, which can create a lot of tension in our backs. The Chirp Wheel Set helps to alleviate some of that tension by allowing you to roll out your upper back on your rest days. These wheels come with 11mm padding to protect your spine, and the three different sizes give you a variety of intensity levels while you stretch.
So there you have it. If you can’t enjoy the great outdoors, working out in the comfort of your home is a great alternative with the right equipment and tools.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Beth Skylis is a freelance writer who specializes in adventure content and travel. She currently works as a columnist for Backpacker Magazine. She also has by-lines in Women’s Health, Outside Magazines, Trail Runner, Climbing, SELF, Yellow Scene, REI, and Alaska Magazine. When she isn’t writing, she can typically be found in the Rocky Mountains with her pups. Follow her on Instagram: @h1kertrash
