I live in a house share, here’s how I workout in a small space

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Much like working from home, working out at home can suit the lives of many. If you’re put off by the gym or don’t want to pay for exercise classes, home workouts fit around your busy schedule and offer you the freedom to try new moves from the comfort of your living room. Likewise, resources have really upped their game, with fitness coaches and gym bunnies posting workouts to follow along with, which is a great way to build up a fitness routine.

Like many, lockdown was when my relationship with home workouts took off. I discovered the excellent Pilates channel Move With Nicole on YouTube, which I still prefer over any in-person class I’ve tried. Now, I regularly train at home. But my space at home is limited, so I’ve found the easiest ways to get a sweat on if you only have a small area to work with.

I’ve found resistance bands to be a great way to get into strength training. I really rate Decathlon’s budget-friendly set of three (£4.99, Decathlon.co.uk), with the resistance levels ranging from 5kg to 7kg. They are particularly useful for beginners because you can apply progressive overload as strength and fitness increase, supporting continued progress.

Resistance bands are small enough to store, making them a great addition to an at-home gym. But despite their small size, you can still get a real glute burn with sets of fire hydrants, glute bridges, lateral walks, clamshells, donkey and rainbow kicks.

Harry Bullmore, a personal trainer and The Independent’s senior fitness writer, agrees, adding: “Resistance bands weigh very little and take up minimal space – but they expand your exercise horizons dramatically. Not only can they be looped around your back or feet to make bodyweight exercises like squats and press-ups more challenging, you can also clove-hitch them around a sturdy vertical anchor point to perform new moves like rows, pull-downs and hamstring curls.”

I’d also recommend a set of light, easy-to-handle weights. They are perfect for adding to your Pilates moves and you can also do a simple workout with them by cycling reps of round the worlds, hammer curls, bicep curls, serve the platters and jabs. You can easily pick up an inexpensive set, but I’ve enjoyed using Bala’s (£59, Beautybay.com), which are soft, smooth and curved to your hand’s shape.

I’ve also found it beneficial to have heavier dumbbells in my collection – a set that feels challenging is a great foundation. From Decathlon’s own range, the hex dumbbells (£34.99, Decathlon.co.uk) work well for at-home workouts. They have a good grip and a soft outer layer, so they are gentle on your floor.

“The humble dumbbell deserves a spot in any home,” says Harry. “A pair of these, or a single kettlebell, can replace an entire gym – if you know how to use them. (Our features on a twice-weekly dumbbell workout plan and five kettlebell workouts to get you in the shape of your life can help on this front.)”

For comfort while you workout, a yoga mat is fundamental. The Gaiam yoga mat (£36.44, Amazon.co.uk) provides cushioning under your knees and back and is grippy enough to perform adventurous yoga and Pilates poses. I can’t fault the quality either – mine has lasted years.

If you want to make mat leg exercises a bit harder, bracelet weights are great. These ones from Onyx (£34.99, Onyxfitness.com) perfectly fit the bill. They are comfortable to wear and adjustable. At 500g per strap, reps of donkey kicks, fire hydrants and arm circles soon become more challenging.

Harry notes: “Even though they are only light, their placement near your extremities makes certain movements significantly more difficult. For more experienced exercisers, or those looking to progress from strictly bodyweight training, this can elevate the effectiveness of your sessions.”

If you’ve used an ab wheel before, you know it can be effective, but it’s also difficult to use as a beginner. I’ve found the Decathlon Corenth weight training ab wheel (£19.99, Decathlon.co.uk) solved this problem – the addition of the elastic band brings you back with less difficulty. It’s adjustable so you can make it progressively harder. Plus, there’s a cushioning pad for your knees.

“It’s small enough to be stashed in a cupboard between uses, only requires a bit of clear floor space to use, and can humble even seasoned gym-goers within a few repetitions,” explains Harry.

“It’s also scalable. Beginners can roll out from their knees and reduce the distance they push the roller away from them with each rep; experts might start from standing and roll the wheel forward until they are in a diver-like pose before contracting their abs to return to their starting position.”

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