Home Gym

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Tina Haupert

No time to get to the gym? No problem! You don't need a gym full of fancy equipment to get in shape. For $50 or less, you can get enough gear for a total-body workout at home. The key is choosing pieces that are not only effective, but also work multiple body parts at once, so you maximize your workout. Here are three pieces of equipment to add to your home gym!

Jump rope
Did you know jumping rope torches as many calories as running? That's right, you can burn 100 calories in 10 minutes of jumping rope! Now, that's what I call a cardio workout! And a good jump rope will likely cost you less than $10. Try this workout to jump off the weight!

Adjustable kettlebell
Using a kettlebell is guaranteed to give you a great workout from head to toe. The swing movement requires you to use your entire body — core, too! An adjustable kettlebell provides you with a variety of weight options and saves space compared to buying a whole set. Try this quick kettlebell workout to get your heart rate up!

Keep reading for one more piece of equipment for your new home gym.

The exercise ball may occupy a lot of room in your home gym, but it's one versatile piece of equipment. Find out how to get the most out of your exercise ball below.

A healthier seat: Ditch your normal seat on the couch and sit on an exercise ball instead. Using a ball to sit helps correct your posture, tones your abs, and encourages you to stretch, all of which sounds a lot better than the lower back pain that too much sitting on the couch can cause.

Routine shakeup: Adding an exercise ball to your normal mat routines can shake things up and challenge you. For example, you can plank using an exercise ball at your feet to make holding your pose that much harder, or sit or lay on your exercise ball while you execute arm exercises. Even just practicing your balance by kneeling on the exercise ball can help you tone and whittle. Need some ideas? Try these amazingly effective ab and butt workouts using the exercise ball:

• Find out how to do the plank pike and the hamstring curl using an exercise ball with this advanced exercise ball workout video.
• Skip boring crunches and do this ball pass ab exercise instead.
• Challenge your core and balance with this single-leg squat, done against a wall using an exercise ball.
• Lie on the ball and work your arms with this chest press move.

Read on for more reasons to use an exercise ball.

Don't let the rainy weather wash away your workout. If nasty rain and wind is forcing you to get your sweat on indoors, here are some ways to burn 300 calories at home.

• Get your stretch on: unroll your mat and practice yoga. An hour and 20 minutes of light yoga burns 315 calories.
• Pop in your favorite cardio DVD such as Bob Harper's Ultimate Cardio Body or Tracy Anderson's Cardio Dance Workout; you'll burn 310 calories with 45 minutes of high-impact dancing or aerobics.
• Jump rope: it doesn't take much. In just over 30 minutes you'll burn 305 calories. Pass the time by jumping rope in front of your favorite TV show.
• Walk up and down the stairs: not only will you strengthen your heart and tone your legs and booty, but just under an hour of doing the stairs in your house burns 313 calories.
• Grab your dumbbells: you'll have to do a lot of bicep curls and push-ups, but after an hour and 45 minutes, you'll burn 310 calories.
• Hit the machines: if you haven't lost power and you have a treadmill or elliptical at home (lucky you!), go for a run. At a pace of 10 minutes per mile, you'll burn 300 calories in just over 30 minutes.

What other ways do you work out inside?

I like things easy. And easy means a convenient way to stay fit but doesn't take too much time out of my day. Easy solution? A home gym. What's not to love — all the equipment you need to stay fit, no gym membership required.

It's hard, however, to keep a home gym as equipment-ready as your neighborhood gym if you don't have the space (or the money). Luckily, just a few basics are all you need for a full-body workout. No matter how much space you have, read on to find out what you should have to outfit your home gym.

• Exercise ball. This will take up the most space, but trust me, it's also one of the most versatile pieces of gym equipment you can own. Work your whole body with just a stability ball. Check out this video for two advanced moves that work your abs (no crunches required) and backside, and after you're done, relax your back with this spinal twist move. But before you buy, make sure you get the right size for your body; use these guidelines to find a fit.

Read on for more home gym basics after the break.

FitSugar reader Tmvargas wrote this love letter to her home gym for the third challenge of our Get Fit For 2011 giveaway.

It may not be glamorous. It may be blazing hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. I may have to keep a tennis racket near me at all times because I'm convinced that a rat is going to get me while I'm trapped on the treadmill. (I swear I saw one.) But it's all mine. It's a place where I can go and do my happy dance when I beat my previous records. It's a place where I can yell at myself to push through the last mile.

It's my happy place. It's my gym.

Be sure to post a photo of your fitness life in our Get Fit For 2011 group to enter our weekly giveaway of a $100 Nike gift card and a chance to win our grand prize — a four-day fitness boot camp in LA! Use the camera on your phone to photograph contents of your gym bag, your home gym, your workout DVD collection, your fave workout wear, or an incredible view from your last bike ride.