I decided a while back to make some form of daily exercise a regular part of my life. The secret to consistency? I can literally roll out of bed and be in the gym.
Taking a cue from Isaac Morehouse, I set my sights stupidly low. Even 10 crunches might count for the day.
But I’ve made a few fitness acquisitions over the years that have added up to make a convenient “bedside gym” so I can do as much as I’m motivated to do.
1. Yoga Mat
I usually start the morning with an abbreviated, accelerated stretching routine, which I learned from a good yoga teacher (who also happens to be a friend).
Yoga mats are cheap to acquire, easy to transport, and make a great place to stretch out, lay down for crunches, or do some for push-ups.
2. Pull Up Bar
This hangs niftily in the door frame of my bedroom-bathroom entry-way, in easy wait for me in between waking up and taking a shower. I can get in pull-ups, chin-ups, or both in a morning. These make for great arm workouts and (so I’ve read) can help boost testosterone levels.
3. Barbell
The barbell has fixed weights on the end, so it’s not good for muscle-building (go to the real gym for that), but it is good for maintaining muscle and doing exercises like squats.
When I do push-ups, I’ll occasionally lift up one arm and make a ringing “ding” against the bar before letting myself down. I also find the bar useful for holding my feet when I need to do sit-ups.
With just these three tools, I can manage a good range (though definitely not all) of the activities that help me stay fit. And I don’t have to go far from bed to do it.
James Walpole is a writer, startup marketer, intellectual explorer, and perpetual apprentice. He is an alumnus of Praxis and a Foundation for Economic Education’s Eugene S. Thorpe fellow. He writes regularly at jameswalpole.com. This article was originally published on FEE.org