Using Workout Equipment at Home

Working on your health and fitness always makes sense – but sometimes, going to the gym doesn’t. Luckily, there’s plenty you can do to build your strength and stay in shape at home – so working out doesn’t have to mean going out.

Here are some tips for getting active in the comfort of your own home – and making sure your space and equipment are set up for safety, convenience, and easy access.

Before we get started, it’s important to know that some eye conditions can be affected by heavy lifting, straining, or rapid movement -- but plenty of different activities and options are available. Talking about any new exercise plans with your eye doctor can help you decide what works best for you.

One great advantage of working out at home is that you can set up an exercise area how you like it, or you can just start moving. And whether you’re creating a home gym or doing some lunges in the living room, a few tips can help you get going – safely.

For any type of exercise, make sure there’s no furniture, cords, or other obstacles in your way. That includes any tripping hazards and anything you might step on or bump into. Check out our workshop on making your home low-vision friendly for ideas on arranging furniture and other items in the room.

Another safety consideration is balance – which may be affected by your changing vision. If you need help with balance – or making sure you stay in one spot while you’re exercising – choose a space where you can place your hand on the wall, or hold on to a table, a counter, or the back of a sturdy chair while you do your exercises. And check out the resources for information on a series of balance exercises designed for adults with vision loss.

If you like to use handheld exercise equipment – like resistance bands, straps, and other items – keeping them in a basket or a crate lets you store them nearby, but out of the way. Then they’re easy to find when you’re ready to use them.

Keeping your hand weights organized from lightest to heaviest, left to right, makes them easier to find, too. And labeling your items according to size or resistance level makes it easier to tell them apart quickly. Our workshops on labeling offer some handy tips for creating large print, audio, or tactile labels.

For hand weights, putting the label on the outer edge of the weight keeps it from getting in the way of your grip.

For exercise bands that have handles, putting labels near the handle helps you know where to find them. And for bands that don’t have handles, try storing them in separate bags – and label each bag with the resistance level.

Let’s talk about exercise machines. Having your own treadmill or elliptical machine, stationary bike or rowing machine, means you can hop on and get a great workout, any time. And many different types of equipment are available. Check out the resources for a handout that describes several options.

If you’re buying equipment, one handy feature to look for is a set of controls and markings you can feel. But if you can’t find a machine with raised buttons or tactile markings, you can mark the touch screen or other controls with stickers you can feel to make it easier to find the features you use most.

For example, arrows are handy to mark the controls for changing the speed up and down.

And different shapes – or braille numbers – are great for marking your favorite programmed routines. In fact, choosing a routine that’s already programmed might mean you have fewer areas to label. Check out the resources for information on where to find tactile stickers in a variety of shapes.

When you’re deciding where to put your exercise machine, keeping the machine and any cords out of common walking paths will help you avoid trip hazards.

And putting it on a mat or a rug that contrasts with the flooring can make it easier to see. If you do use an area rug or a mat, of course you’ll want to tape down the edges to prevent tripping.

Using a protective arm technique when you’re walking to your machine helps you avoid any parts that might extend outward. See the workshop on protecting yourself from bumping into things for details on this method.

Check the owner’s manual for any other safety information, too. If you don’t have the manual – or you find it’s hard to read – look on the internet. Companies often post them there. And once you find the right one, you can increase the font to a size that works for you – or read it with a screen reader.

For some equipment, the manual also tells you how to display your heart rate, calories burned, miles walked, and more. Check out the resources for a handout with tips on tracking these details – along with your progress – whether you’re ramping up your fitness goals or just getting started.

As always, if you need more information or you've got your own tips to share, contact a Hadley learning expert. Of course, as with anything new, give yourself time, patience and practice, and you'll get there.