Tips, ideas and equipment for a modern home gym that's low on space, high on impact

Fitness expert, personal trainer and professional footballer, Jyoti Ann Burrett lists the products and equipment you need for an exercise space at home, and shares a workout routine for you to use them efficiently!

Remember that ‘Da Da Ding’ ad by Nike? The one that was insanely popular, got stuck in your head and inspired even the laziest among us into wanting to get fit. Well, that’s what one of the pro athletes in the ad wants for us as well. Jyoti Ann Burrett is a professional footballer who is a personal trainer when she’s not on the field. “Working out is something I really enjoy, and my body craves it. I took up personal training because I want to infuse this enthusiasm into people who aren’t athletes,” she says.

With a Masters in Sports Science and a Diploma certification course in personal training, Jyoti started working with Sumaya Dalmia in 2013, one of New Delhi’s leading wellness professionals. Together, they also set up the gym at Ananda in the Himalayas, Uttarakhand. Jyoti is also a trainer with the Nike Training Club as well as being a Nike Ambassador for football. Plus, she has a personal gym space set up in her apartment in New Delhi and knows how to work with both big and small spaces.

Now, some of us just can’t fit going to the gym into our manic schedules. Others don’t like to exercise in a public space or just prefer the convenience of working out at home. If you’ve got just a little space to spare, you can craft your very own gym with Jyoti’s recommendations of a high impact exercise routine. “The theory we follow is based on the body’s basic movements and those muscles groups that are utilised,” she explains. “You use your chest and triceps to push, back and biceps to pull, and legs and hips to sit and stand. This is what we focus on besides strengthening your core.”

Jyoti Ann Burrett is a professional footballer and a personal trainer. She has a personal gym space set up in her apartment in New Delhi and knows how to set up both big and small sized gyms

Instead of filling up your space with heavy, bulky machines that target only a small group of muscles, she suggests functional workouts that mirror as well as help you with your daily life movements according to your lifestyle. For a small space or corner of a room, here are Jyoti’s recommendations to set up your gym modelled on her own home gym that measures 10ft by 4ft:

A Swiss Ball

Amazon

₹ On request
A Pulley Suspension Trainer by TRX

TRX

₹ 20,900
A Kettlebell

Decathlon

₹ On request
A pair of Dumbbells

Technogym

₹ On request
Thera Loop by Thera-Band

Lodhi Sports

₹ On request
A Pull-up Bar

Decathlon

₹ 3,299
A Yoga Mat

Nike

₹ On request

While these items are perfect for a complete workout, if you can dedicate an entire room to your home gym then here’s what Jyoti recommends you get as well: