Minimalism has historically described a genre in art, music and design. But, it’s been adopted in modern society to also refer to a simple lifestyle devoid of unnecessary things. In this month with a theme of DIY Fitness, I thought I’d take it one step further and apply minimalism to fitness. As in, when a person has decided to go (mostly) solo in adopting a fit lifestyle, acquiring a bunch of fitness props and tools usually means a lot of time, money and space is wasted.

So, what should the DIY fitness enthusiast prioritize when it comes to gear? When it comes to fitness products, the basics should focus on comfort and injury prevention. As such, the following items are a must:

• Footwear: Nearly every cardio discipline requires the right kind of shoe. Make sure you have the proper shoe for your workouts and that they fit your feet correctly. If you do several types of workouts that require unique footwear, you should have a pair for each exercise type. If you can, go to an athletic footwear retailer to have the correct style and size fitted to you.
• Attire: Like footwear, the clothes you wear should be high quality, fit you properly and made for the activities you participate in as well as the conditions under which you workout.
• Exercise Mat: Mats are not for only yoga and Pilates. All of us, no matter our workouts, need to stretch regularly. We will have better quality (and longer) stretching sessions if we have a comfortable spot designed for this activity at the ready in our homes or offices.

Beyond these basics, your fitness gear should include only the things you need to best perform your favorite workouts. In addition to the photo above, reading my post What’s In My Travel Workout Bag should convince you that you don’t need a lot of fitness toys to get in great workouts, week in and week out.