These are the four things I tell every new personal training client to buy to get started with their fitness journey

One of the first things any new personal training client asks me is what they should buy to get started with exercise, and there are five essentials I recommend they buy.

And with the Black Friday sales underway, now is a great time to get your hands on my stock up on fitness equipment, whether you’re new to, or returning to, exercise.

1. Dumbbells

The first thing I recommend is a couple of pairs of dumbbells—5lb and 10lb (or 3kg and 5kg if you’re buying in the UK) pairs are a good place to start until you get stronger—and my personal preference is to get the neoprene hex ones because they are easier to grip and don’t roll around when you put them down on the floor.

If you get a taste for strength training, then you could even consider investing in some adjustable dumbbells like this pair from Echelon, which I just finished testing.

2. Exercise mat

Next, I recommend an exercise mat that isn’t too thin. The cushioning will lessen some of the impact on your joints from exercising and reduce the risk of injury.

3. Resistance bands

A set of loop resistance bands is also worth buying. And you can use these with your dumbbells to make exercises more challenging if you don’t want to buy a heavier pair just yet.

4. Ankle/wrist weights

My last recommendation would be to buy some wearable weights. These are a great way to add light resistance, particularly in Pilates workouts, or you can just wear them around the house doing chores or out on a walk to make it more challenging.