Plainly Her Picks

Strength and movement

Progressive resistance training has the strongest evidence of any intervention in this decade of life. These are the things that make it happen at home.

Affiliate accounts are not connected yet, so these links are untagged and earn nothing.

Strong evidence

Adjustable dumbbells, 5 to 25kg

Progressive resistance training is the best-evidenced intervention for muscle, bone and joint pain in this decade of life. Adjustable pairs save space and, more importantly, let you add load, which is the part that makes it work.

Who it may suit. Anyone training at home who is going to get stronger, which means the weight has to go up over time.

The catch. Cheap adjustable sets rattle and get abandoned. This is one of the few places where paying more genuinely changes whether the thing gets used.

Moderate evidence

Resistance band set with door anchor

Bands produce real strength gains in people new to resistance training, and they solve the two commonest excuses: no space and travel.

Who it may suit. Beginners, and anyone who travels enough that the gym plan keeps collapsing.

The catch. Progression is harder to measure than with weights. Most people outgrow bands within a year, which is a good problem.

Comfort, not treatment

Thick exercise mat, 10mm

Nothing about a mat improves an outcome. What it does is remove the small friction that stops floor work happening at all when your knees have started to complain.

The catch. A folded towel does the same job for nothing.

Read the evidence before you spend anything
SleepProtein and nutritionBone healthSupplementsCooling and hot flushesHair and skinSexual wellnessKitchenBooks worth your timeTravel and everydayRecovery

We earn commission on some of these, disclosed at every link, at no cost to you. Grades are set before commercial terms are considered. How we make money