Low Cost Exercise

[Kristean]

RE: drop your gym membership challenge

We were told I needed to join a gym by our doctor, at the same time my mother in law was told the same thing. We decided we would join together so that we could keep each other motivated. After checking out several gyms in our area ($$$$), we decided to pool our cash and build our own gym. We used a spare bedroom at my mother in laws. We put new paint that is fresh and fun, added some Fun stenciling, some light and airy curtains, and several new pieces of equipment. Even with buying brand new equipment, we only spent $400 total. The gym is always open, and I dont have to worry about feeling shy or embarrased. (After all my mother in law has seen me give birth, exercising is not a big deal!!!) Since my mother in law lives next door, this works out well for us. Even our kids/nephews are using the gym to keep in shape. I never have to renew my membership either!! We put a tv and satellite reciever in there, several exercise videos, a small fridge(freecycled) with bottled water, weights, mats, ect... It is really nice.

[singinjeannie]

My husband "needs" to exercise for stress reduction and to keep from getting depressed. He belonged to a gym and the cost was $38.00 a month for him alone.

I did some research and we purchased an Elliptical Machine from Sears. We were able get a "12 months same as cash" deal and purchased a mid-level Elliptical that is perfect for the whole family to use. We are well on our way to having it paid off many months in advance of the 12 months, and everyone on the house can use it -- not just my hubby.

A much better deal all the way around -- and we don't have to spend gas money to get to the place to exercise. We just have to walk down the steps. (A big thing to consider with gas prices well over $2 a gallon!)

-Jean

[DivaJen]

Dh and I have belonged to gyms off and on since we've known each other. We quit the last one a few years ago. Now he runs (and bikes to work) and I get in walks and yoga when I can. The yoga classes cost me about $5 a class, but going once a week with an instructor really helps me stick with it week to week.

[Jeanne]

I was watching a morning talk show and a doctor was on talking about exercise and how important it was for us all. She had said that counting your walking time by time it takes is not the best way to do it, but to walk 10,000 steps a day helps alot. I bought myself a pedometer and since I'm half blind I don't drive so as my son would say, I have 2 feet and a heartbeat and my 10,000 steps a day and I use that. For me I have been doing this now everyday for the last month and a half and have lost 53 pounds ( mostly water retention ) but I feel great, visit with lots of friends and family and walk from point to point in the meantime. Today I had some volenteer work to do and logged in a cool but tiring 18, 547 steps, time for bed.

Try the pedometer way, you'd be surprised how many steps you do just doing housework and looking after the kids.

[jeffrey]

AARP has a fun little program going. You keep track of the minutes that you exercise and they convert them into miles along famous route 66 in the US. The goal is to complete the 2448 miles in 10 weeks. All the info is here

[skipper]

We bought our home gym for under 150 dollars exercise bike free treadmill $15 weight machine $75 hand wieghts $10 bucks for 8 the only thing I paid full price for was our mats
much better than the gym and nobody to feel self concious about

[terry1156]

You can pick up a huge supply of exercise and workout equipment if you travel to garage sales. They give them away for practically nothing.

[Tree0164]

I use workout dvds. I have a number of them that I swap around after I get tired of a workout so I don't get bored. I also have a treadmill as well.

[jacquelynrose]

What I have used is just my used Videos and Book from Thrift Store. Those seem to work pretty well.

Jacquelyn

[shawni]

My greatest source of exercise comes from my puppy, (which is not a cheap form of exercise unless you are fully commited to having a pet) her endless energy keeps me going with long walks and hours of playing. Fixing up our 115 year old house makes me use muscles I never knew I had. My true forms of exercise comes from biking with my husband and using a cheap set of 5 lb handweights to keep my arms toned. I've never been able to stick to a strict routine for working out, but I manage to do things I enjoy to keep in shape.

[jmjj215]

I want to have a home gym when I get a house. But I want to go all out: power rack, bench set, mirrors, pullup bar, dip bar, and a full rack of dumbells, from 10 lb. to 150 lb. The floor will have rubber matting. I'll have a trap bar, olympic bar, low-set adjustable benches, a treadmill with a heart rate monitor that attaches to you instead of you having to hold those lame handles, an eliptical machine, a stereo system hooked up to my ipod with the perfect "working out" playlists. I want to get the lights that are in-set into the ceiling, have a small fridge in there, a blender...some cool mural...

I want to go all out. The equipment doesn't have to be new - just usable. I tallied up the cost for everything and it would run about $4,000 for new equipment. Of course, I'll need a spare (large) room...

[terry1156]

Originally Posted by jmjj215

I want to have a home gym when I get a house. But I want to go all out: power rack, bench set, mirrors, pullup bar, dip bar, and a full rack of dumbells, from 10 lb. to 150 lb. The floor will have rubber matting. I'll have a trap bar, olympic bar, low-set adjustable benches, a treadmill with a heart rate monitor that attaches to you instead of you having to hold those lame handles, an eliptical machine, a stereo system hooked up to my ipod with the perfect "working out" playlists. I want to get the lights that are in-set into the ceiling, have a small fridge in there, a blender...some cool mural...

I want to go all out. The equipment doesn't have to be new - just usable. I tallied up the cost for everything and it would run about $4,000 for new equipment. Of course, I'll need a spare (large) room...

I had a friend who was able to supply a room like that for himself buy purchasing everything at an estate sale. The equiptment was perfect and cost practically nothing. The only thing he bought new were the mats.

I have another friend that was going through rehab abd had a fancy gym machine that he loved, bit cost several thousand dollars. He picked it up for a few hundred at a bankrupcy sale for an athletic gym that had to close.

[jmjj215]

I'll have to keep a lookout for estate/bankruptcy sales - thanks for the tip!

[BlingBling]

I decided this year, I wanted to get bk to taking care of own yard. (bad back) So, everyone was like you have to have a riding lawn mower. Another concern is exercise about all I can do safely is walk.

I went with a push, doing 3/4 of an acre. Definitely a workout!

[jmjj215]

One thing that really helped my lower back was stretching. Although I have no idea what the extent of your back issues are. Stretching has helped a ton.

[BlingBling]

Hi Jesse, I agree with you on the stretching and I can do that to a certain degree. My back problems started at age 26. I woke up one morning with a herinated disc. No feeling below my knee for 6 months. Never did relate to a specific injury. I did eventually start weight training and even played softball again.

A few years later, I herinated it again, lifting a pt. They said surgery I said no. They diagnosed dengenitive disc disease. I got bk up and tried to accept the limitations. However, one more time with the same disc and I lost it. Bone on bone, I also managed to herinate one in my upper neck. That time I begged for surgery the pain was so bad. If they had suggested cutting my head off, I would have agreed. Workmans comp said it was previous injury, untrue but I did'nt have the strength to fight. Took me 6 mths to realize they had me overmedicated. Took me another 6 months to get out of the floor. I know I have a one disc in the middle of my shoulders that bulge and probaly one more alittle lower.

I am not suppose to lift over 5lbs. BULL! I do what I can and practice correct lifting procedures but I cant run, jump, and coming from an old athlete its been hard to accept. I enjoy mowing always did, so thankful for that even if takes me double the time and enough breaks to be able to tackle it again. Today, I noticed that I had more energy once I rested then I had had in quite sometime. I am following along with pilantes tapes and doing what I can in the routine. Thanks for the reminder though, I have more mowing tomorrow, lol.

[Bluezy]

Stretching and walking did the most for me and was very affordable. That was how I lost all my "baby" weight, totaling 137 lbs.

It doesn't take lots of expensive equipment to get in shape or control stress. But should one desire to go the route of exercise equipment, boot sales or insolvencies would be the way to go.

Bluezy

[momma4]

i wish we had the room I had bought a step to do step excersises and I don't even have room for that Ugh I need a house.

[PrincessPerky]

my step is hidden under the coffee table, not that I use it, but the kids sure do!

[amomof4]

I bought a weight lifting video by Joyce Vedral & some dumbells. Because of it's nature, I also get a cardio workout. When I burn out or just quit, the vedio & weights are easy to store under the bed. When I get back into, I just pull them out. No ongoing costs, no contracts, no bulky equipment, & very cheap.