A complete home gym for under $40??!! Impossible! Or is it?

Sunday, July 21, 2013

In the last couple of years I have developed an interest in exercising and working out. I have always been in good health. When I found myself in my late 40s, I decided that I should not take that for granted and should start making some lifestyle changes that would maximize my ability to continue to be healthy as I got older. Especially as I have always lived a mostly sedentary lifestyle and my hobbies are all those that do not require any physical exertion.

I started by finding a Tony Little Gazelle elliptical trainer at a garage sale two summers ago. It was marked for $25. I had seen commercials on t.v. and knew that it was priced well. But I still wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to take the plunge and get a piece of exercise equipment of my own.

I had frequently seen work out equipment at yard sales or offered for sale on kijiji. People start out with the best of intentions when making those New Year's resolutions. But the interest and committment wanes. Or room is at a premium. Or something else happens that interferes with their plans.

Prices for used exercise equipment vary greatly. I was determined to hold out for the lowest price I could find. I didn't want to invest too much money, not knowing whether this was something I'd be inclined to stick with or not.

I left that sale and the Gazelle behind. I didn't get too far though, before having non-buyer's remorse. I didn't have much cash left, so we stopped at an ATM and circled back. I was certain that by the time I returned, my Gazelle would be gone. But it was still there. I offered $20, it was accepted, and I brought my first piece of gym equipment home to be ensconced in the downstairs family room.

I have to admit that I did not use it regularly at first. My muscles protested as I put them through unfamiliar motions. My stamina was practically non-existant. I did not find working out fun. Where was this endorphin rush I had always heard about? I could only do 10 minutes in a single session at first. And even then it was hit and miss.

But gradually it became easier. I didn't exactly enjoy exercising, but I didn't hate it anymore. I would turn on the t.v. and let my mind concentrate on other things while my body went through the motions. Bit by bit I would extend the duration of my work outs as well as their frequency.

Then my sister was organizing and purging and had a set of dumbbells that she was getting rid of and offered to me for free. I brought those home and incorporated a routine using five pound weights. Again, my muscles protested vociferously at first. I would include five minutes of weights after 30 minutes on the elliptical.

Those were my exercise staples until this spring. On the Victoria Day weekend in May I happened upon a sale that was just packing up. I stopped because I spied the lampshade I had been searching for. After I paid for it, I noticed some kind of stepper on the ground behind the table. I asked the price. For $2, I had to take it! It is by Body Break and includes cords for resistance training. I added that to the routine to follow the weights.

I wanted to get a stationary exercise bike as well. I would check kijiji but the good ones were always priced higher than I wanted to pay. I would see some at garage sales but they were usually not the sturdiest, were much older, or were uncomfortable. So I waited.

Then a couple of weeks ago, my husband spied a Pro-form 940S stationary bike. It was marked for $5! I did not even haggle on the price, but promptly paid and it was loaded into the van.

Last weekend, while out garage saling with my friend Carolyn, I found another elliptical trainer. I like the Gazelle and the scissoring/skiing motion that it provides. But I have always liked the stepper ellipticals as well, that are more of a running motion. This one was marked $10. They threw in a portable resistance trainer for free. That sale was raising money for breast cancer research, so I felt extra good about the purchase.

I also picked up an Everlast exercise ball late this spring for $1. It is something that my daughter had asked for and thought would be fun. I have not incorporated it into my workouts yet, as I am not quite sure what to do with it. But it is there and part of my 'home gym'.

So, for a complete work out experience...two elliptical trainers, a stepper with resistance training, a set of dumbbells, a stationary bike, a separate resistance trainer and an exercise ball...I have spent $38 in total.

And I am at the point where I am actually enjoying working out and feeling my muscles respond to the challenge. I am seeing results in strength, and stamina and have lost some weight in these last couple of years. I work out for an hour a day now, utilizing the different pieces of equipment at my disposal. I watch t.v. or listen to music and feel good that I am doing something for my health.

And as an added bonus...I am doing it in a thrifty way that makes it that little bit sweeter!

Nifty, thrifty and (almost) fifty,

Cathy

I apologize that these are not the greatest photos, but at least you can see my home gym set up and equipment.