Has anyone found a piece of home exercise gear they like?

[StephenDedalus]

I'm currently in a space where I'm just not limber enough to get on my bike that often. I feel like I'd benefit from having a fall-back on days where getting on my bike just wasn't going to happen. Has anyone found a piece of in-home exercise equipment they actually like and use? I feel like it would be really handy to just have something on hand so, no excuses, I could always get in motion every day for at least 30 minutes, helping me to limber up and get the ball rolling better.

[ErickSaint]

I use a recumbent stationary bike. When the weather is crummy or for time if I have something else going on. At this point I do 7-10 miles a day 5-6 days a week. Since the weather here hasn't really turned the corner yet the indoor riding is almost a must. I'm admittedly a fair weather rider. When its super windy and lower than 50 degrees I would just as soon stay in the basement and ride. But I do love it when I ride outside, obviously the rides are more enjoyable, and usually longer.

[vesteroid]

Yeah put on your shoes and go for a good fast walk.

Cheap and readily available.
you don't need expensive gear to get in shape, you just need motivation

[TrojanHorse]

+1 on walking. My dog appreciates it too.

My wife likes her spin cycle but I'd probably go crazy and shoot myself if I had to spend any time on that thing.

[goldfinch]

Probably not as relevant to you as it isn't cardio, but I have free weights, elastic bands, an exercise ball and a mat. I work with the weights a couple times a week. I do a day or two of lighter core work. I use the elastic bands for rotator cuff rehab exercises. The exercise ball I got to mix up the core work a bit. I did crunches on the ball yesterday and got nauseated from the slightly odd motion it created. Yuck.

We have an old Schwinn Airdyne exercise bike (our fixie ). I have used it when it rains. I hate it, hate it, hate it.

[chasm54]

I agree with those who say you don't need equipment. Walking, jogging are available for free. If you don't want to go outside, bodyweight exercises - push-ups, squats, various others of varying degrees of severity - will give you as good a workout as you will get with any piece of equipment: maybe better.

[steve0257]

I have an old Nordic Trac that has seen lots of use.

[CraigB]

Walking, jogging, and I have an elliptical machine I like.

[stevel610]

Kettle Bells. Limber you up, strengthen well, you will raise your heart rate when using them.

[Trakhak]

Report of the surprising benefits of workouts consisting of a 1-minute intense effort followed by 1 minute of rest for a total of 20 minutes per workout:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/0...ve-our-health/

[CliftonGK1]

I work for a company that manufactures cardio and strength equipment; all I ever use in our employee gym anymore is the strength machines. Once it warms up and isn't raining 24/7 I don't like treadmills, ellipticals, or stationary bikes (even my rollers) any more until the winter.

[Homeyba]

I've got a really nice Colnago C-50 leaning against the couch. That's my favorite piece of home exercise gear. If for some reason I don't want to take it outside I have a set of rollers to give me something to do while watching tv.

[bobdell]

http://www.waterrower.com/

[BikinPotter]

praxiseverywhere.com and walking and some easy yoga. Peggy Cappy has a great DVD "Yoga for the Rest of Us", which works well if flexibility is an issue. That's how I roll.

[CommuteCommando]

It's a collection of rakes, shovels, spades and various weed whacking devices. Don't really like them, but it needs doing, and is a good workout.

[jmccain]

Kreitler rollers with a wind load attachment. I'd rather cycle than anything else (although I do other types of exercise).

[volosong]

I love my Concept II rowing machine.

[maidenfan]

C2 Rower and a set of gymnastic rings

[goldfinch]

I love my Concept II rowing machine.

Everyone I know who has this loves it. Sometimes I wish I had a permanent home!

[Ironhand]

A friend of ours gave us a stationary bike with the built-in computer that varies the amount of resistance over time and distance. Pretty cool, but it runs on 4 D-cell batteries and the ON/OFF switch is broken. This means the batteries have to be removed from the machine after each use or they run down quickly. Pulling the batteries involves removing 4 very easy to lose screws every time.



Anyone wanna' guess how much it gets used anymore???

[Seattle Forrest]

I have a sea kayak on the deck off the back patio. Does that count?

[fietsbob]

An extra room for the extra gear is too much more $ to pay for, every month..

[OhioCyclone]

I rock the resistance bands whenever I get the chance. They are a little more easy to manipulate than free weights. Also, just plain old stretching does me wonders. I am only 25, but knee surgeries have made my knee stiff as a board on too many instances. I do 20-30 min of stretches 2-3 times a week and it really helps. just a thought....

[tony_merlino]

+1 on walking. I still try to alternate walking and cycling - I remember an article in Bicycling back in the 1990s, where the trainer for what was then the US team in the Tour de France saying that walking, and particularly hill walking, is the best way to build up your legs for cycling, and that cycling by itself won't do it.

Another good thing to do , that doesn't take up a lot of space and doesn't cost a lot is free weights and a folding bench. I use dumbbells, so the space requirements are minimal. This won't get to you Charles Atlas (who remembers him?) proportions, but it will help you tone, and if you do an upper body workout that focuses on the abs as well as the shoulders, arms and back, it will improve your stamina on the bike. There are a bunch of good dumbbell-based workouts around, and I think they're all about equally good.

If you alternate days between 45 min to 1 hour of either walking (briskly) or cycling (spinning), and an upper body workout with free weights, you'll see marked improvement within a few months.

[Seattle Forrest]

All of you walkers ... it's nice, pleasant, and relaxing to walk around the neighborhood, and a great way to enjoy a slice of the evening. But how many of you go hiking?