Affordable Fitness Series: Part II Freebie Fitness with Investment of $1 - $100
Effective fitness with minimal investment is possible. If you don’t have the budget or space for bulky exercise equipment, I’m going to highlight a few inexpensive items from my personal collection, which you, too, can acquire if you want to take your workouts up a notch or two. Keep in mind, you can purchase a combination of these items that may, ultimately, total $100, but there’s not a single item in this list that will cost $100, alone.
Everything is portable. You'll be able to take it outside or to another room, and most items will be small enough to be tucked away under your bed, stored in a closet, or in a quiet corner of a room.
First, think about what your fitness goals are and then acquire items that will best assist you in achieving those goals. Some items, like a resistance band, can be used to target many parts of the body and you’ll get more use out of them way beyond what they cost. My first piece of exercise equipment was a Gold's Gym mini-stepper that I found during a New Year’s sale when most exercise equipment is heavily discounted. Retailers know that many people make fitness resolutions for the coming year and are on the hunt for workout items. From there, I graduated to hand weights, resistance bands, and other equipment. My biggest fitness splurge, to date, was a mini-trampoline, also known as a rebounder, which is a great way to add a bit of fun to your workout routine.
Now, as the range of your workouts change or increase, you can slowly acquire additional items as your budget permits without breaking the bank or taking up too much space in your domain. Before you know it, you’ll have have your very own personal gym at home, always available and transportable!
Below is a list of workout items to choose from according to price point.
$1 - 5 Investment Level
DVDs; $1 - $5
Suggested retailers: Dollar Tree, Amazon, Ebay, Walmart
If you have a DVD player you can find inexpensive fitness DVDs from discount stores like Walmart, K-mart, Big Lots and even Dollar Tree for $5 or less in the clearance bin. I found a series of Jillian Michaels videos, including one form her popular shred program, at a Dollar Tree check-out, $1 each. Even the cashier was shocked at the fact they had these in their stock! I was prepared for the DVDs to be defective in some way for that price (I purchased 4), but they worked fine in my laptop; excellent picture, great playback and decent sound quality. I’m not sure how or why they ended up in Dollar Tree, but it’s definitely a place to check for quality workout videos if your budget is closer to $1 - $5. Each Jillian disc contains between 2 to 5 separate workout programs. For a $4 investment, I have up to twelve challenging sessions at my disposal! If you have a DVD player, but find yourself without internet or Wi-Fi access, DVDs are a sweet go-to.
$5 - $15 Investment Level
Suggested retailers: Amazon, Ebay, Walmart, Home Goods; Ross stores
$15 - $20 Investment Level
Suggested retailers: Amazon, Ebay, Walmart, Home Goods, Ross Stores
$20 - $45 Investment Level
Suggested retailers: Amazon, Ebay, Walmart,
$45 - $60 Investment Level
Suggested Retailer: Amazon
If you want to acquire a variety of items at once, but don’t have the budget, try apps like Giftry and Checkedtwice. You can add affordable gym items to your wish list and have family and friends contribute to your fitness journey during special occasions like birthdays, graduations, Christmas or anniversaries when folks may be unsure of what to get you. This is also a great way to make sure you get the things you need and not have gifts duplicated since most wish lists are available for everyone to view. They can see if something on your list has already been chosen by someone else.
Good luck and Get Sweaty!!