Exercise Equipment

**Luckybustert** · 07-07-2010, 01:53 AM

What exercise equipment do you own or have access to? How often do you use it? What equipment would you rate highest? Lowest? Is there anything you've bought that you really wish you hadn't?

Is any of your exercise equipment currently gathering dust? What are you going to do about that and when?

True confessions time....my spendy Pilates machine is currently gathering dust. It's a great piece of equipment and I like it, but it's in our basement and I normally don't go down there all that often and I just kind of forget about it. There's not room for it elsewhere, so I'm really going to have to make a sincere effort to get down there and use it!

I also like to use the weight machines at the gym, but don't use them all that often because I get tired of sweaty men asking me if they can work in with me. I mean really....can they not wait for 5 minutes while I finish using it? (This is just a personal pet peeve....I know it's an accepted practice and lots of people don't mind it at all.) My favorite machine there is the one for the inner and outer thighs, and I also like some of the machines that help you stretch.

Things I wish I hadn't bought would include the Thighmaster I bought way back when and more recently the Suzanne Somers one that works your abs.

**Palooka** · 07-07-2010, 02:16 AM

A treadmill is all I need and is used the most. I have free weights and tons of tapes that I want to convert to DVD that I love. I would love another weight bench, but don't need it and a step works well.

The worst purchase I made was a recumbent bike. Sooo easy and that would be like a warm up or something. I also had one of those Chuck Norris thingies...forget the name.....very overrated but sold it.

It was nothing special that I couldn't use or do with my own body weight...

What makes me happy is my treadmill and step areobics videos.

Speed walking and running six days a week at 45 minutes at a time put me in the best shape, along with free weights.

Um...now, I'm so up and down with working out..and need too bad...it's sad!

**2ndGenGranola** · 07-07-2010, 07:39 AM

I have a treadmill, exercise bike, weight bench and wii (Gold's cardio and wii fit). I use them all but my fav is the wii. The kids disappear when I'm on the wii -- they know that if mommy doesn't get to wii, they don't get to wii. LOL

**stinkbug** · 07-07-2010, 08:16 AM

The best exercise equipment I own is the dog I adopted from the shelter!!! She makes sure I get up every morning and take her for her walk! No excuses

**mek42** · 07-07-2010, 11:08 AM

Lucky, if you are a SAHP, would it work to smile and politely say to the folks asking to work in, "Hey, I hope I'm not coming across as a jerk, but I'm a SAHP and this is part of my alone time. Is this ok?"

I have a reasonably nice weight setup, but it is colocated with wood storage for my WWing hobby and there's not room for both things in the sunroom so don't use it, not even the two weeks of good weather in the year.

Looking to have a better setup for exercise stuff when we move.

**Inkstain82** · 07-07-2010, 11:39 AM

I pay for a monthly gym membership. I know that's a little frivolous for some, but I had a perfect storm of:

1) Needing to be able to work out at all hours of the day and night, whenever I can squeeze it in.

2) Wanting access to a variety of equipment.

3) Living in a tiny, tiny apartment with no room for exercise equipment.

4) Living in a climate not conducive to being outside (Mosquito haven in the limited summer, very cold in the long winter).

**Libby** · 07-07-2010, 03:38 PM

My fave is the treadmill and ATM machine (image below). Its like a combo of the elliptical machine and stair master/climber. I also love the pool. I have access to all of these at the gym as well as the other machines/weights/classes it offers. I justify the membership by the fact that it gives me an outlet and QT away from everyone and its not like I'm spending money on 'stuff' or 'food'.

I do have friends that are members as well and sometimes set up a 'date' to exercise with them. I also enjoy the Wii Fit - its fun and you don't feel like you're exercising/moving.

**YankeeMom** · 07-07-2010, 03:55 PM

We have an elliptical, recumbent bike, and treadmill. The only one that I personally don't use is the elliptical. I don't like it. My feet go numb, I can't use it long and it doesn't mimic any movement that's used in real life actions.

I love my treadmill and the recumbent bike. We also have free weights and videos. I get bored w/ them though.

**Judi Dial** · 07-07-2010, 07:05 PM

We have barbells, that's it. No bench press, just the barbells. We have a light set and a bigger set you can add weight to.

DH rides a bike. I can't ride uphill due to a back injury, which means pretty much I can't here, we live on a mountain! So, I swim (not anywhere often enough) at a local rehab center.

Judi

**mek42** · 07-07-2010, 08:18 PM

I don't think a gym membership is unfrugal. Just like spending a bit on fresh produce instead of the cheapest processed high fat, high sodium foods isn't unfrugal. Health is important. If you stroke out and lose most of your ability to do anything at an early age, no amount of prior frugality will have any meaning to you.

**pollypurebred39** · 07-07-2010, 09:28 PM

**Luckybustert** · 07-07-2010, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by YankeeMom

We have an elliptical, recumbent bike, and treadmill. The only one that I personally don't use is the elliptical. I don't like it. My feet go numb, I can't use it long and it doesn't mimic any movement that's used in real life actions.

I love my treadmill and the recumbent bike. We also have free weights and videos. I get bored w/ them though.

I feel the same way about the elliptical. And I always feel guilty about it because I see all these teeny little hardbodied women working out on them and I start thinking I should be doing a "real" workout like that instead of just using the treadmill. Isn't that silly?! Sometimes I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to exercising. Anyway, I like the treadmill too and it provides a great workout, especially when I up the incline.

**Palooka** · 07-07-2010, 10:28 PM

When I had a gym membership, I remember the elliptical kicking my butt. lol

**Luckybustert** · 07-07-2010, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Inkstain82

I pay for a monthly gym membership. I know that's a little frivolous for some, but I had a perfect storm of:

1) Needing to be able to work out at all hours of the day and night, whenever I can squeeze it in.

2) Wanting access to a variety of equipment.

3) Living in a tiny, tiny apartment with no room for exercise equipment.

4) Living in a climate not conducive to being outside (Mosquito haven in the limited summer, very cold in the long winter).

My take on frugality is that we all choose to spend less in some areas but may spend more in other areas that are more important to us. What is important to each may differ, and that's okay. It's not my place to judge others' choices, and I can only hope they won't take it upon themselves to judge mine. Or as my ex used to say, "if it's not your life and it's not your wife....."

We also have a gym membership. I use it to work out and have also used it just to shower/change if I had to go somewhere in the evening after work but didn't have time to get home, shower/change, and get back across town to whatever I had planned. And I was very happy to have that gym membership the winter we lost power for 5 days because I got to go there and take hot showers - it would have been an ice water shower at home!

**Luckybustert** · 07-07-2010, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by mek42

Lucky, if you are a SAHP, would it work to smile and politely say to the folks asking to work in, "Hey, I hope I'm not coming across as a jerk, but I'm a SAHP and this is part of my alone time. Is this ok?"

I have a reasonably nice weight setup, but it is colocated with wood storage for my WWing hobby and there's not room for both things in the sunroom so don't use it, not even the two weeks of good weather in the year.

Looking to have a better setup for exercise stuff when we move.

I just wish I were a SAHP! I keep telling my husband I want to be a SAHM for my dogs but he's just not buying into that idea at this point in time...lol I think I could still take your suggestion and use it though...just leaving out the SAHP part. Thanks!!