As the New Year and its’ requisite resolutions have come, you may have decided to begin or change your exercise routine. You may be wondering how you are going to implement the changes you want to make. In this economy you may not be able to afford a gym membership or a trainer. So what can you do?

It need not cost a lot of money to set yourself up at home with equipment that can aid you in your fitness resolutions.
Here are some way you can obtain and use equipment in an affordable way.

• Shoes: These are the first and possibly most expensive investment you need to make when beginning an exercise program. There are many good brands and a wide price range. The important thing to understand is that proper fitting shoes will help prevent injuries. Your shoes need not be expensive, but they must give adequate support to your arch. Additionally, they should not rub either at the widest part of your foot or at the heels and toes. You should try on several different pairs in the store and walk and jump around a little to evaluate how they feel. Don’t be embarrassed to do this, I often see people doing this in stores. Many discount shoe stores will stock last years or seasons model of athletic shoe at a significantly lower price.
  

  #1 Piece of Equipment

• Pedometer: This small device hooks onto you waist and counts the steps you take when you are walking or running. They can be helpful to guide you on distance, and close you are getting to the 10,000 steps a day that is recommended for heart health.They are very unobtrusive, can motivate you to increase walking or running, and can cost from 10-30$ depending on sophistication.(look for one that does not need to be perpendicular but can also be carried in a pocket or backpack and still count your steps)

• Jump Rope: Remember using this as a child? Jumping rope is an excellent cardiovascular exercise which works many muscle groups in legs and buttocks. 10 minutes of intense jump roping can burn up to 100 calories. It is utilized by many professional athletes to augment fitness routines and costs 10$ or less. Be careful if you have problems with your knees, ankles or feet.
  

  Skipping rope is great Exercise.

• Resistance Bands: These often come in sets and can help to strengthen muscles by pushing against a set resistance. The sets often come with exercise guides, these exercises can be done easily in your home and cost 10-20$.

• Hand Weights: Hand weights come in different weights, they range in cost from 10-20$ for a pair. You can start with a low weight and gradually build up. The weights can be held while doing different strength exercises such as squats or lunges, to increase the work of your muscles and burn more calories.It is best not to walk holding weights as this has been shown to cause strains in the shoulders, elbows and wrists if not held correctly or improper posture used.

• Medicine Ball: A medicine ball is a ball that is weighted, different weights can be purchased. It is smaller than a basket ball. It can be held during different strength training moves to strength upper body and you core muscles(abdomen and back).You can squeeze and hold the ball between your knees as you do squats or when you are using hand weights for your upper body workout.

• Stability ball: This is a large ball which is purchased according to your height. It is inflated with air, and you sit on it while doing different exercises. Because it is wobbly, your core muscles work harder to maintain your balance. It is very good for strengthening different muscle groups. It has a variety of workout uses and most come with a workout set of instructions. It can usually be purchased for under20-25$.
  

  Stability Exercise Ball

In addition to the above tools for exercising, are fitness videos that can be rented from
your local library or video rental store, purchased new or used from book stores or online
retailers. You can rent several from Netflix before you decide on purchasing one. All of this
can be done in the privacy of your home.

If your budget is larger, I recommend you go to your local sports equipment retailer that sells exercise equipment and try out their equipment such as treadmills, elliptical machines or stationary bicycles. Many gyms will give you a 1 week free trial and you can use this to evaluate what type of exercise machine is most compatible and enjoyable for you. Talk to your friends and co-workers who may use this type of exercise equipment and get their opinion on brands and types of equipment. If you choose to purchase a large piece of equipment, it
is a good idea to read about the different levels of quality and what you get for more money. A good quality treadmill will cost at least 600-700$ and more. Elliptical machines, stair steppers and bicycles are slightly less.

If you crave variety and would like to use many different types of equipment while exercising, or you are easily bored with exercise; a gym membership may well be worth the money to you. Many gyms have done away with joining fees, and offer memberships for 30-40$ a month if you agree to a year or more contract. This really is worth the money as long as you can commit to using this membership at least 3 times weekly. Anything less is a waste of money.

Personal trainers are well worth the money if you can afford them. A certified personal trainer will work out with you, push you to push yourself and help you with form in order to prevent injuries. All of this will help you to achieve better results with your fitness goals. Many gyms have personal trainers that contract with them to use the space. Many personal trainers will come to your home. It is important to see that they are certified and it helps to get references, work of mouth through friends and co-workers is another way to find a reputable personal trainer.

Stay tuned for future exercise suggestions, how to get started, or how to tweak your routine in order to get better results!

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