7 inexpensive pieces of exercise equipment to jump start your workout

Getting into shape doesn’t have to be expensive. Below are seven inexpensive pieces of exercise equipment to jump start your workout.**

1. Resistance loop bands. Need to work your upper and lower body? Resistance bands are excellent and versatile for just this purpose. Allergic to latex? I found some bands by LIV Active in different strengths that are latex free and perfect for shoulders, upper arms, and even leg exercises.

2. Hula hoop. A great way to whittle your waist…crank the music and hula hoop to your heart’s delight! Hula hoops come in both weighted varieties and non-weighted varieties. While the weighted hula hoop works well for many, I don’t use mine much because it has caused bruising. Rather, I have found my cheap lightweight Walmart hula hoop a useful piece of equipment to integrate into my workout.

3. Jump rope.Want a good cardio workout, but can’t get outside for a run? Try jump roping. Again, these come in weighted varieties, but even a standard is more than sufficient and offers heart-healthy benefits, strengthens the body, and burns calories. A portable piece of exercise equipment, it can go anywhere tucked in a purse or suitcase. My daughters and I recently headed out to the driveway and tested out our new double jump rope. With a daughter turning each end, I was thrilled to discover that I could still do double-Dutch and remember the songs from my childhood days on the playground.

4. Water bottles. Don’t have hand weights? Try out two standard 16.9 ounce water bottles for an easy upper body workout.

5. A chair. Speaking of upper body workouts, tricep dips on a chair can work wonders for that flabby under-part of the arm that’s traditionally difficult to tone. An informative way to do tricep dips correctly with a chair can be found here.

6. A dog leash. Stretching is critical to a well-rounded workout to avoid injury. Using a dog leash to stretch the calf muscles after exercise is easy and effective. Details on how to stretch properly with a leash can be found here.

7. An effective playlist. All right, so I added this one in because as one who has taught a variety of aerobic workouts at three different gyms, I know for certain that no workout is quite as powerful and sufficient without the right tunes.

Join me next week, and we’ll look at some more expensive (but still reasonable!) pieces of exercise equipment to enhance your workout.

**Please be sure to check with your physician before starting any new exercise program or varying your current workout.