Being a gear-head and reviewer who pays out-of-pocket for the adventure, fitness, music and tech gear he reviews, I have to strive to find products that deliver the absolute greatest bang for the buck. I never really thought specifically about the economics about working out, however, until I read a brief article this week by CouponSeven.com writer Celia Colista. She explored specifically how people on a tight budget can afford to get fit. Colista's advice was superb. Her advice was: 1) If you can't afford a private gym, seek out public facilities; 2) If you can't afford new home fitness equipment, search for used equipment on sites like Craigslist.com; and 3) If you can't afford workout DVDs borrow them from the library.
Advice like this can save you a lot of money. To her excellent list, I would add that there is a lot of effective low-cost equipment out there that can be used to make a full-fitness home gym. For aerobic activity, all you need is a pair of walking or running shoes. There, you have the basis for cardio-training. For resistance training, I recommend:
1) A set of push-up bars (Altus Athletics cost around $10)
2) A door-mounted pull-up bar (The Doorway Gym $44.95, but I've seen them as low as $20)
3) A dip station (Triceptor costs around $79)
4) Resistance bands (GoFit Ultimate ProGym set cost around $25)
5) A workout mat (cost around $10)
With this basic equipment and your own body weight, you can build a fit body. Most of this equipment is reviewed on RuggedReviews.com. Click HERE to take a look. If you're really ambitious, check out this superb work-out book: The Special Ops Workout. It has excellent workout programs and advice on proper form.
