what small equipment is worth buying????

KarenJean81

Okay, so my dear mother has asked me to give her a christmas wish list for the family, and I thought, hey, there are some work-out things I'd like but can't spen the money on right now, which leads me to two questions.
1. I've been looking at pull up bars, but I am terrified for my walls, do they do damage?
2. I have a yoga mat, a step aerobics step thingy, some wrist weights for walking and a stationary bike, I'd like some more things for toning/strengh training, any opinions?

Beebee78

My personal recommendation would be a resistance band xxx

louloup

I agree with ^ a resistance band and just use your own body weight. Squats, lunges, push ups etc need no equipment and you can do them nearly anywhere.

bbygrl5

Oooo.... an exercise ball for sure! You can get them at Wal-Mart for between $10-$20 and I use it for all my abs work, which has really helped.

lee112780

resistance bands and small free weights..maybe 8 or 10 lbs.

wan2b21

Resistance band is a must, Weights are great all sizes and try the Iron gym pull up bar. It goes in your doorway so it doesn't wreck your walls =D you should clean where the pad rests against the frame of the door because that has left a spot on mine. =/

CinthyNair

how about an exercise ball? The one I bought came with core strength training CV which will add variety to workouts

Dom_m

I've got one of the p90x pull up bars that just hook over the door frame. I'm not sure, but I think it might have caused some cracks in my wall where it joins the roof above the door. Of course, I live in a crap university dorm room so if you've got a solid door frame I don't think that'd happen. It could also be the case that the cracks were there before and I just hadn't noticed.

Apart from that risk, there's no direct damage that I can see, but if you've got the space and are really worried about damage, you can get pull up bars that don't mount to the wall, but are actually standing on the ground.

KarenJean81

Wow, thanks for all the quick replies!

Natalie43

a decent skipping rope would be my top buy, very versatile can use anywhere, very small and lightweight, plus phenomenal calorie burn!!:laugh:

adk1971

A kettlebell is cheap, versatile and effective.

robin52077

Resistance bands, kettlebell, 3 -8 lb weights, stability ball, and some DVDs, like Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, and No More Trouble Zones!

etarre

Reebok makes a set of hand weights that are adjustable-- I think they're called a "speed pack" or something like that. They seem pricey at first glance, but they are a better value overall than buying separate pairs of hand weights from 3lb-12.5lbs. and it's good incentive to keep challenging yourself. I think Target offers a non-name-brand version that's very similar and cheaper, too.

The only drawback is that it does take time to switch the amount of weight (you have to put them back in the weight tray and change the pin) so it can be annoying if you're doing a DVD and need different weights for different muscle groups.