Equipment

emmawhispers
emmawhispers Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, what do people think is the most valuable piece of home gym equipment for cardio or just plain fitness?
Please consider that I am a 58 yr old woman. Thanks for suggestions!

Replies

  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    What's your fitness background?

    For picking "one" item off the top of my head I'd say a yoga mat.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    The most valuable piece of cardio equipment is the one that you will actually use regularly and ongoing. That's a personal decision. If you have no experience with equipment, go to a gym and try out different equipment.

    For strength training, i would say a pair of adjustable dumbbells. Pick a good strength program to go with that, like New Rules of Lifting for Life.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    If you're looking for just one single tool that will give you the most complete workout you can get, a pair of adjustable dumbbells or a good fitness sandbag kit. No workout regimen is complete without both strength training AND cardio, regardless of your goals, and circuit training style workouts that revolve around strength exercises done in a circuit format is the most effective way to get it all from one single workout.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    I agree with Cherimoose, the right piece of equipment for me may not be the right gear for you. It's personal.

    If I could only have one piece of equipment it would be a suspension trainer.
  • shor0814
    shor0814 Posts: 559 Member
    I am going with shoes. Some people lift without shoes and some people run without shoes but it is pretty easy to find something to do with a pair of shoes. Walk, run, hike, exercise in a park, body weight exercises, ...

    If I had to look at a piece of actual equipment I would have to say a barbell for myself.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I agree with Cherimoose, the right piece of equipment for me may not be the right gear for you. It's personal.

    If I could only have one piece of equipment it would be a suspension trainer.

    Love suspension trainers.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    Wow, we're 7 posts into an Equipment thread and no one has suggested "A Barbell and Power Rack!". Shocking!

    Anyway, I agree with Cherimoose, OP - The best equipment you can buy is the one you'll use. If you find an activity/exercise you love you'll stick with it.
  • paulandrachelk
    paulandrachelk Posts: 280 Member
    Bowflex home gym (several varieties). Am 71 and got it mostly because it's lots safer when I exercise alone. Expensive and gym rats swear you won't get super built but it works for me and has since 2002.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Assuming you have some shoes you can walk outdoors with I'd go with a heavy kettlebell.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Wow, we're 7 posts into an Equipment thread and no one has suggested "A Barbell and Power Rack!". Shocking!

    Anyway, I agree with Cherimoose, OP - The best equipment you can buy is the one you'll use. If you find an activity/exercise you love you'll stick with it.

    I don't count a barbell and power rack as a single piece of equipment because you need the barbell, the bench, the plates, the rack, etc... It's many pieces of equipment. Not only that but for most people's living situation (large number of apartment dwellers, and many older houses don't have ceilings high enough to make use of one) makes one impossible. I wouldn't advise one without first knowing someone's living situation, especially when there are other pieces of equipment that can be applied to a much wider variety of living situations.
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    A pull up bar and a book on BW exercises.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    [I don't count a barbell and power rack as a single piece of equipment because you need the barbell, the bench, the plates, the rack, etc... It's many pieces of equipment. Not only that but for most people's living situation (large number of apartment dwellers, and many older houses don't have ceilings high enough to make use of one) makes one impossible. I wouldn't advise one without first knowing someone's living situation, especially when there are other pieces of equipment that can be applied to a much wider variety of living situations.

    Wow - you TOTALLY missed the sarcasm in my post. You should know what I'm talking about, being how much you post here.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    [I don't count a barbell and power rack as a single piece of equipment because you need the barbell, the bench, the plates, the rack, etc... It's many pieces of equipment. Not only that but for most people's living situation (large number of apartment dwellers, and many older houses don't have ceilings high enough to make use of one) makes one impossible. I wouldn't advise one without first knowing someone's living situation, especially when there are other pieces of equipment that can be applied to a much wider variety of living situations.

    Wow - you TOTALLY missed the sarcasm in my post. You should know what I'm talking about, being how much you post here.

    Oh I do =P lol. I just suck at detecting sarcasm through text. Not my strong suit. But yeah it does bother me when people by default recommend that as a piece of workout equipment for your average joe trying to work out at home. It's making a LOT of assumptions about a person's financial situation and housing situation.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    Oh I do =P lol. I just suck at detecting sarcasm through text. Not my strong suit. But yeah it does bother me when people by default recommend that as a piece of workout equipment for your average joe trying to work out at home. It's making a LOT of assumptions about a person's financial situation and housing situation.

    Exactly! :smile: :wink:
  • emmawhispers
    emmawhispers Posts: 5
    thank you! I can't wait to try yoga again; I get out of a cast on Tuesday.
  • emmawhispers
    emmawhispers Posts: 5
    thank you for all the great suggestions!! I have been in a cast for 6 weeks and get into a walking boot on Tuesday. Will slowly get back into the exercising but I am so looking forward to it. I learned a lot from your various posts. My joints are hypermobile and so I will try some of the things suggested and see which ones work the best. Will let you know! I was a really strong horsewoman and tennis player till 26 when I got bone cancer. Post cancer I developed a whopper of a case of fibromyalgia from which I have been recovering for 32 years. Just going for a 3 mile hike is a big accomplishment for me. I recently had tendon surgery due to a foot fracture from hiking. A sport I share with my spouse is wilderness canoeing and camping, which I can do just fine as long as I keep an even pace, but that is only in summer so I have been looking for a home workout that is doable for some one like me, a 58 yr old person who was once quite strong but whose muscles and joints get easily enflamed. I never ever give up. I just keep on and I make slow progress but over the years I have gotten stronger and stronger. Thanks again for the comments.
  • gracielynn1011
    gracielynn1011 Posts: 726 Member
    I would second, or third or fourth, the suggestion for adjustable dumbbells. There are so many strength exercises that are very effective with dumbbells or a bar and rack. I used them for almost a year before getting my rack, and I had great results and looked forward to my workouts.

    For cardio, get outside, or use a DVD if you like those. I bought them one at a time from Walmart for around $5-$10 each, if budget is an issue.

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