budget workouts

Is your gym membership becoming a little too costly?

I know the feeling.

However, you can still feel the burn without setting your paycheck on fire. By investing in a few simple (and cheap) gadgets, you can create a personal home gym that will keep you in fightin' shape.

Here's a list of some of my favorite at-home workout essentials:

• Resistance Bands- These are truly great. They give you long, lean muscles and take up no space, so you can pack them whenever you travel. They are also super cheap! A must have.


• Jump Rope- A great easy workout to rev your heart rate and work the entire body. This also travels extremely well and you can purchase them pretty much anywhere. I think CVS even sells them.


• Exercise Balls- Use these for ab-work and cardio. They are also fun to sit on if you have recently moved and don't have any furniture.


• A "Step"- I know these were huge in the 80's but they really work. Not only can you dance your pants off to your own personal "step class," you can also use them for cardio, weight training, lunges, leg lifts and jumps.


• Hand Weights-Pretty cheap and extremely effective. Personally, I think that weight machines bulk me up and are often uncomfortable for my small frame. I like the personal control that I have with hand weights and I always see better results. You can pick up a pair of 3 or 5 pound weights at target for less than $15 bucks. Pretty good deal.

For those of you who are interested in exploring options outside the home, I suggest looking into purchasing a bike or participating in a group sport activity. Group personal training sessions are another way to save money. Many gyms, yoga & pilates studio's offer reduced rates if you sign up for a group session and split with a friend.

Finally, one of the cheapest and most effective gadgets you can purchase is a pedometer. You can literally buy these anywhere-so you can choose between modest dollar store versions or super chic ones that offer calorie counts and heart rates. Look into this. By simply monitoring how many steps you take a day, you'll push yourself to get a little more active.

All of those tiny steps really do add up.

*Image via Creative Commons