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Exercise Equipment

The only necessary equipment needed for one’s physical well-being is the body.

Within the body, there are a few critical pieces of equipment that will improve one’s health: lungs for breathing, and feet for walking. Sure there’s exercising one’s core muscles, and one can swing their arms about to increase momentum, but for someone who doesn’t much like exercise and wants to keep it simple one’s feet is their best tool for health and well-being.

When I truly started to take my health seriously and become proactive in my well-being, I was in so much pain from fibromyalgia that there wasn’t a lot that I could do. I had to start out really slowly. In the beginning, some days it was a challenge to walk a block and back and I would end up literally crawling down the stairs and into a hot Epsom salts bubble bath. Slowly I was able to walk farther and farther around my neighbourhood – still always followed by Epsom Salts bubble baths (my go-to therapy almost daily still).

After about a year or so of mostly just walking, my daughter bought a PS2 PlayStation system with a Dance, Dance Revolution disc that I learned to bounce around on. In the beginning, my balance and coordination sucked big time, but again, with practice, this improved. Also, in the beginning, I could only do this for about five minutes a session, but I slowly worked up to a half-hour to forty-five minutes some days. This is one exercise that I do mostly in the winter when it’s too cold outside.

I also took up Taoist Tai Chi for about three years – the only thing necessary for that was a good pair of shoes, and a few dollars a month for membership.

Types of Equipment

Crazy Fit Vibration Machine (Woman in several exercise poses on Vibration Machine)

1. My favourite ‘warm-up’ machine is the Vibration Machine. I just have to stand on it and let it do its thing. To me, it feels like I’m getting a full-body massage. I like to use the Vibration Machine at the beginning and end of my workout. If I had the room and the money this would be the first machine I would buy.
2. As a fair-weather ‘athlete’ (and I use that term very loosely) nothing beats the treadmill for me.
3.  Generally in the winter, I use a PS2 (PlayStation 2) with a DDR (Dance, Dance Revolution) video. Gets the cardio up there.
4. For something a little more sensuous I have an Introductory Belly Dance DVD that I try to work out to.
5. At your local gym or YMCA/YWCA, there are all kinds of machines available: ellipticals, steppers, bikes, and rowing machines as well as many stationary weight lifting stations to focus on developing strength and muscle in targeted muscles.
6. For the more energetic athletes, there are mountain or road bikes, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, wakeboards, surfboards, roller blades, ice skates, snowboards, cross country and downhill skis.

I don’t believe that physical health, exercise, and exercise equipment have to be expensive. There are many ways to get your equipment inexpensively such as online through Craigslist, Kijiji, Freecycle, barter or borrow, rental, or second-hand stores.

STANDARD DISCLOSURE: In order to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please note, that I only ever endorse products that are in alignment with my ideals and I believe would be of value to my readers.

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