Fitness can be quite an expensive pursuit. Even if you decide to go about it the more-affordable way and decide not to sign up to a gym or use the services of a fitness trainer, you may still need to get some fitness equipment for you home. The question is, how do you find the equipment you need without burning a hole in your pocket.
Now, I know that you may be asking: “What about bodyweight training, Jonathan? Here’s a free way to workout.”
This is true. Bodyweight workouts can be an excellent way to get and stay fit and they are certainly a cheap way to do so. However, some equipment does give you more options and allows you to perform exercises across a wide range of intensity. I love bodyweight training, but I also use equipment and I plan to continue doing so.
So, let’s go over some of the ways in which you can get fitness equipment at a reasonable cost:
1. Buy It Used
Dumbbells don’t really get old or break. They’re simply a piece of metal. The only dumbbells I know which tend to break down are those which are coated in foam. This is why I don’t buy those for myself. I just buy metal ones.
A similar thing can be said about other fitness equipment. It takes a lot for it to wear down. You can use it for years. This is why buying used items is a good option.
You can find a lot of people who are selling used fitness equipment at prices which are a fraction of what it would cost to buy new gear. The only thing you need to do is find those people. Here are some options:
- Auction sites like ebay allow people to sell their stuff. The only problem is that shipment of these products can be costly.
- Classified ads sites like Craigslist allow you to search locally for people who are selling all sorts of fitness gear. You will probably need to pick it up yourself.
- Try to find garage sales or fire-sales of fitness stores in your area.
2. Ask Around Gyms
Every once in a while, a gym will replace the equipment it uses. You may find that they hold onto some of their old gear in storage. They either plan to sell it and haven’t gotten around to it or they hold it in reserve for some reason.
You may get them to unload some of their old equipment for a very low price. Some of this equipment is going to be beaten up, so don’t buy anything without looking at it closely.
3. Do Your Online Research
The internet allows you to conduct extensive research and compare prices in a variety of websites and stores. You can find a number of sites offering all sorts of fitness equipment at a wide range of prices. Work on this for enough time and you will find great deals.
It’s important to take into consideration the shipping costs as well. Make a complete list of everything you want to buy. It may be better to shop at the same site and save on shipping costs instead of buying from many stores.
4. Share With Your Neighbors
Having good relations with you neighbors is important for many reasons. Being able to stay fit cheaply is another. If you have a neighbor who has fitness equipment you can ask them to share it with you. You can share your equipment with them in return. You may even do home workouts together, if you have room.
If you don’t train together, it’s highly likely that your equipment and that of your neighbors isn’t used most of the time, so you can definitely share it with 3-4 people. This can cut your costs down by 50-75%.
5. Stop Watching Informercials
I’m not saying that all the products marketed on infomercials are bad. However, many of them are overpriced and they often offer very little benefit.
I recommend to stick to the basic things. If you’re looking to cut expenses, you should focus on cheap fitness equipment with which you can do a variety of exercises and train multiple muscles. Many fitness products which are sold on infomercials don’t allow that.
But wait, not buying something doesn’t mean that you get something for cheap. However, each of us has a certain budget for fitness equipment. If you buy the wrong stuff, you won’t get the good stuff unless you pay more. This is why avoiding buying the wrong things is also important.
A few extra tips
There are a few other ways to save up on money while improving your fitness:
- Use household items as weights or strength training equipment. For instance, I do dips on my coffee table and used to do lifting exercises with a chair.
- Buy products that can be adjusted. You can either purchase adjustable dumbbells and pay a big amount once, but know that you have a range of weights that will last you for years, or buy dumbbells to which more plates can be added at a later date.
- Learn how to workout with your body weight alone. This includes both cardio and strength training.
Above all, you need to remember that equipment is not the most important thing when you’re trying to get fit. You need to actually do something with it. So, your mindset and willingness to make an effort are the biggest factors that will determine how well or poorly you will do with your routine. This is why I never bought an expensive fitness product and probably never will.
Image credit: SidewaysSarah
