Are you getting enough physical activity? Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, but according to a report from the Surgeon General, less than one-third of us get the recommended amount of exercise each week, and 40 percent don’t workout at all.
But with many Americans feeling the economic pinch, some people may drop their gym memberships or hesitate to add another monthly fee to already strapped budgets. Others say they’re just too busy to make it to the gym.
Creating a home gym makes it easier to exercise and thereby reduce the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and other health problems. And all the essential items can be assembled inexpensively. Here are seven basics that will allow you to set up a home gym and workout your entire body for less than $150 total:
1. Dumbbells
These home gym essentials are inexpensive — a 2-pound dumbbell can be purchased for less than $5. Start exercising with light weights, and as soon as you can do about 10 repetitions without getting tired, move up to the next weight. For an even cheaper free-weight alternative, use food cans for hand-weights. A gallon of water in a plastic jug weighs about 8 pounds and can be lifted in various ways to exercise different areas of the body.
