Exercise Equipment

Congratulations, you’ve decided to take that piece of fat hanging around your mid-section and dump it in the garbage. A word of caution - doing that would result in you bleeding out all over your Nikes. A plastic surgeon can do it for you, but that’s expensive and cheating. Let’s do this the old-fashioned way – breaking a sweat and getting a work-out in.

To do this some equipment is required. There is a ton to choose from, but we’re going to hit the basics.

Ab Roller

One look at an ab roller and you might think, “it took this long to come up with this contraption?” Talk about some rather basic technology, but then again people are paying big bucks to hang out in a warehouse, haul water jugs, push tires and fist bump with a bunch of sweaty accountants. The exercise world has indeed shifted.

The great part about ab rollers is they’re affordable and portable. No need to join a Crossfit Team, the ab roller brings to the table the sought after “a and p” combination – affordable and portable. Tight, lean abs are the goal here. Now, you need to put down that 6th Snickers and cut back on the hummus dip, but once the diet is in place take this bad boy out for a run.

Balance Ball Chair

As opposed to a straight balance ball, the balance ball chair brings with it an additional function – a chair! Did you know that proper balance is a must for good long-term health? Your internal organs depend on it and this is an excellent piece of equipment that is a fantastic alternative to the typical, staid desk chair.

Boost your energy, relieve your spine and do away with that pesky back pain. Want to feel like you’re 20 again? Get a balance ball chair. The hair you had at 20 won’t come back though. We’re not magicians here!

Gym Mat

We should have kicked off this blog with this. The gym mat, an absolute necessity for all seeking to trim down and hit the beach for once without feeling like a complete spectacle. A gym mat allows you to engage in a range of exercises, and after all, who wants to do all this on a dirty floor?

The gym mat took off when yoga came into play, but it has been around for a long, long time. Mechanically the mat is designed to take the pressure off the impact of intense cardio routines. When lying down it also provides the support necessary to exercise comfortably. Most are highly portable and feature carrying handles.

Functional Trainer

The functional trainer requires a bit more space as it is a legit apparatus. The great thing about functional trainer sets is if used correctly they can really tone you up in no time. Building muscle mass is done one way (legally that is) – via weightlifting. Most functional trainers come with vertical pulley adjustments and at least a 190-pound weight stack.

A word of caution – there are some cheap versions out there. Make sure you get an integrated straight chinning bar and a decent warranty (3 years minimum). Stick to these suggestions and you’ll come out strong.