Getting Fit at Home: Exercise Equipment

On a rainy day going outside for some exercise can be the last thing you feel like doing. That’s one good reason to have a selection of equipment in your home. Another reason is you have no excuse – “couldn’t make it to the gym today because…”. It’s right there so put it to use.

Mini-Stepper

One such item that I’ve used successfully is a mini-stepper. There are various types but the basic idea is it can be a good cardio workout if done with some speed, and it tones your thigh muscles. It’s also great for building up fitness without putting too much strain on the heart and lungs.

I had one a few years ago which had a chain mechanism but unfortunately the chain snapped and couldn’t be repaired. This time I found one with hydraulic cylinders so there’s less chance of it breaking. It has an adjustable tension knob to change the height of the steps which is useful if you haven’t exercised for a while and want to start with smaller steps. The pedals swing out slightly which provides more toning to the legs and, if you do it barefoot, there are grooves in the rubber on the pedal which according to the instructions (obviously translated from Chinese!), can have benefits similar to reflexology!

I’m not sure if that’s the case but it certainly does feel different doing it barefoot.

The mini-stepper I’ve been using is the Homcom Mini Stepper Exercise Stepper Machine.

The other thing I like about it is it comes with a matt and this slides easily around on a laminate floor if you need to pull it out from under something. When in use it’s very stable and doesn’t slide around at all.

It comes with 2 stretch rubber ropes which can add more aerobic activity to the exercise as well as tone your arms.

Personally, I like to use the stepper in front of the TV watching a good TV series – that way I find I can exercise for longer without getting bored! Other people like to do it to music.

However you’d like to do it I highly recommend it as an exercise tool.

Gallant Aerobic Stepper

Another great exercise tool to use is a stepper. The best ones, like this one, are height adjustable. That way you can start low and build up your fitness.

I first became a Stepper fan when Nadia Comaneci, Romanian Olympic Gymnast, brought out her “Perfect 10” step video. It was named after her perfect score of 10 in the Olympics.

I loved her style and the fact that, after a break from gymnastics, she had used stepping as a method of getting back into shape.