Best Cheap Home Exercise Equipment Under $200
Committing to a consistent exercise regimen isn't easy. Aside from finding the time to hit the gym or a fitness class, paying for memberships and class passes can add up quickly -- especially for those on a stringent budget.
Fortunately, with a little creativity, you can find at-home equipment fairly cheaply. You just need to know where to look. So if you're ready to ditch your expensive gym membership in favor of more cost-effective home workouts, here are affordable expert-approved exercise equipment ideas to get you started.
Here are cheap exercise equipment options for effective home workouts:
-- Resistance bands.
-- Weights.
-- Kettlebells.
-- A jump rope.
-- A yoga mat.
-- A medicine ball.
-- Fitness sliders.
-- A used treadmill or stair stepper.
[Read: How to Make a Budget -- and Stick to It.]
Resistance Bands
Mecayla Froerer, a trainer with iFit.com, a personal training website, is a big fan resistance bands. "Also called mini bands, (resistance bands) are the cheapest and most versatile piece of equipment to have at home," she says.
These elastic bands are ideal for strength training and can be used to create tension between your muscles. "Using these bands is an excellent way to get a total-body workout. Resistance bands are suitable for just about everyone," Froerer says. "From my experience working with patients in an outpatient physical therapy setting to working with my clients who are looking to exercise for aesthetics, they are an excellent way to target specific muscle groups and reap the rewards."
Best of all, they're cost-effective, as well as light and portable. You can often purchase them for around $10 to $20, depending on the brand and set you select, and they're available at major retailers such as Amazon, Kohl's, Target and Walmart.
"Most resistance bands come in sets of different thickness, so you'll get the most band for your buck as well," Froerer adds.
Weights
If you think you'd like to work out with dumbbells or barbells, you don't have to spend a fortune. For instance, Walmart is currently selling a steel barbell with 100 pounds of weight plates for $49. And you can probably get a barbell with weight plates for even less, says Amber Nash, founder of FitHealthyBest.com, a health and fitness website geared toward women. "Dumbbells and weights are made to last a lifetime, but people who purchase them generally do not use them that long," Nash says.
If you're on a budget, Nash suggests buying used dumbbells and weights. If you can't find a friend willing to sell, there are stores like Play It Again Sports Fitness that specialize in selling used exercise equipment. EBay and Amazon are also ideal online retailers for purchasing discounted used sports equipment. "Used weights generally sell for 50 cents to the pound, which is half off the price of new weights which usually run for one dollar per pound or more," Nash says.
Kettlebells
Kettlebells are often used for strength training and doing exercises like squats and lunges. Nash says that kettlebells are also excellent for buying secondhand, but if you want a new one, they're still pretty cheap. Amazon is currently selling 10-pound kettlebells for under $10.
A Jump Rope
A jump rope can offer an interesting and effective workout. As an added bonus, they're inexpensive, generally retailing for less than $20. For instance, Dick's Sporting Goods is currently selling a Fitness Gear Jump Rope for $9.99. What's more, fitness experts say jump-roping provides a vigorous cardiovascular workout.
[Read: How to Spend Less on Boutique Fitness Classes.]
A Yoga Mat
If you're going to be exercising on the floor or completing at-home yoga flows, you may want to invest in a yoga mat. WholesaleYogaMats.com is currently selling yoga mats for $6.99. Amazon and Target also sell inexpensive yoga mats from a variety of brands.
A Medicine Ball
These weighted balls, often the size of a soccer ball or basketball, are usually made of vinyl and filled with a gel. They tend to weigh between 2 and 30 pounds and are used for a variety of reasons, from strengthening the core to increasing strength and balance. While some medicine balls are expensive, you can snag a discount at reputable retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, which is currently selling them for $9.99.
Fitness Sliders
These discs can be used with your hands and feet, and they help you slide around the floor as you do exercises like lunges and plank jacks, and create resistance and tension. You can find fitness sliders just about anywhere, including Walmart (prices and brands vary, but they are currently available for $12.99) and Amazon (prices and brands vary, but they are currently available for $6.99).
"You can get these for as cheap as $5 and they make any workout much more challenging by requiring you to use your core to keep the sliders under your feet. These are great for those who have a base level of fitness by doing bodyweight but are not yet ready for strength training," says Stephanie Lincoln, a certified personal trainer and the founder and CEO of Fire Team Whiskey, a website that offers a health and fitness program for military members, veterans and first responders.
[See: 10 Expenses Destroying Your Budget.]
A Used Treadmill or Stair Stepper
You can buy expensive gym equipment for a cheap price, and sometimes under $200, if you're willing to buy refurbished or used equipment.
Steve Adams, a public relations coordinator with The Cyphers Agency, an advertising and public relations firm in Crofton, Maryland, who describes himself as a frugal fitness enthusiast, prefers buying exercise equipment on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
"Limit yourself to equipment that lists the exact make and model, or provides it when requested, so that you can research the product and read reviews," Adams advises. He also suggests buying equipment that has multiple photos or asking for them, so you can zoom in on them on your computer or device and look for rust or other wear. He suggests asking the seller why they are selling it and if the price is negotiable if you pay cash and do the moving yourself.
"I've bought four nearly brand new stair steppers, originally priced at roughly $1200, for $150 from great people who either received it as a gift or simply never used it over the last 10 years," Adams says. He figures he has spent $600 on equipment that otherwise might have cost him $8,000.
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