"Series 8 fitness balance board, other fitness equipment at five below, amazon"

[Query]

I've been assembling an inexpensive home gym so I don't need to waste time and money driving to a real gym, with an emphasis on strengthening core muscles.

I recently bought this balance board

  https://www.amazon.com/Series-8-Fitness-Series-8-Balance/dp/B01N9NPAZN

for $5 at the local Five Below store. It looks a bit flimsy, and probably isn't for heavy people, but it's light, compact, and, unlike most balance boards, when it tips too far, the edge touches the floor (or fitness mat, if you want to avoid scratching your floor), and stops it before you fall off. It isn't on their website any more, but it was still in our local store.

A good ab workout to try to keep it balanced as you move.

I also bought their $5 Ab roller. Also a bit flimsy, but after buying and returning another ab wheel, the ACF Ab Roller, from Amazon, because they had jammed the handles on so far that I couldn't get them off to mount the wheels, this seemed like a good deal. Seems to work.

And a book, Anatomy of Fitness: Core for $5 too. Also no longer on five below's website. Very clear pictures, something many exercise books lack.

I also got a bunch of dumbell weights there, at prices below those available from Target and Amazon.

From Amazon, I got an inexpensive 55 cm exercise ball, a smaller ball I can squeeze while exercising (an idea I got from an exercise class) and a good quality stretch cord set. All look great. I considered getting pull-up assistance straps too, but I'm not sure my indoor door is strong enough to hang them off of.

I got someones 21 speed hybrid bike for free from http://freecycle.org, though it needed new tires and some work. It fits me much better than my old 10 speed road bike, and is much more comfortable. And I found a park near where I live where I can jog. This is more of an option now that it is getting warmer.

Together with the free exercise video websites linked to from

  http://makeyourbodywork.com/how-to-exercise-at-home

that I've already mentioned on another thread, these are a good start.

One thing I cannot emulate cheaply at home that I would love: a nice long soak in the aquatic center's whirlpool bath (equivalent to a hot tub). Together with a high protein drink, this is fairly effective for getting rid of muscle soreness from exercise. There ought to be something like a sauna suit that holds in a bit of warm water to do the same thing, but I don't know where to look. (I don't have a bathtub where I live.) Anyone know of something along those lines?

And have I missed anything important?

[lillian641]

  You can get a blow up bathtub on ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=bathtub+spa&_frs=1 or if you have more room & more money to spend you can get a portable hot tub http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=portable+hot+tub&_frs=1

My mom actually got a portable hot tub a few years back & loved it, she had the Colman brand one from Wal-mart.

[Query]

Wow!

I confess I wasn't too serious about the hot tub... That was a pipe dream.

Let us see - 25 gallons = 208.6 pounds of water... Too much to carry to my room. Two people share the bathroom. I think I would need to spend too much time in it to soak. A lot of hot water usage too...

What a mess if it leaked!

Or the intermediate cylindrical "spa"

  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adult-Folding-Bathtub-Portable-Home-Single-SPA-Bath-Tub-Comfy-Bathing-Barrel/201880445473?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D2220072%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40130%26meid%3D89e06dd7cf65427f9e2ec19113a92a60%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D261917557255

About 800+ pounds of water.

Walmart sells more than one Coleman portable hot tub

  https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=portable%20hot%20tub%20coleman

This one

  https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Lay-Spa-Inflatable-Hot/dp/B00NB3P98G

requires about 254 gallons = over 2100 pounds of water.

But I am amazed these things exist.

The "right way" to do this would be to have a form fitting elastisized bag, to minimize the amount of water needed, down to several gallons... But it could still leak.