What is the best, yet most affordable exercise machine you know of?

Question

I'm 20 years old. I'm 5'3" and my measurements are 36-26-36. I think I'm somewhere around 130lbs, give or take. For the most part, I stick to a low-carb, high-protein, high-fiber diet with little to no exercise, and I've always been able to maintain a small but toned stature. But lately I've been gaining weight as opposed to maintaining, which I'm attributing to stress, being that I'm a new business owner. My point is, I would like to lose around 10-15lbs and get back to my pre-stress weight, preferrably by early January. I think this is within reason, however, on a tight budget, I can't seem to find any exercise equipment that hasn't gotten all terrible reviews and wasting money is not on my list of things to do. I'm thinking either a treadmill or an elliptical machine would work best. My budget is $350. Can anyone tell me if they know of anything within my price range? Also, on about 1,000 calorie diet, what is a healthy amount of calories to burn each day? Thank you all so much. <3

After recieving a few responses about my calorie intake, I realized I should have mentioned the fact that I have a very small appetite and pretty much always have. I am very conscious about what I eat, and for the most part, I do have a healthy diet. Lastly, I live in NYC and being that it's winter, the weather does not always permit jogging, but the jump rope idea is great! Again, I thank you all for the wonderful suggestions thus far! Feel free to keep 'em coming! ;]

Answer 1

The least expensive way to do cardio is to get a pair of good sneakers and go out walking. You can do it anywhere, anytime. I would also recommend a jump rope -- it's easy to use and burns a lot of calories very quickly, and it's fun.

Your calorie intake may be too low, so that your body goes into starvation mode. You might also have too low a fat intake -- a little bit of fat is healthy. Check out www.weightwatchers.com for some good advice, or go to a meeting: a lot of people there have only 10-15 pounds to lose.

Answer 2

You don't need to buy any exercise equipment at all! One of the best forms of exercise is walking, which you can do outdoors. It's a lot more fun that way that standing in one place on a treadmill - that's just plain boring! If the weather doesn't permit that, you could spend the money on a gym membership instead. Being around other people is a good motivator - and you get to meet people!

If you really want a piece of equipment at home, go for something that gives you the best overall workout - either an elliptical, ski machine, or a treadmill (which you can use both walking and running). You can get great used machines which could save you a bunch of money! Try them out in a store first to see what you like and what you will actually use - if you won't use it, it's just a waste.

The minimum calories that one should consume is 1,200 per day. If you eat too little, it slows down your metabolism and you are doing more harm than good. On a 1,200 calorie diet you can burn just 400 calories a day through exercise and lose a LOT of weight! (BTW, one pound of fat is equivalent to approximately 3,500 calories.)

Good luck!

Answer 3

You don't have to buy any machines,trust me.I'm 13 but I read a lot and I found out that push ups and sit ups are the best form of exercise.I tried it myself and it worked.I carried a 5kg weight for one week and I lose about 2kg(my original weight is 35kg).I gained weight after that and started doing push ups and sit ups with a diet rich in protien.I lost 5kg!.A man needs at least around 1000-1500 calories.If your calories are 1500,you need to burn 600 calories or they will store up and become fats.Try to release your stress as it affects your performance.Try swimming,going to a park and admire the nature,take a break and spent time with your family .Another way is to have a jog,if weather doesn't permits you could go to a gym and have a membership so that you can go there anytime you want.Good luck and thanks if you try out my routine

Answer 4

Crosstrainers (Eliptical Machines) burn the most calories and they are the best for fat burning.

P.S- a 1,000 calorie diet is way too low, and you will find that you won't get the results you want. YOu need to put fat in your body to burn it, otherwise your body will think you're starving and hold onto every ounce of fat it can. You'll mostly lose water when you lose weight, which is dangerous to your body. Aim for at least 1,200 per day!

Answer 5

Invest on a good pair of running shoes,also a reasonable MP3 player to keep up the beat and start enjoying the outdoors,a simple jog for at least 3 miles is the best thing for keeping in shape and also maintaining your weight

Answer 6

Skip a rope , take stairs , Jog , stretch ! The cost of all this = 0 !!

You anyways watch your diet so this would help you immensley . I have dropped over 18 kgs during last 9 months without investing a dime in the fancy gadgetry !!

Answer 7

Hi , From my experience, at 20 years old, your metabolism should be pretty high. At your age, you should be able to burn fats pretty fast right?Instead of spending unnecessary $ at all.. Why not stick to a strict diet regime? let your body lose the extra weight by starving, then its easier for you to tone up yourself. Thats What i did actually. I was 125Ibs, then I went on a diet for 2 months, only vege and fruits, no oil at all, and I dropped all the way to 110, then i started to work out by going jogging and swiimming , and then its maintaining at 110Ibs..
Hope you have the determination as well!

Answer 8

The skipping rope :). Do a 5 min stretch and warm up and skip!
Another suggestion which can fit in your budget is workout videos.
Goto www.collagevideo.com for reviews what you'd like.

I'm sure you'll enjoy and lose weight.

Answer 9

Best exercise machine is go for a brisk walk every day for minimum 30 minutes.

Answer 10

on 1000 a day, you can't give up any calories.
as far as machines, you don't need any. buy an exercise video. or several. but i bet if you would reduce your stress levels, then you would lose the weight automatically.