European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 scene stars and stripes sunday april 22 2007 Home sweaty Home a Good workout Doest have to come at a High Price a c o u a 0 Ca cd u c u d cant find time to get to the gym dont fee like out in front of other people we then dont stay Home getting a Good workout at Home Doest have to involve a huge investment just a few Small pieces of inexpensive equipment stability balls resistance bands dumbbells Medicine balls ankle weights or aerobics Steps can allow you to set the excuses aside and get Busy getting in shape before you buy anything though think it through a Good question to pose in the beginning is for people to consider whether there motivated enough to work out at Home Ive seen a ton of people who have the intention and dont follow through said Ben Cope fitness coordinator at Kent state University recreation and wellness Center so ask yourself is this something in really going to do do i have the motivation to do this make an honest evaluation of whether youre really going to do this or not after All its not the equip ment Mats going to get you in shape its using the equipment in fact or Troy Smurawa a sports Medicine specialist at Akron childrens Hospital recommends that people who Are just embarking on an exercise routine not buy any equipment at All Start with exercises that rely on your own body weight for resistance things like pushups setups pull ups squats and lunges once youve mastered those exercises and once youve proven to yourself youre committed to making time to exercise at Home look into buying some equipment Smurawa suggests just four things dumbbells a Dallas morning news a simple exercise bail Wili help round out a Home fitness Center its just an Allaround Good piece of equipment to have Cope said most people mainly buy them for abdominal exercises but there Are multiple ranges of different motions they can be used for you can pretty much do anything on a physio Ball that you can do on a Bench that would include Chest presses triceps extensions curls and of course crunches the advantage of a stability Ball though is that it forces you to maintain your balance which works your Core Muscles even while focusing on another set of Muscles Smurawa suggests keeping it simple at first develop your balance and coordination before using too much weight on the balls bands you cant resist resistance bands May be the most cos effective Home exercise product they Cost As Little As they come in varying degrees of tension and they can be used to work both the upper and lower body basically bands can be used for anything a Dumbbell would be used for with one advantage resistance from dumbbells never changes while the resistance from bands increases throughout the exercise motion its a Little different from dumbbells Cope said a band basically gets harder As you go like an exercise Ball though bands do require a certain amount of coordination which some people May find difficult at first Smurawa said still they Are a very effective product to have at Home not just for strength training but also for flexibility some people May prefer dumbbells which usually Cost about 50 cents per Pound Smurawa suggests starting with a Range of weights from 5 to 25 pounds Medicine balls Are Good at working the Badomi nals and other Core Muscles if you incorporate them into setups and trunk twists they also can come in stability Ball ankle weights and stretch bands to be Handy for weekend warriors trying to get ready for a honest he said that All i have at my Home new sports season for instance golfers can use Light Cope suggests a stability Ball resistance bands and weight Medicine balls in a motion that mimics their a Medicine Ball exercise balls come in different sizes 17 to 34 inches diameter for different Heights most Are round but some like the physio Roll Are Peanut shaped and the Bose Ball is a half sphere with a Flat Bottom so Golf swing As a Way to get ready for the Golf season find something Handy Lida Flowers Brandt int a doctor or a fitness sex exercisers can stand on it prices Range from up pert but her advice May be the Best of All buy to something youll use she and her husband Tony have ail kinds of equipment around the House a Stair stepper an abdominal contraption a Bulky weight set a nordic track and stationary bikes but Only one piece of equipment has truly come in Handy a Treadmill they bought themselves for Christmas in 2005 walking is easy said the 59yearold Boston township Ohio resident you can Challenge yourself with the incline or the amount of time or the Miles per hour mat you go you can do so Many things with a Treadmill and it Doest Hurt your body like sitting on the stationary Bike you can do it when the Weathers bad you can do it any time of Day that Doest mean its been easy when Brandt started she could barely stay on the Treadmill for 5 minutes now a daily workout is 25 minutes she still considers herself overweight but Shes lost nearly 20 pounds since buying the Treadmill its real hard to get started very hard she said but you have to Tell yourself i did it yesterday i can do it again today sometimes you have to trick yourself and say Okim Only going to do it for five minutes and then before you know it 10 minutes have already gone by when purchases Are big for people considering larger equipment such As a Treadmill Cope and Smurawa have some suggestions space is always a Good thing to bring up Cope said its not unusual to hear stories of 1 bought this and if Wasa foot toilet than my ceiling measure your space before you buy both the Square footage of the floor space and the height of the ceiling keep in mind Shaf equipment should have at least 3 feet of Clear space around it pay attention to Quality and Comfort probably the most common piece of equipment put on the curbside for Spring cleanup is the exercise Bike usually a cheap one that not very comfortable Smurawa said Price is certainly important he said but Quality Comfort and warranty Are More important dont pay for features you wont use if All you want to do is Power walk dont buy an expensive Treadmill with a ton of features Cope said however Smurawa suggests buying a Treadmill that has adjustable speeds and programs to measure calories heart rate distance and Speed it out different machines work your body in different ways an Elii Pitcai Trainer for instance May be a better option for someone with bad Knees than a Treadmill find something you know youll enjoy and youre going to continue doing it Smurawa said mothers pay is May 13th Send a message for free at will accept mothers Day messages at Stripe com from March 30 to april 23 messages will be published in the Mideast european and Pacific editions on May 12 greetings will also be online for viewing at Stripe com starting May 12 visit Stripe com for More details