My husband and I became foster parents almost a year ago to two little babies who were both under the age of 2. Since our only parenting experience up to that point had been with our own 1o-year-old, we were a little caught off-guard by what parenting two babies under 2 is actually like. Spoiler alert: It's pretty flat-out crazy.
I got into going to the gym a few months into our great foster parent experience. I had been practicing yoga for 10 years, but all the wild changes and ups and downs had me looking for another way to chill out . We had been members of our local YMCA for a year or two, but I rarely used the membership for anything other than swim lessons and baseball teams.
At first, going to the gym was really intimidating. I didn't know how to use any of the equipment, and I felt weird working out in a big group like that. But slowly, it started to get kind of fun. I learned which times of the day were better to go and even had my own routine going: a certain amount of time on a climber machine, a stationary bicycle, and a rowing machine. I even surprised myself by making gym-specific playlists and looking forward to going to the gym. When our foster kids moved out at the end of the year, I kept up my habit.
Lately, however, I am at home a lot more than I ever have been before … and I'm missing my workout time. I love online yoga videos and dance classes, but my body got used to a specific kind of exercise that I haven't been able to replicate at home. Enter: The exercise bike that was delivered this weekend , and that I bought for a whopping $90.
Folding Exercise Bike: $90
I have absolutely no history with buying exercise equipment beyond yoga mats, so I was initially a little hesitant about buying this one. But I figured I could take the $90 hit and try it out to see what it's like. My 10-year-old and I put it together in our living room and conveniently positioned it so that it's facing our TV.
And you know what? It's pretty awesome. I biked 2 miles and worked up a sweat, and last night my kid read his National Parks magazine and biked for what seemed like forever. It's pretty comfortable, and it's super quiet: It makes watching Grey's Anatomy and bicycling super easy.
Shop Now: Stamina Cardio Folding Exercise Bike With Heart Rate Sensors and Extra Wide Padded Seat ($89, Walmart)
Folding Treadmill: $95
Emboldened by my success, I wanted to research and find more home exercise equipment you can buy for under $100. I've always imagined that anything you'd buy to use to exercise at home has to be super expensive, right? Dear reader, this is apparently totally false.
I love my new folding exercise bike for a lot of reasons, and one of the biggest is that it's fairly easy to move around since it can fold up. This folding treadmill has a similar appeal (and a similar price tag).
Shop Now: Weslo CardioStride 4.0 Manual Folding Treadmill ($95.23, Walmart)
Leg Master: $80
I wasn't sure what the Leg Master was when I saw this particular item, so I watched this pretty hardcore video of someone using one and almost ended up buying this thing myself. The Leg Master claims to be able to tone your entire body, and if that video is proof, I'll go ahead and believe it does what it says.
Shop Now: Leg Master Slim Total Body Toning & Strengthening Machine ($79.98, QVC)
Mini Bike: $80
Let me tell you a thing: While contemplating what I wanted to buy, I very nearly almost bought this mini bike system instead. I ultimately did not because I couldn't figure out a way to comfortably use it while … watching TV … so I decided on the full-size bicycle instead.
Shop Now: Stamina Mini Exercise Bike With Smooth Pedal System ($79.99, Dick's)
Cross Cycle Upright Bike: $73
I also very seriously considered getting this cross cycle upright bicycle because the climbing machines that use your arms are my favorite piece of equipment at the gym, and I thought it might replicate that. But I decided to just commit to finally learning how to do push-ups instead, because that'll be fun. Right?
Shop Now: Weslo Cross Cycle Upright Exercise Bike With Padded Saddle ($73.21, Walmart)
