What's Your Favorite Workout "Tool"?

Body Pump class at the YMCA. It is weight lifting to motivational music led by an instructor. Love it.

I LOVE the "spin class" at our local YMCA (sometimes called group cycling). I didn't think I would, b/c I typically hate a stationary bike, but I was training for a duathalon (run, bike, run) and needed a way to train as the weather got cooler and mornings got darker. I am hooked. Our early class (5:10 a.m.) is almost always full! Depends on the instructor, but I love it! Now I can stay in "bike-shape" all winter if I choose, and have a back-up plan in the summer when it's raining!

Wii Yoga in the winter, taking long walks when the weather is nice.

I have one of those giant balls. I sit on it as much as possible, such as right now... you have to balance all the time so its great for your core muscles. I also have a rebounder (mini trampoline) I use it for yoga poses, you also have to balance on it while you are posing so it gives you double benefits. I cant jump on it, it makes me feel like my uterus is gonna fall out and I've read that is a common problem:)
If you look up yoga poses in search you will find some that you can use, I think it's the best exercise invented... it provides strength and stretching, both of which are essentials.

#1 My feet.

Nothing, but nothing beats walking outside 5 miles a day.

#2 A broom stick.

Put it on your shoulders, arms on top of it (draped over) and twist. A couple thousand twists a day in front of a television (aka a movie, or 1000-1500 ish per 1 hour show), and watch the inches melt off your waist as your INTERIOR abdominals strengthen. You will never get a six pack from this... but your organs will all get held where they belong.

#3 A snowboard.

(really #1, but since I can only ride a few months out of every year...)

This is easy.... My 4 year old granddaughter! She keeps me running with wanting to go for a bike ride, walk to the park and playing games and digging in the sandbox...lol

I love having hand weights. I have 3 lbs, 5 lbs, and keep putting off getting the 8 lbs. I like them because I can use them while watching a movie, and I use a lot of DVDs at home. I really liked Jennifer Nicole Lee's Fabulously Fit Moms right after having my second baby, but now also really like some of the 10 Minute Solutions, especially Kelly Roberts' kickboxing and Amy Bento's 5 Day Get Fit Mix. I also used to do a lot of hamstring curls while washing dishes and lots of squats and lunges during the day. Before the kids started using it as a weapon, I liked using a stability ball in the house, too. :)

love my trampoline, it's no stress the the joints and i can do it while watching tv!!! great exercise.

Just regular old weights!! It does wonders! You can use them for your arms and also your abs for specific exercises! I sometimes use the Gilad's Total Body Sculpt DVD's. I ordered my DVD online with Wal-mart and had it shipped to the store. I picked it up and I love it. He is also on the channel, Fit TV. He has awesome workouts. Each workout includes a warm-up/stretch, weight lifting, ab section and cool down/stretch!

Good luck!!!!!!
Katie

the only "tools" im using is my own body and jillian. i LOVE jillian. for 10$ i picked up her "banish fat boost metabolism" DVD and it KICKS MY BUTT. its SUPER intense cardio mixed with using your own body for strength training. its AWESOME and when you do the whole thing through without skipping anything, the feeling is INCREDIBLE. :) :)

I use 3 different workouts from netflix, all led by the same girl. They are a mix of Pilates, yoga, cardio and strength training.

Also, this summer my husband (bike nut) and I started riding with the kids.
Our 10 year old put in 20 mile rides with us and my husband pulled the trail-a-bike with our 6 year old that doesn't like to pedal hard uphill.
We used to ride back in 2001 but moved and hadn't gotten back on until this summer.

We have a Cyclops trainer so we can ride inside in the winter. The Cyclops trainer turns your road bike into a stationary bike. It can turn your mountain bike or cyclocross bike into a stationary bike too, but it is waaay too noisy to use inside with knobby tires :)

My friend, who is working off 20lbs post-baby has invited me to join her at her yoga sculpt class @ Corepower Yoga. She says it makes her feel like someone is trying to cut her arms off with a hacksaw and it's 90 degrees in the room. I said yes. I think I may be insane. I'll let you know if it's motivating... if I survive :)

I need group exercise classes to keep me going. I do mostly the same weight classes but mix up the other few. I also walk on my lunch breaks.

I have always just made it part of my routine but now that I am pregnant and have morning sickness I am really needing my friends at the gym to hold me accountable!

I second the reply about Jillian Michaels. I did part of Banish Fat Boost Metabolism this morning. I only have 30 minutes to work out so I don’t do the entire workout, and I’m not sure I could! It’s intense! I love Jillian because she doesn’t waste your time and you really feel like you are accomplishing something! I also do 30 Day Shred and Yoga Meltdown. I also have No More Trouble Zones, but haven’t used that one much yet. I’ve been doing her DVDs and mixing it up with a couple of others that aren’t as good and not worth mentioning…I’ve been pretty consistent about working out for 3 months almost every weekday and am not bored at all and I look forward to my workouts. I’m a lot stronger, feel great, and am gaining muscle and that’s what’s keeping me going.

My favorite tool is the door.

Go outside. Put on hiking boots. Find a hill. Go off trail. Hike up it. Go far.

What rocks about outdoor workouts is that the fresh air is really motivating, you can't quit when you get tired (you have to make it back to where you started!), and you discover cool, new places. Uneven terrain ensures you use all your muscles.

Start with a park if you want. I love Battle Creek park for the terrain.
Winter is actually my favorite time of year. I get so hot when I hike and the cold air keeps me going.

Dress for it. Remember, in Minnesota, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. (Before you groan, this adage has been passed down for generations in my family!)