With fitness equipment being so expensive, it’s not surprising that many people don’t invest in fancy kit. For instance, I recently bought a new kettlebell (16Kg) and it set me back around £80. For me, that’s money well spent but for most, it’s just too much. So maybe we should look at alternative pieces of equipment, and in here we will look at two, and some of the uses we can put them to.
1 – Broomsticks
Costing around 80p each, these are, so far, the cheapest and best pieces of equipment I’ve come across. Really great for arm, back and chest exercises, simply try to pull the stick apart, stretching it at different angles across the body, a different workout can be achieved by just trying to compress the stick into a shorter version of itself. Actions such as a “punting” movement or simple cross body moves with the stick held horizontally in front of yourself are great. Pick up a stick, create a few stretching and compressing moves yourself and you have a new workout every day.
2 – Scaffolding Poles
The second piece of equipment I’ve come across and is also very cheap is scaffolding. Getting yourself a 6 foot or 2 metre section of new scaffolding will cost you around £8, and it is a super versatile bit of kit. Bicep curls, overhead presses and even partner-based one on one tug of war exercises are just 3 examples of what can be done with a scaffolding pole. Fill the scaffolding tube with sand or gravel (or even garden soil) and you have an increase in weight at little or no cost.
There are of course many other items that can be used in place of expensive kit – why not try filling a “bag for life” from your local supermarket with bags of rice or sugar or potatoes and creating a makeshift kettlebell? It works, and it’s free. Use your imagination, it’s amazing what you can come up with.
Happy creating!!