This past month, my husband and I totally rearranged our house. We sectioned off our large dining room to create an eating area and a TV nook, and converted our little-used den into a home gym for me, which means my treadmill no longer lives in the garage. This has turned out to be a great arrangement, and all of our rooms are getting a lot more use than before. 

In addition to the treadmill, my gym has a TV/DVD player for workout videos, a yoga mat, a stability ball, free weights, a balance board, resistance bands, and more. All of these are pretty standard issue, and I’d like to inject a little variety and fun into my workouts, via two new tools.

The first is a hula hoop. Hooping is really blowing up; there are DVDs, classes at gyms, and more. Hooping is something I enjoyed as a kid, and I think it’s a fun way to work your core. Interested? Here are some resources:

Hoopnotica workout DVD
The Hoop Dance workout DVD
Hooping classes in Atlanta
Interview with a Hoop Dance Teacher
The internet hooping scene 

Another fun piece of equipment is a rebounder, which is essentially a mini-trampoline. I have to be careful in my house because of low ceilings, but I would love to have a rebounder. It’s fun, it gets your heart rate up, and it’s healthy on a cellular level. Sporting goods stores sell mini-trampolines for about $40, which is handy if you just want to give it a shot. However, if you take rebounding seriously and want your equipment to last, I would suggest investing a couple of hundred bucks into a rebounder from Raw Reform or One Lucky Duck. Here is the description from One Lucky Duck about the health benefits of rebounding:

What is the weakest force in the universe and has the most profound effect on the human body? Gravity. To compensate for this “G-force” we must continually work against it through body movement. Regular exercise is essential to maintain optimal health. Gravitational force is key to understanding resistive rebounding’s health benefits. By combining the forces of acceleration and deceleration, body cells are tricked into believing they are being subjected to increased gravity, which challenges your body’s cells to strengthen.

There is a lot written about these body bouncers, but here’s a few highlights:

-promotes detoxification via the lungs, skin, and lymph
-improves balance, strengthens and tones all your core muscles
-improves digestion, relieves constipation, increase metabolism
-stabilizes the nervous system thereby reducing stress
-boosts endorphins and helps you relax
-ideal for warming up for other sports
-safe for kids, pregnant women, elderly and those with compromised immune systems

Right now I can’t afford a good rebounder, but I’m planning to invest in one once I start working again. In the meantime, I can certainly afford a hula hoop and get shaking!