Great fitness/walking plans and ideas

From Sparkpeople.com:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=walk_off_up_to_10_pounds_in_28_days (walking)

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=8_ways_to_stepup_your_walking_workouts (walking)

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=266 (treadmill)

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/cardio_elliptical_intervals.asp (elliptical)

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=30minute_interval_workout_for_the_elliptical (elliptical)

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=964 (Jumping Rope)

Sparkpeople has videos for all these machines/workouts as well. They have workouts/videos for seated exercise too if standing is a problem.  Add in Forums, Teams and Groups get you motivated and keep you focused.  Check it out,  it's a great resource!

In other fitness news, I've quit the gym. BUT, I've gained a treadmill.  Dh bought me one for my birthday! So now I have in my fat-blasting arsenal: Treadmill, Elliptical, Hand Weighs, Kettle Bell, Resistance Bands, and a whole shelf of dvds.   I'm good to go, and I've found that if I stick with home workouts, I burn MORE calories than at the gym, and in less time!

I think this is b/c the gym is hot. HOT.  Despite the a/c, you sweat b/f you ever begin your workout. At home it's nice and cool, so I can do more, faster.  About the big equipment?  We got them for a steal.  The elliptical came a couple years ago. Floor model at Kmart, last one, marked down at checkout for....are you ready....$69!  It was originally $350. Crazy good deal. (It's a Weslo, but works fine)

The treadmill was also a floor model (but up on a shelf, so no one used it), marked down to $150. I've found the same model on Amazon going for $450-500. (This is a Gold's Gym Trainer 410) So far, we've been very pleased with both purchases.  We now have a really nice home gym, for very little investment.  You can also find used equipment at great prices on Craigslist, so check them out, too.

Quitting the gym saved us $200+ every three months for the two of us, so we used part of the next installment (well all of it) for the treadmill and some more dvds. Totally worth it!