By: Joann Bally CSCS
Walking around my neighborhood, I see it’s yard sale (sometimes called garage sale) season. And just about every yard or garage involved has some piece of exercise equipment for sale.
Sometimes someone has bought a new piece of sports equipment and is selling the old one, which is perfectly good. This can be a good chance to pick up a pair of skis, some golf clubs, or a tennis racket. Yard sales are great for golfers looking for just the right putter.
Exercise equipment can be a bit of a problem. Don’t buy anything that’s rusty or broken, no matter how cheap, unless you’re really good at fixing such things. Cardio equipment should operate smoothly, and be in good condition. Try it out, and if it’s not comfortable or tends to clank loudly, pass it by. You can hurt yourself trying to get your money’s worth out of equipment that is worn out or doesn’t fit you.
Your best bet for cardio equipment would be if you find a good stationary bike or rowing machine. A lot of the things you see for sale will be some sort of glider thing that was once popular but that turned out to be either too hard or not challenging enough for most people, and so has fallen out of favor. Cross-country ski machines are too hard to use for most people, and cheap ones tend to get out of alignment. Be careful, too, of cheap steppers, although there are some that can burn some calories with a simple device. If you don’t know how a piece of equipment is supposed to be used or what to expect from it, you’re probably better off spending more money at a good sporting goods store with staff who can help you, and getting something you will use.
Strength training equipment will probably consist of a bench, maybe with standards to hold a bar for bench pressing and/or a pulldown device. Home gyms are usually heavy and don’t end up at yard sales. You may be lucky enough to get a deal on a high end piece of multi-use equipment like a Bowflex or Total Gym. Whatever you’re considering, try it out and make sure it isn’t missing bolts or larger parts, or hasn’t gotten warped somehow. And if you see a set of dumbbells for a dollar, grab it.
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