Create Your Own Mini-Gym for Next to Nothing

Basics such as a large exercise ball are inexpensive and don't take up much space for those who want to create their own mini-gym.

If you're like most people, the New Year means your waist is noticeably thicker while your wallet is depressingly thinner than a month or two ago.

The good news: You've come to the right place at the right time.

Personal trainers put together full-body workout routines that use inexpensive fitness equipment. You can set up a mini-gym in your garage, basement or spare bedroom for less than a month's membership at many local fitness centers. And don't forget one source of motivation that'll help you stay the course better than any piece of equipment: a workout buddy.

Typically, they're free.

Ian Fagala, owner of Essential Fitness in Chesterfield, Mo., recommends buying a large exercise ball ranging from 20 inches to 30 inches in diameter ($24.95 to $34.95 at balldynamics.com) and three or four SPRI Xertubes ($9.99 each online.) The Xertubes are long skinny rubber straps with handles on each end that come in varying degrees of resistance. During workouts, they're looped around immovable objects, such as heavy pieces of furniture, poles or door handles on locked doors. The total cost, Fagala says, should be less than $100 for the exercise ball and Xertubes, which will provide a full-body workout.

"To incorporate cardio, I would do the exercises nonstop in circuit fashion to keep your heart-rate elevated," he says. "Perform three or four exercises one directly after another then take a break. Start over until you've performed three sets of all four exercises that way."

Laurie Miller has found that without motivation, a room full of expensive equipment is rarely used.

"The first three items I suggest for a home gym is a deck of cards, timer or clock and a notebook," says Miller, owner of Crossfit St. Louis.

She recommends shuffling the deck, flipping over a card at a time and assigning an exercise to each suit. Time yourself to see how long it takes to get through half a deck, record your workouts in a notebook and see if you can beat your times. Do the same workout or mix it up.

Miller also likes making hand weights by filling pieces of PVC pipe typically used for plumbing with sand. She uses duct tape to secure end caps. Several Web sites including GetFitSource.com carry colorful vinyl-covered dumbbells ranging from two pounds to 10 pounds, with prices from $2.25 to $10.25 each.