Exercise? Who me?

A stabbing pain on my right side stopped me in my tracks. Appendicitis?

I tried to remember the symptoms Margaret Houlihan listed on the episode of “MASH” when she had her appendix removed:

Fever? No.
Tender to the touch? No.
Swelling? No.

Okay, it wasn’t my appendix, but what could it be?

When my husband came home for lunch I mentioned the pain to him.

He theorized, “Since we tore up the first-floor bathroom, you have had to make a lot more trips to the basement bathroom. You are using muscles you rarely use a lot more.” (That explained why my butt and thighs were sore also.)

What does that have to do with living frugally? It made me think about exercise equipment.

I wonder how many people purchased a “Stair Master” when they already had a full set of stairs in their home? Why not just walk, or run, up and down the stairs and build up the repetitions?

I am not against purchasing exercise equipment. It just seems foolish to buy a stationary bike when you have a regular bike in the garage.

This brings me to confess “Frugalfish Folly”.

A couple of years ago I read that rebounding, (exercising on a mini trampoline), was a good way to protect your knees. My boss, at the time, had just had knee replacement surgery. After watching her recovery I decided to do whatever I could to avoid that surgery.

I had saved my personal spending money for a couple of months so I had the funds to pick up a mini trampoline and exercise DVD.

This was NOT, I repeat NOT, a well thought out purchase.

Our home is a 24′ X 47′ ranch house with three bedrooms and 8′ ceilings. There is a full basement with 7′ ceilings.

The only rooms with space for the trampoline were the front room upstairs or the TV room downstairs. Unfortunately, the front room upstairs has a ceiling fan with an attached light fixture hanging down.

After a few close calls with the ceiling fan, I decided to use it in the basement. After a few close calls trying to “rebound” between the ceiling joists, I rolled the trampoline under the stairs and sold it at “Play It Again Sports.”

From now on, I am going to be creative in exercise equipment. Here are some of my ideas:

Instead of buying dumbbells, you can use cans of food.

You can cut a jump rope out of clothesline rope and tie knots in the ends.

Instead of buying a walking machine you could just take a walk.

Instead of buying a rowing machine, rent a canoe and enjoy nature while you get your workout.

Instead of buying an “Ab Circle”, you can mop the floor with a cloth on your hands and knees, cleaning from side to side as far as you can reach without moving your knees.

Instead of buying a “Bow-flex” exercise machine you can move furniture and clean under it or move boxes as you clean out storage areas. You will be pushing, pulling, squatting and lifting.

My exercise equipment now is a recliner! I walk behind it, see http://wp.me/pKNzn-xE.