Recomendation needed. 1 piece of exercise equip for someone over 300lbs.

[Tap]

I need to buy dd13 a piece of exercise equipment for at home. She has gained over 12 lbs this month from sitting around. She is now 5'10" and 320lbs. We go walk at the park some, but it isn't enough.  When we walk, we go 2-3 miles. I have to do something for her.  I need it to be under $500 (I am off work for 12 weeks without pay, to care for her). She usually does sports, but due to a knee injury she couldn't play in the winter and the spring/summer sports are all cancelled right now. 

Any suggestions? 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Wii Fit with balance board? 

[prairiewindmomma]

Recumbent bike?

TRX straps, bench, + hand weights?

What will she buy into doing? Does she have sensory needs that you need to plan for? 
 

[Jaz]

Recumbent bike! A friend years ago had her son ride it while watching television. It changed his life.

[May]

Another vote for a recumbent bike🌺We got ours off a local yard sale page and paid less then $200.  

[alisoncooks]

32 minutes ago, Jaz said:

Recumbent bike! A friend years ago had her son ride it while watching television. It changed his life.

+1

My uncle has very bad knees and a recumbent bike has rehabbed them quite a bit. 

You can definitely get a good one for that $$. Read reviews and see how the seat is rated (comfort wise). That's a big deal. 

[gardenmom5]

I would get something like a stair stepper.  It will build some muscle - more than walking.  more muscle burns more calories.  it's also stable enough as she holds on she won't feel like she's going to fall.

look at used equipment - first find what you want incl. brands and models, then you can look.

[Ali in OR]

I like a treadmill for ease of use. Maybe whatever you choose fix it up so she can watch t.v. or something while exercising so she doesn't get too bored.

[May]

Whatever you get, the learning curve can’t be steep, it will just discourage her. When I first got my Nordic track ski machine, I was ready to have hubby take it back after the first couple times I used it. I’m not very coordinated and this was just a reminder. Anyway, the place we bought if from was a couple hours away. I was too embarrassed to ask DH, so I just kept at it. Eventually, I figured it out and I’ve used it for 20 plus years. Set her up for success and make it as enjoyable as exercise can be🙄

[PeterPan]

Recumbent bike and some free weights. She needs to do some work with weight to tone, increase muscle (so she burns more calories overall), and for the sensory input. It's easy to do free weights while watching tv, whatever.

[JenneinCA]

It would depend on what she would find tolerable to do.  Personally, a bike going no where would make me crazy.  If I had the space I would like a weight bench and barbells and dumbbells and things like that.  But that is me. 

[itsheresomewhere]

Treadmill or recumbent bike.  There are some treadmills with extra cushion for knee issues.  

[Arcadia]

I would prefer recumbent bicycle to treadmill. It’s harder to do a sudden stop on a treadmill even if you want to, and I do wrap that red/black stop strap that comes with the machine at the gym so that I could activate the stop. 

[Ottakee]

I agree with the recumbent bike or treadmill.  I find that with the seat adjusted well, I can bike comfortably even with my knee injury.  Same with treadmill.  Personally I find ellipticals and stair steppers very hard on my knees.  

Does she enjoy TV./movies?  If so, then watching while walking/peddling might be more motivating 

[Slache]

I would recommend Insanity over a piece of equipment any day of the week. Try Beach Body's 3 week trial.

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Slache said:

I would recommend Insanity over a piece of equipment any day of the week. Try Beach Body's 3 week trial.

 

I don't think Insanity would be appropriate for someone at that weight, though.  I would think it would be too hard on her joints. 

How about youtube videos if money is an issue?  There might be some fun workouts on there for her to try.  Jessica Smith, Up to the Beat fitness (I think that's what it is called), Fitness Blender, Hasfit, Zumba workouts, etc.  There are workouts for everyone and every fitness level on youtube.  

[Slache]

Just now, Kassia said:

I don't think Insanity would be appropriate for someone at that weight, though.  I would think it would be too hard on her joints. 

How about youtube videos if money is an issue?  There might be some fun workouts on there for her to try.  Jessica Smith, Up to the Beat fitness (I think that's what it is called), Fitness Blender, Hasfit, Zumba workouts, etc.  There are workouts for everyone and every fitness level on youtube.  

I started Insanity about 30 pounds heavier than she is at the same height. I modified. I have done Insanity, Max30, P90, P90X, C25K, T25 and more. I've lost 150 pounds. I have opinions. I will argue to the death that Insanity is the best thing that she can do, but I totally understand why people would not want to. It is appropriately named.

[Ottakee]

12 minutes ago, Slache said:

I started Insanity about 30 pounds heavier than she is at the same height. I modified. I have done Insanity, Max30, P90, P90X, C25K, T25 and more. I've lost 150 pounds. I have opinions. I will argue to the death that Insanity is the best thing that she can do, but I totally understand why people would not want to. It is appropriately named.

That is awesome.  I can't speak for the OP but with working with special needs teens, often they do not have the coordination/processing speed, etc. to follow an exercise video.  My students even struggle to follow a Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds type video.

[Slache]

5 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

That is awesome.  I can't speak for the OP but with working with special needs teens, often they do not have the coordination/processing speed, etc. to follow an exercise video.  My students even struggle to follow a Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds type video.

Oh, I did not see this! I still say try, because free trial (assuming it wouldn't be very discouraging), but I would not be surprised if it does not work out.

[Kassia]

50 minutes ago, Slache said:

I started Insanity about 30 pounds heavier than she is at the same height. I modified. I have done Insanity, Max30, P90, P90X, C25K, T25 and more. I've lost 150 pounds. I have opinions. I will argue to the death that Insanity is the best thing that she can do, but I totally understand why people would not want to. It is appropriately named.

 

No need to argue to the death!  I'm glad it worked so well for you!  I love Shaun T.  I apologize for stating that Insanity wouldn't be a good workout to start with. 

ETA - congratulations on the weight loss, too.  🙂

Edited April 11, 2020 by Kassia

[katilac]

 

39 minutes ago, Slache said:

I started Insanity about 30 pounds heavier than she is at the same height. I modified. I have done Insanity, Max30, P90, P90X, C25K, T25 and more. I've lost 150 pounds. I have opinions. I will argue to the death that Insanity is the best thing that she can do, but I totally understand why people would not want to. It is appropriately named.

You were probably insanely motivated, though (heh). It doesn't sound like OP is buying this because the person is all exA cited about working out or getting exercise equipment, but rather to keep them from sitting around too much. If they were all kinds of motivated, they would already be doing some videos or other stuff. 

OP, I'd hesitate to buy her one big piece of equipment unless there is something she herself is dying to have. Even then, I would hesitate. Working out on one piece of equipment for weeks is so boring. Maybe a mix of things instead? 

Weight balls are great, especially if someone will use them with her sometimes. Much easier to find than dumbbells right now. 

Some DVDs or a subscription. Would she enjoy hiphop or other dancing? 

A bunnyhop ladder can be fun. If she can't jump, it's still good for balance and agility. 

Resistance bands. 

Does she have a gaming system to buy active games for? 

 

 

[Tap]

To answer a bunch  of things at once.

We have a Wii, Wii U and Xbox.  She isn't interested in them. She has mostly active games. I offered a new game, she said no.

She always resists exercise videos in every format I have tried.

I am thinking that if I can get her on a piece of equipment, I can put it in the dining room for now and she can see the TV from there. I am thinking the TV may help distract her from the monotony of a machine.

I don't really have a place for multiple pieces of equipment. Eventually what ever I buy will have to go on the covered porch or in her room. That is also why I don't want to spend too much. Unless it is in a main living area, there isn't an out of sight place for it. (dh's motorcycle is in the garage).  If she uses it for a year and I sell it, it will be worth it if we can help her lose a bit of weight. 

We go on walks at the  park and she will run about 20 paces, periodically. She was planning to do Special Olympics soccer this spring but that got sidelined.  She was up to about 5 repetitions of running 20 paces before soccer got cancelled. Now she doesn't want to 'train' anymore. She was more motivated for running when she had soccer as a goal. I can't run, due to a back injury, so it doesn't help her motivation when her walking partner can't run.

When she was in school, they used walking outside as a therapy tool for her a lot. It wasn't uncommon for her to hit 10,000 steps. I know that is why she is gaining now.  She is on heavy psych meds, which cause the gains. We just have to find a way to stabilize her. 

I think a bike is a great idea. I found a couple on Craigslist. I will keep checking around and see what I can pick up for a decent price. 

Thanks for all the suggestions. 

 

[alisoncooks]

For your situation, I still say bike. But I wanted to share: my girls (11&13) are not super active. I've always exercised at home (videos) but they are not interested in videos at all. I bought an elliptical (for me) last winter, but now they are the main users of it. We have it in our living room, and my girls  prop their screens/tablets up there and watch YouTube while they exercise. 😛 Before the virus threw our schedule off, they each had a turn daily before lunch. 

Ooh, you say she was doing a lot of walking. Do y'all have Walk It Out for Wii/U? That's an addictive little walking game!  I used to play it often -- I loved building the island. 

[J-rap]

I would get whatever she seems most interested in, because unless it seems interesting to her, she probably won't do it.  Anything to "pull her in" to exercising will be better than nothing!

[Miguelsmom]

My son has an echo and it has a 7 min workout that he does every 2-4 hours. He's about her size. He just started so we'll see. 

[katilac]

3 hours ago, Miguelsmom said:

My son has an echo and it has a 7 min workout that he does every 2-4 hours. He's about her size. He just started so we'll see. 

Oh, good idea, Alexa has tons of short workouts! 

[Kassia]

A mini trampoline might be fun for her and she could use it while watching tv or listening to music, but I don't know about the weight limit.  

[Lanny]

With regard to equipment, if she didn't have the Knee injury, I would suggest an extremely heavy duty bicycle and swimming. Those activities seem to be out at the moment.

Respectfully, not equipment, but an incredible Fitness Yoga program that my wife has been using for approximately one year. You and your DD can watch the testimonial videos. It is very inexpensive, although I am not sure what my wife pays for it. I think approximately 5 or 10 dollars USD on an annual basis?

NOTE: DDPYoga wasn't designed as a weight loss program, but as you will see from testimonial videos, many people who begin doing it are extremely obese. Some of them begin doing it while on top of their beds. Do what you can and don't overdo.

DDPYoga was a miracle for my wife. She was so out of shape when she began it and after one week, she signed up and paid them, because it had helped her so much.

This is the main URL for DDPYOGA:

https://ddpyoga.com/

And near the top of the page at this time it says "

DDPYoga For Kids is now available for free!

 

NOTE: I would not normally give this kind of recommendation or review, but my wife was suffering and she might have gone for Physical Therapy or some other treatment and spent thousands of dollars and not have received 1% of the results she has obtained from DDPYoga. 

It is NOT a religious thing. It is a fitness program. Please check it out. It might save the life of your DD

Much good luck to her!

ETA: The 5 or   10 dollars  USD is per month. My wife uses their Streaming service from the  Internet. I believe she pays on an annual basis.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Lanny
Add ETA and clarify cost

[OH_Homeschooler]

13 hours ago, Kassia said:

 

I don't think Insanity would be appropriate for someone at that weight, though.  I would think it would be too hard on her joints. 

How about youtube videos if money is an issue?  There might be some fun workouts on there for her to try.  Jessica Smith, Up to the Beat fitness (I think that's what it is called), Fitness Blender, Hasfit, Zumba workouts, etc.  There are workouts for everyone and every fitness level on youtube.  

 

I agree about Insanity. But there are tons of BeachBody workouts that are lower stress. I haven't been a member for a while but I seem to remember a program specifically for beginners. Many participants were overweight, so it was welcoming in that respect. 

YouTube is great (agree with Jessica Smith, her walk and talks are very nice), and I just found that there are tons of Zumba workouts included with Amazon Prime.

Edit: Sorry, I just saw that she hates videos. Maybe someone else will enjoy the free Zumba on Prime?

 

Edited April 11, 2020 by OH_Homeschooler

[Selkie]

What is her diet like? Would it be easier to change that up and continue with the walking?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

12 hours ago, Tap said:

To answer a bunch  of things at once.

We go on walks at the  park and she will run about 20 paces, periodically. She was planning to do Special Olympics soccer this spring but that got sidelined.  She was up to about 5 repetitions of running 20 paces before soccer got cancelled. Now she doesn't want to 'train' anymore. She was more motivated for running when she had soccer as a goal. I can't run, due to a back injury, so it doesn't help her motivation when her walking partner can't run.

 

 

Given this, I would wonder about spending part of the money on a nice sports watch, such as a Fitbit or another activity tracker, that will allow her to join various groups who compete for x number of steps per day, x number of minutes "active time" (these ones are heart rate based), x number miles... there are lots of choices for the fitness watches.  You may be able to find or form a group for special needs teens, or just create a group with a few willing family members.  I just read online about people recording number of floors climbed in order to eventually "climb Mount Everest" without leaving the house.  Maybe it would be better to approach it from a motivation perspective rather than a particular piece of equipment.  Having said that, anything that is distracting- audiobooks, tv, etc, will help her put in more time.  But motivation is key.  

I'm a huge believer in exercise at any weight.  Exercise offers unique health benefits unrelated to weight loss.  Unfortunately, exercise is incredibly inefficient for weight loss.  But healthy habits tend to snowball, so exercise improving mood, cardiovascular health, etc, can lead to better decisions in the kitchen, which is what counts for weight loss.  

[Tap]

54 minutes ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

Given this, I would wonder about spending part of the money on a nice sports watch, such as a Fitbit or another activity tracker, that will allow her to join various groups who compete for x number of steps per day, x number of minutes "active time" (these ones are heart rate based), x number miles... there are lots of choices for the fitness watches.  You may be able to find or form a group for special needs teens, or just create a group with a few willing family members.  I just read online about people recording number of floors climbed in order to eventually "climb Mount Everest" without leaving the house.  Maybe it would be better to approach it from a motivation perspective rather than a particular piece of equipment.  Having said that, anything that is distracting- audiobooks, tv, etc, will help her put in more time.  But motivation is key.  

I'm a huge believer in exercise at any weight.  Exercise offers unique health benefits unrelated to weight loss.  Unfortunately, exercise is incredibly inefficient for weight loss.  But healthy habits tend to snowball, so exercise improving mood, cardiovascular health, etc, can lead to better decisions in the kitchen, which is what counts for weight loss.  

She has a Fitbit Versa 2. I bought it because she likes tracking her steps each day when she walks at school. I knew she walked at school a lot but I wasn't expecting the 7000-10000+ numbers I saw each day. I know her weight is due to meds, but it was reassuring to see that she is staying active. I know she will never be a thin person (based on both of her bio-parents)  but I do want to encourage her to be active, healthy and strong.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

1 hour ago, Tap said:

She has a Fitbit Versa 2. I bought it because she likes tracking her steps each day when she walks at school. I knew she walked at school a lot but I wasn't expecting the 7000-10000+ numbers I saw each day. I know her weight is due to meds, but it was reassuring to see that she is staying active. I know she will never be a thin person (based on both of her bio-parents)  but I do want to encourage her to be active, healthy and strong.

Absolutely.  Health cannot be compressed into one number on a scale.  Maybe there is some way to re-invigorate her step counting.  I know there is a mystery type audiobook associated with steps taken (you get a new chapter after x number of steps) called The Walk.  I don't know if if would be developmentally appropriate for your daughter.  Pokemon Go might be an option if you are allowed to walk outside.  Overall, giving yourself *credit* is really important to motivation, and even as an adult, I got great motivation out of Xing off days on a calendar when I was active, or coloring in a square on a paper activity tracker, or setting goals that would trigger a reward like buying a new pair of exercise shorts or shoes.  Would any of those types of visuals or goal-reward systems help her?  

 

[Tap]

4 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

Absolutely.  Health cannot be compressed into one number on a scale.  Maybe there is some way to re-invigorate her step counting.  I know there is a mystery type audiobook associated with steps taken (you get a new chapter after x number of steps) called The Walk.  I don't know if if would be developmentally appropriate for your daughter.  Pokemon Go might be an option if you are allowed to walk outside.  Overall, giving yourself *credit* is really important to motivation, and even as an adult, I got great motivation out of Xing off days on a calendar when I was active, or coloring in a square on a paper activity tracker, or setting goals that would trigger a reward like buying a new pair of exercise shorts or shoes.  Would any of those types of visuals or goal-reward systems help her?  

 

She loses interest in long term goals over 3 to 5 days. She can be very motivated by tiny goals though. For instance, we went walking at the park a few days ago. She had walked 2 miles the day before. This day she wanted to walk 3.  I have walked this particular part a lot with my other daughter, so I have a pretty good sense of various distances. We got back to the car at 2.9 miles. She wanted to walk around the car, so she could hit 3. LOL Instead we walked a short bit of the path and then back, but it was important to her to hit the 3 mile mark. In the moment things will motivate her.  A trinket prize, ie something small I can afford on a regular basis, means nothing (too many years of therapy with trinket prizes) and bigger prizes lose her interest. She like music and can download it to her Fit Bit, so I am thinking about letting her buy songs with her distances to see if that motivates her. It is one I haven't tried before, so we will have to see if it works or not. 

Edited April 11, 2020 by Tap

[Kassia]

If she does get a bike, she might be able to get one of those laptop holders to attach to it and she can use the internet while she cycles.  

[Slache]

4 minutes ago, Tap said:

She loses interest in long term goals over 3 to 5 days. She can be very motivated by tiny goals though. For instance, we went walking at the park a few days ago. She had walked 2 miles the day before. This day she wanted to walk 3.  I have walked this particular part a lot with my other daughter, so I have a pretty good sense of various distances. We got back to the car at 2.9 miles. She wanted to walk around the car, so she could hit 3. LOL Instead we walked a short bit of the path and then back, but it was important to her to hit the 3 mile mark. In the moment things will motivate her.  A trinket prize, ie something small I can afford on a regular basis, means nothing (too many years of therapy with trinket prizes) and bigger prizes lose her interest. She like music and can download it to her Fit Bit, so I am thinking about letting her buy songs with her distances to see if that motivates her. It is one I haven't tried before, so we will have to see if it works or not. 

There are apps like Strava where you can race other people. I used to race another mom I'd never met on my favorite trail. I'd go on Monday and clock 16:32 and on Wednesday I'd get a notification that she clocked 16:04 so I'd have to haul the whole family out and harass them so I could beat her. She usually went in the morning and I in the evening so I liked to try and beat her the same day, just to be irritating. We knew nothing personal about each other except what was on our profiles.

[Tap]

On 4/10/2020 at 2:11 PM, JenneinCA said:

It would depend on what she would find tolerable to do.  Personally, a bike going no where would make me crazy.  If I had the space I would like a weight bench and barbells and dumbbells and things like that.  But that is me. 

We have hand weights, lots of yoga items, an a few other pieces that were from dd21's PT. She isn't self motivated to do any of  it (I have tried). 

[bensonduck]

Would she want to track distance virtually to get to a place?  Like, across the country, or a place she thinks is interesting? You could help her plot where she is on the map every week and look up something about that area in Wikipedia or something. 

[Tap]

Her school did this with her class. They used step counters and traveled across the country. I'll ask if she wants to but since she has already done it, I don't know if she will again. But if she will....anything that easy is worth trying!  LOL

[rebcoola]

I have a gazelle glider and my kids love it.  Idk why but I have never been able to keep them off it.  Even my oldest who is not into exercise.

[alisoncooks]

I always wanted to do the walk to Mordor. http://walktomordor.com/

(I seem to remember a different site for it -- the above was just what I found on a quick google search...)

[Ottakee]

One thing that is really motivating my daughter now is that we are doing a parks challenge.....our goal is to visit all 70 parks in our local small town/township (yes, we are extremely blessed with parks).  We have been bike riding to several of them and then walk around and bike home.  A few we have driven too and then hiked around.  She is excited to cross off the names on our list as we visit each one.

Some are not practical right now like the boardwalk and the beach as they are just way too crowded.  

I have her look them up online, find the directions (even though I know where most are), find out about the park, etc.  Some are ball fields and playgrounds, some are just 2-3 city lots worth of green space with a bench while others are beaches, woods with miles if hiking trails, or a boat launch.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

5 hours ago, Tap said:

We have hand weights, lots of yoga items, an a few other pieces that were from dd21's PT. She isn't self motivated to do any of  it (I have tried). 

 

Do you have the time/energy to work out with her?  It may help if she isn't alone, but I also understand that working out is personal, and I definitely use my workouts as DOWN TIME away form my kids.  So I get it if you just need her to have her thing and give you a break for a bit.  If you can exercise with her, maybe changing up the schedule to early morning walks outside is safe in your area?  

I think you know best what piece of equipment she needs, if any.  Treadmills and bicycles and rowing machines are all great and there isn't one that is superior to the other.  The one that gets used is the best one.  If tv will motivate her to stay on, then choose whatever thing fits best in the space you need it to fit.  Depending on how you do things in your home, maybe you can make certain activities contingent on exercise, such as:  you get 1hr tv time free, but after that, you must be walking/pedaling to keep watching.  I also like your idea of earning music.  Maybe a subscription to Spotify could be earned and maintained through exercise.  

And this is probably not a great idea, but you never know:  Invest that $500 in setting up for a dog, and make sure that dog gets plenty of walks.  

[Tap]

18 minutes ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

Do you have the time/energy to work out with her?  It may help if she isn't alone, but I also understand that working out is personal, and I definitely use my workouts as DOWN TIME away form my kids.  So I get it if you just need her to have her thing and give you a break for a bit.  If you can exercise with her, maybe changing up the schedule to early morning walks outside is safe in your area?  

I think you know best what piece of equipment she needs, if any.  Treadmills and bicycles and rowing machines are all great and there isn't one that is superior to the other.  The one that gets used is the best one.  If tv will motivate her to stay on, then choose whatever thing fits best in the space you need it to fit.  Depending on how you do things in your home, maybe you can make certain activities contingent on exercise, such as:  you get 1hr tv time free, but after that, you must be walking/pedaling to keep watching.  I also like your idea of earning music.  Maybe a subscription to Spotify could be earned and maintained through exercise.  

And this is probably not a great idea, but you never know:  Invest that $500 in setting up for a dog, and make sure that dog gets plenty of walks.  

LOL on the dog. I was looking at dogs before all this happened. I need hypoallergenic, and poodles are $1200+ here. 😞 One problem we do have in this arena, is that she won't walk in out neighborhood. I am hoping having a dog will help her not be lonely and she will agree to neighborhood walks for the dogs-sake. 🙂  She gets teased by the other kids, so she doesn't want to exercise in our area. If we walk, I or Dh have to take her to the park which, the closest is about 12 minutes each way. Not too bad, but when you walk an hour-ish, we need 1.5hr to go on a simple 'walk'.  

Im off work without pay for 12 weeks due to school closure. So, $1200 for a poodle is not happening this year. 😞

I  can't do most work outs due to a back injury. I also hate working out, because it makes me feel terrible. I have this weird condition, that makes my blood pressure drops from exercise and stress. I  can walk forever...just can't bend/lift etc. 

I was asking to get ideas, especially due to her size. Myself, dh and my bio-kids are all tall/thin. She is genetically my half-great-niece and has very different genes.  Sometimes, I don't think about what specific issues her weight causes, because I don't know to consider them. We can't go shopping for equipment due to closures, and honestly she is like taking a 6yo shopping for exercise equipment. If it was pink and sparkly, she will pick that one, no matter what it is. I know she likes to go to the gym with her step-mom and bio-dad. They says she just does "whatever" when there, so no help. 

We have an old elliptical on the back porch, that isn't used by anyone. Someone gave it to dh for free. I cringed when he brought it home because he heard me talking about getting dd21 a Pilates reformer for exercise. She uses one for PT. He didn't know what that meant, but liked 'free' and 'exercise'.  LOL

Edited April 12, 2020 by Tap

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Ok, so thinking outside the box here... give the old elliptical a new look with a can of hot pink spray paint and some sparkly handlebar tape from a (online) bike store.  

I had a visceral rage response reading that your kid can't walk in her own neighborhood without risk of being teased.  I know that's just the reality of special needs but UGH.  People.  

I'm sorry you can't get the poodle yet.  Sounds like a great long-term plan though.  

[katilac]

8 hours ago, Tap said:

 We have an old elliptical on the back porch, that isn't used by anyone. Someone gave it to dh for free. I cringed when he brought it home because he heard me talking about getting dd21 a Pilates reformer for exercise. She uses one for PT. He didn't know what that meant, but liked 'free' and 'exercise'.  LOL

I'd be super reluctant to buy something else if she is able to use this. There's usually a model or serial number on it, and you can check the weight limit. I'd be more likely to buy a TV to put in front of it! Elliptical, treadmill, bike - they are all pretty equal levels of boring when you don't like to work out. 

I like Monica's idea of glamming it up, lol 

 

[CAJinBE]

She could add Nordic Walking poles to her usual walking to up the calories burned. It also helps the joints. A heart rate monitor and an app like Polar Flow is very motivating too. You can see your heart rate and how it improves over time. I also have a good recumbent bike in my living room.

[katilac]

5 hours ago, CAJinBE said:

She could add Nordic Walking poles to her usual walking to up the calories burned. 

Tell me more . . . 

 

[CAJinBE]

8 hours ago, katilac said:

Tell me more . . . 

 

Nordic Walking is walking with poles in a motion similar to cross country skiing. You use more muscles in your arms and back so you will burn more calories. I find that I can walk faster and farther with the poles than I can without, plus my knees hurt less afterwards. They are not trekking poles though. Leki sells very nice light weight ones with cork handles and clip on wrist straps. I think it is worth it to get a good brand made of aluminum. There are rubber booties that cover the tips so you can walk on any surface. There is a noise but not as much as bare metal would be on pavement. I took it up a few years ago before I had back surgery and was super glad to already know how to do it for my recovery after surgery because it helped my balance and support for my back. Plus it just feels more sporty than just walking. I used to run but have found this to be almost as good. The calories burned are somewhere between regular walking and jogging. There are videos online that show the technique. 

[OH_Homeschooler]

There is a company that makes inexpensive exercise equipment. It is called Sunny Health and Fitness. You can review some of the products on Amazon. It gets pretty good ratings for the price range. I have a stepper from them that my kids love, and it cost less than $90. I know weight limit may be an issue, but I saw a mini bike (just the pedals), and there was a recumbent bike with a weight limit of 300 pounds for less than $200.