Exercising is a drag, but it’s necessary. And unless you live in a rain sheltered section of Hawaii, I’m betting that at least some of your exercise has to be done indoors. If you do live in a protected section of Hawaii, I’m available as a roommate. I’m sure my husband will understand.

Anyway- I use the Gazelle. Actually, I use the old Gazelle. The cheap version. I think it was $75 plus shipping on Walmart.com. To tell the truth? I’m not even sure that they still make this model.

Hey- look at that! They actually do. Hm… By the way, according to Amazon, the Gazelle gets free shipping. Not that I’m pushing. Not at all.

Look, I know the newer, better models have all these features- heart rate trackers, higher weight limits, etc. But they way I look at it? If I’m just starting out, and need something low impact and easy? I don’t need the heart rate monitor. And if I’m concerned about my weight breaking the cheaper model? It’s still cheaper to replace it once, than it is to buy the fancy model!

And it IS easy. In fact, those days when I feel sluggish and tire out really easy? I can still get my ½ mile in easily by grasping the sides and just swinging my legs. I know it’s not as good as doing the whole body thing, but it’s better than not doing anything at all!

Back when I was more focused, I used to squat on the Gazelle while doing the “walk” to work my thighs and butt, and sometimes I like to scissor my legs by standing sideways on it. By the way, if you don’t have a great sense of balance, DON’T do that. It’s really, really not that safe.

And if you’re still concerned about your weight on the cheapie? (as pictured above) I was around 280 lbs when I started using it. It hasn’t broken yet, though it does squeak a bit. I blame my husband for that though, as he seems to think it’s an adult version of monkey bars. It’s actually kinda fun to watch.