a treadmill or an exercise bike – you can get either for around $100, and even a pretty good one won’t cost more than $200 or so.

I found a treadmill on Gumtree that was barely used that retailed at $900 for $250. That way I wouldn’t feel bad if I didn’t use it. A treadmill can be used during all seasons & placed inside or outside of the house.

I have an aerobic step at my sink. While washing up etc I do step-ups.
Sometimes i put it near the couch and do a squat then step-up (repeat). For arms i do bicep and tricep curls and hold a can of soup or veg for weight resistance. Occasionally I grab my sons skipping rope and put on an energetic fast paced song that I then skip as fast as i can to and try to repeat that 4 times that day.
Hope that gives you some in home low cost options to buying too much equipment. Good luck with the fitness goals

Your own legs All you need is a good pair of shoes and you can run. I started by running (on the spot) in front of the TV in the air conditioning using the Wii. Took me a while to get outside and hitting the pavement but I eventually did and have even run a half marathon since. And once you get out and about you will love it, its time to yourself that you can enjoy

An aerobic pedal exerciser for arms and legs is great and available online for under $50. They don’t take up much space and can easily be moved from room to room or outside onto a patio,

Effective exercise involves 1) Cardio – eg put your bike on a patio trainer and pedal away; find a skipping rope and jump steadily; just go for a walk/jog (much cheaper and gets you outside if that is possible) or step up and down on a small stool. and 2) strength/weights – all you need is some space, and eventually small weights for resistance. eg do some squats and many other exercises using your own body weight as resistance, then progress by adding a dumbell to provide extra resistance.

For exercise to be effective it MUST go hand in hand with diet changes. Check you are not setting yourself up for an impossible task, Make sure you are not eating refined carbohydrates, sugar, the wrong fats, etc. I’ve found Just switching from refined white bread to wholegrain (and wholewheat pasta) can make a huge difference to how effective exercise is.

I would see if one of your neighbours or friends have something tucked away at their place that they should use, but never do, before buying anything. I was advised to use a static bicycle for a couple of months by my physio and borrowed one – it’s hard to find the time to use it as it’s there and you think I’ll get round to it later. Walking is better and some gently floor exercises first thing in the morning. Most of these devices get bought and rarely used after the first couple of months. Good intentions and all that.

Cross trainer is a fantastic all over workout. It works your whole body & great cardio!

The obviously answer is legs! I have trouble being able to leave the house being a single mother and young kids that can’t be left on their own. I use a stepper while watching the TV after they go to bed. You could use anything to step off and on.

I have been getting addicted to callanetics, my mum gave me her book from the 80’s. Great exercises to do with kids as they don’t take much to remember them and you can do them on the floor with no special equipment.

A skipping rope!!! Cheap as chips and excellent form of exercise (if you can jump that is)

I would also suggest looking on gumtree for second hand exercise bikes. They are usually very cheap.

We have a Treadmill and a Cross Trainer both bought on Gumtree for under $100 each. Both do the job well, if you use them.

Nothing beats walking!

If you already have a road/mountain bike, you can look into indoor trainers and mount it for home use. Great for rainy days or when you can’t go out on the road.