WWTBAM Bored

The beautiful daughter unit is contemplating the purchase of some exercise equipment. She's an absolute beginner, who currently just walks around the neighborhood occasionally. Anyone have any advice/recommendations? Much thanks for the help!

Any chance she could get a short-tem membership at a health club to try different machines out? Otherwise, she might just be buying an expensive coatrack.

You can do a lot with a treadmill, and not have to learn to move differently. I'd start with that, making sure to change the angle and speed once she gets competent.

The elliptical is more comfortable for some folks, though, so Marley's idea to test them first is a good one.

I agree with Marley on the point about testing them out first. Specialty exercise equipment stores will have the high-end stuff, but will let you check them out. However, you can also give each type a brief run at places like Sears, which sells the more reasonably priced equipment. That's what I did when I bought my elliptical. I had zero experience on one and needed the test run, or walk in this case.

I advise that she walk around the neighborhood more than occasionally before she makes a purchase. I advise that she get herself in a regulary exercise frame of mind before she takes any steps to buy anything.

She will feel better about herself and be more open to options at that point.