Great suggestions. I think I may get a 1 month trial and see how much I actually use it.
MOst of you all mention the elliptical. I think I may buy that one and stick it here somewhere.
Where do you mostly place it? Bedroom, TV room, weight room. Is a tv a must have for using it? Time must go by faster, I would think.
I love the Y too since I can put my kids in swim lessons (Rachael has already had one set for toddlers) and next year she can start tumbling, and they have other parent/child classes as well. The one I go to is literally two minutes from my work so I go before, work out until like ten 'til 8 and make it to work in time to fill up my water bottle, get myself some coffee if I need it, etc etc, and still log in at 8.
In the long run it may be cheaper to get home equipment, and more accessable as well, but since we can't lay down that kind of money the Y is the way to go for us. Besides, it gives me my 'me' time for the day away from the kids and dh!
I can't do the eliptical yet...not ready physically for it so I do recumbant bike and treadmill and strength training other days. I was going to do strength training today but some of the machines were not in working order, so I did treadmill for some variety (been just doing bike). Once I get more fit I'll start doing more on the eliptical, but as it is 5 min just about kill me!
MOst of you all mention the elliptical. I think I may buy that one and stick it here somewhere.
Where do you mostly place it? Bedroom, TV room, weight room. Is a tv a must have for using it? Time must go by faster, I would think.
I don't have an elliptical at home, I use it at the gym, and I think I would die of boredom without the TVs. But I find cardio on machines to be really boring, anyway. Changing the intensity and my pace to vary my heart rate helps but I still find it dull, dull, dull.
My elliptical is in the bedroom by the TV (and also acts as a good clothes stand when I'm ironing!) It's so much easier to get on the trainer when you would otherwise be downstairs watching something good on the tv (one less excuse!)
The only problem is with really long programs- I watched most of a movie while on it once and nearly passed out when I got off!
It's also great to get right to it in the a.m. without driving somewhere or to work out sans clothing ... which would NEVER do in the gym.
I'm fortunate in that I'm within a five-minute walk of two gyms (not counting at least 2 Curves-types places, two yoga studios, at least one Pilates-only studio, and a boot camp that meets in the park 3 mornings a week). In addition, my employer has a fairly decent fitness center right on the premises if I'm desperate (I much prefer working out at my regular gym).
Sans clothing workouts - check this out from the San Francisco Chronicle...
I'm sure there is at least one actual Nude Gym around SOMEWHERE - but not only my inherent modesty but something along the lines of this anonymous letter posted at Craigslist would most likely keep me from using it. (besides...I would STILL need to wear a sports bra, or risk fracturing my chin...)
(come to think of it...I HAVE seen a nude gym...this was about 10 years ago when my husband was doing a gig at a nudist camp in the East Bay and they had a pool and a fitness center with weights and everything - in answer to the obvious questions: 1) no we didn't have to get nekked nor did we; and 2) yes, people DID use towels to wipe off the equipment after they used it.)
We are going out this week to look at ellipticals (Life Fitness and Precor). I plan to put it in my bedroom next to the bay window. I can watch TV or listen to music while I work out. I also have a stationary recumbant bike that is downstairs in front of a TV also.
The mind boggles at the thought of most of the people in my gym doing yoga sans covering, Mrs. J. 
