Let’s go shopping! Below are products that I use or suggest in my strength training classes.
DVDs & Amazon Instant Video Downloads
Quickly build strong muscles with weights to help slow down bone loss and prevent falls in only 2 bone-loading workouts a week! Also available for download on Amazon Instant Video.
Muscles and bones respond well to variation. Resistance bands are lightweight, economical, & great for travel. All upright exercises. No floor exercises. Also available for download on Amazon Instant Video.
Dumbbells
1 to 15 lb. dumbbells, sold in pairs. Vinyl dumbbells are what I use in my classes. They are softer on your hands, compared to metal dumbbells. Plus, the colors are attractive, making you WANT to use them! Really!
Shopping Tips: Check the price per pound on the dumbbells. It varies. Make sure that you’re getting a PAIR, as some brands are sold singly. Check for dumbbells that have free shipping. Sometimes, the price of the dumbbell is relatively low, but the shipping is high.
Ankle and Wrist Weights
Note: There are two 5-lb. ankle weights in this box, adjustable in ½ pound increments up to 5 pounds each.
Advantages of All-Pro brand of ankle weights:
- Metal inserts that don’t wear out
- Adjustable in ½ or 1 pound increments
- Padded inner cuff-helpful for tender ankles & feet
- Shaped to not put pressure on the front of your foot or back of the ankle
- Sturdy Velcro strap that will last for years
- Easy to put on and tighten as much as you need
- Their only disadvantage is that they are more expensive than the granulated metal styles.
Note: This is one ankle cuff, adjustable in 1/2 pound increments up to 10 pounds.
If you work your way up to needing over 10 lb. ankle weights, this 20 lb. model is adjustable from 1 to 20 pounds.
Examples of the granulated metal (feels like sand) insert style of ankle/wrist weight:
Note: Two 2.5-pound ankle weights, adjustable from ½ to 2.5 pounds.
Note: Two 5-pound ankle weights, adjustable from 1-5 pounds.
Resistance Bands
3-pack of latex bands in light, moderate, and hard resistance. These 3-packs are different colors with different brands. Most of the women in my classes begin with the light band from a 3-pack like this. Sometimes, they will need an even lighter version, like the Thera-Band Light Set of 3, below.
Thera-Band Light Set of 3 – 5FT Latex Resistance Exercise Bands Yellow, Red & Green – Polybag
Lighter Resistance: 3-pack of latex bands in yellow, red, and green which are on the easier end of the Thera-Band brand spectrum.
Heavier Resistance: Pack of 2 bands in blue and black which are at the heavier end of the Thera-Band brand spectrum.
Thera-Band Active Recovery Kits – Latex-Free Exercise Band Packs – Beginner or Advanced
Latex free Resistance Bands. Non-scent & powder free in a lighter 3-pack (yellow, red, green) or heavier 2-pack (blue and black).
Books to get you moving!
My favorite book to get women moving! Delightfully entertaining and informative.
This book is fabulous! It gives the scientific details in lay terms of why and how to exercise and eat right for superb health and fitness. The weight loss part is secondary.
The classic book on strength training and bone health with info on nutrition, exercise, aging well, plus research. Note-Some of the exercises may be contraindicated if you already have bone loss.
FILLED with sound advice for making the most of your exercise program with good nutrition, especially the section on Nutrient Timing.
NASA scientist, Dr. Joan Vernikos, details how to make gravity your friend in staying strong and fit without extra exercise sessions.
See how adding small movements throughout your day, without extra exercise time, can make all the difference in your health!
This book is unique in its comprehensiveness; there’s nothing else out there quite like it. I recommend it in my strength training classes and follow up with clients to make sure that they’ve read it. Finding the particular reasons for one’s bone loss is just as important as getting going with the right exercise program.
Miscellaneous Gear
Women’s Lhasa Lite Antishock Trekking Poles
I love the added stability these hiking poles give. Hiking in Canada last summer, even the twenty year olds wanted their own! You’ll get a good upper body workout while taking pressure off of your joints. At 5’3″, the women’s model fits me nicely. It seems that you get what you pay for with hiking/trekking poles, especially with the adjustable models. Read the reviews on whichever style you pick.
Women’s Lhasa Lite Antishock Trekking Poles
For a softer feel on your wrists, elbows and shoulders, the anti-shock poles are a real treat!
Simple bike gloves work quite well to pad your hands with resistance bands or dumbbells. Great for cycling, too!
Food, Cookbooks & Kitchen Gadgets
Tera’s Whey is my favorite and it’s organic! I almost always eat whole foods, but whey protein is an easy and nutritious way to boost my protein intake in post-workout smoothies.
SweetLeaf Stevia Extract, Powder, .9-Ounce Jars (Pack of 2)
This stevia extract is pure stevia with no fillers. I open the lid, put a fork in and get just a tiny bit out for my morning chai tea or smoothies, if they need a little sweetening. (It has a shaker top, but I don’t use it because the holes are way too big!) One jar lasts me 3-4 months.
Stevia extract is a miracle food when I want something sweet, but don’t want the calories. At zero calories, it fools my sweet tooth every time!
Quick & easy nutritious snacks that are simple to make for your hike or a post-workout treat. Athletes-that’s us, right!?! So, eat like one!
Cuisinart HB-155PC Smart Stick Hand Blender with Blending and Whisk Attachments
I have this trusty stick hand blender and it works like a charm for blending my post-workout recovery smoothies….and creamed soups, refried beans, etc. I rarely use my large blender anymore because this one is perfect for immersing in a pot of soup or a mason jar full of smoothie ingredients.
NOTE: For safety’s sake, I MAKE myself unplug this blender before cleaning out the blades!