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Gym memberships can be expensive. I understand.
Gym equipment can be expensive. I understand.
Those are still not good excuses to not workout.
We’ll cover which pieces of equipment you need to build your own Healthy Dads Home Gym. This post will cover how to find those pieces of equipment at a fraction of the cost.
7 Best Ways To Find Home Fitness Equipment Pieces for Less
Craigslist
This is the Captain Obvious one, but I’m going to give you a great tool to make sure you are first to be notified of listings. Download CPlus for Craigslist app. Search for a piece of equipment, let’s say ‘treadmill’. Once you search you’ll see a ‘Save this search’ button. Hit that. Then add an alert (using push notifications) whenever a listing gets posted with that keyword. Boom, done!
OfferUp
OfferUp is a lot like Craigslist but a little less spammy (from what I’ve found). Offer Up makes it really easy to list items but what I really love is their chat interface. You can talk with the owner of the item very quickly and ask more questions. Size, more pictures, etc. With Craigslist you usually have to wait for an email or give our your phone number for calls and txts.
Nextdoor
The Nextdoor app connects neighborhoods together. My particular neighborhood is very active on this app. My neighbors are listing items all the time. If you don’t see any listings for particular equipment you need then ask. Maybe there is a neighbor of yours that has that piece sitting around but hasn’t thought about selling it.
Facebook Local Market
Facebook recently rolled out their Local Market. It’s new and building momentum. This may not be available in your area, but give it a shot. My guess is that the Local Market will not go away anytime soon.
Facebook Groups
There are a few Facebook Groups in my town that are geared towards the buy/sell market. These groups are a little more trustworthy than Craiglist and seem to have a pretty good selection of fitness equipment. Some folks are a little skeptical of Craigslist but the fact that users have to use their real info on Facebook makes the Groups a little more appealing.
Goodwill/Salvation Army
There is a gold mine of gym equipment at the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores around me (in Colorado Springs). I get a little nervous with the treadmills I see there but if you do have an eye on a treadmill give it a try before you buy. Also you can search for items for sale at Goodwill via their website. And buy that item via their website. If you go to http://shopgoodwill.com you’ll see items for sale.
Ask Around (post on social media)
Let your network know what you’re looking for. ‘Anyone have a set of 20lb. dumbbells they want to get rid of?’ Chances are your friends may have equipment sitting around that they never use that they’d like to sell to you, or even give to you. Let them know about your own Healthy Dads journey and maybe they’ll be inspired to jump on their own journey as well. It can’t hurt.
There are many more ways to get discounted fitness equipment, these are just my top 7. The bottom line is that you never have to pay top dollar to get equipment, deals are out there. Have patience and happy hunting!
