I get asked all the time what is the best piece of exercise equipment to buy, especially for a beginner with nothing.  All of my clients know my favorite answer - the piece of equipment you will use on a consistent basis.  With that being said I am actually going to answer this question today. 

I think the first thing you need to decide is, what are you trying to accomplish with your exercise routine? 

If it is cardio related you need a piece of cardio exercise equipment such as: a treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike.  An elliptical tends to give you the biggest calorie burn, but it really depends on the type of workout you are doing, you can get just as big a burn on a treadmill.  With this type of equipment it really has to be what you like best.

With resistance training, exercise equipment is easy to decide for someone with no equipment.  For a beginner the first piece of equipment you should buy is a stability ball.  With all of my clients I do recommend that they buy a high quality ball that will last as opposed to the ones you find in your local stores.  I have found the balls at Perform Better to last the longest and they have very competitive prices.

If you are not sure about stability balls check out my article Stability Ball Training Made Easy and read about all of the great benefits.  I have also created a program just for the stability ball.

Other great pieces of equipment are bands, dumbbells and free weights.  They all allow you do do multiple things and are inexpensive and take up very little room.

The most important thing to remember is to find things you like and can safely use.

Stay Motivated,

Karen