Too many books out there to list. I have some oldie but goodies, like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Exercise book (from the 1980's I think). It has a beginner's section, which covers the range of basic exercises to do before you work up to working out at a gym. I have an old Jane Fonda's workout book. It's excellent. And if you've ever seen any of her exercise tapes, she usu. had a section in her workout tapes (which were aerobics) of floor work. Don't forget that you can do the same resistance exercises usu. with or without hand weights. So even though a book might have hand weights being used, you can always do them w/o the weights. Another thought: The U.S. Air Force has a recommended routine. This used to be given to patients by doctors for working out. Amazon.com has a book on this, as well as other floor workout/resistance workout books. Don't forget about using exercise BANDS. They are perfect for traveling and add resistance. Any book on Pilates would be good, I would think. I have basic Pilates tapes, and there are a number of the exercises that do not use exercise balls or any equipment at all. A plus is that these are not time consuming. Good luck!

My experience with home exercise equipment was not that great. We bought a fairly expensive treadmill several years ago and after about three years it developed all sorts of problems. I called the company and was told it would cost $130 for someone to come look at it and that because that model was no longer made, it was unlikely they'd even have the right parts to fix it. Since then, I was talking to an equipment repairman at the gym I've since joined and he said this is pretty typical of what happens with home equipment. Gym memberships have become very reasonably priced in the last few years. There you have a variety of equipment to use, classes you can choose, and personal trainers available if needed. Most gyms in my area are $30 per month. When I first considered joining, I was afraid it would be filled with young, fit people and I'd be intimidated. That didn't turn out to be the case at all. There are all ages at my gym, including lots of elderly people who only recently began to exercise. I've made new friends there and can constantly change my routine to avoid boredom and focus on specific results I want. To me, the gym is a much better value than buying equipment and dealing with repairs. My treadmill, due to its short lifespan, cost me $500 per year compared to $360 per year for the gym and I have many more exercise options than just walking. It's also nice to not have to deal with bulky equipment taking up space in my home. I realize there may be some areas where there is no gym available within a reasonable drive, but if you have one I would recommend looking into that rather than buying your own machine.

2 minutes, Annie? That is incredible! Awm is right-- you are like iron! Awm, that is awesome about your KB group. Are there ever any injuries with people letting go by mistake? My hands get so sweaty sometimes . . . I worry about that! (Right through DH's TV it would go!) Thank goodness I am short, because if I were taller my KB would break through our very low ceiling with some moves. I am finally getting some little callouses from them. Hope that is a good thing! For the next set of 6 weeks, I will just keep one thread going the whole time instead of individual weeks. Can you believe we've been talking about this (and following through) for 3 months? I know some of you have done it all along (started long before). Wow!

I make jewelry and have lots and lots of stones and glass beads and findings. I bought a bunch of the plastic drawer sets on casters at Joanne Fabrics or at other hobby-type shops. I then bought some plywood at Lowes and had them cut it to the right size to make tops for the drawer sets. I took the wood home and sanded the ends smooth and then put on a nice dark stain and several layers of polyurethane. Then I went to Joanne's and chose a beautiful fabric that matched the family room. I really hate sewing hems, so I used Tacky Glue and folded back the heavy fabric and glued the hems and side seams. I made skirts for the drawer sets, stapling them to the plywood tops. You can then glue ric-rack or rope trim to hide the staples. I made the fabric into a flap in front of the drawers, but mostly just made straight, heavy skirts that were stapled to the tops. Then the top just sits on top of the drawer set. I sat plants on one, family pictures on another. Using this idea, you can hide all kinds of small things. They make the drawer sets in tall, narrow sizes, as well, so you might be able to find a space in the corner of a guest room or den to put one.