If you think you need expensive fitness products to get the results you want, then it’s time to think about switching up your routine.

People often think they need expensive equipment to achieve an effective workout, lose weight, or improve their performance. More often than not, body weight, creativity, and altering positions can help you reach your goals instead!

Here are four fitness products to keep handy in your home or office that will help you achieve optimal results, without breaking the bank.

1. Bands or a Cable/Pulley System

Bands, cables, and pulleys allow you to move through multiple planes of movement, while helping you recreate functional movement patterns. These devices also allow someone to work their core under the right conditions and the best part is they will give you great results.

Compared to traditional gym weights, cables, bands, and pulleys actually promote more free motion, allowing for a more proficient workout.

Bands and pulleys are also user-friendly and convenient. Typically, all you have to do is attach them to a door in your home, making them great for travel or suitable for a home gym.

2. Exercise Balls

Exercise balls work well because they allow you to move through multiple planes of movement. They push your lower and upper extremity endurance, and can easily increase the complexity of your workout.

Due to their varying sizes, exercise balls can persuade you to do more rigorous and challenging activities. The balls vary in size to challenge each individual person, with smaller balls being more difficult to manage than larger balls.

Exercise balls are also great fitness products for toning muscles around your abdominal area, as well as improving spine alignment and promoting balance. You can even use your exercise ball as a chair in your office—your back will be grateful. This is an excellent way of getting a workout in while you are at work.

3. The Captain’s Chair

A captain’s chair is a device that allows you to perform dips, wide or narrow pull-ups, and abdominal exercises. This device allows you to do all of these exercises in one, and the price tag is very sensible.

Since this particular device is “all-in-one” it actually helps you tone and utilize all of the major muscle groups in your body. Because of this, your very own “captain’s chair” can become your very own home gym—just make sure you have enough room in your house, as they can take up quite a bit of space.

4. An Elliptical

Rather than walking or bicycling through the intense heat in the summer, or freezing to death outdoors during the winter, you should consider purchasing a device that promotes cardio modality or stationary walking or running.

If you enjoy cycling or running as your preferred cardio exercise, then it may be in your best interest to purchase a stationary bike for indoors, or a treadmill. For a more intense workout, elliptical trainers and stair steppers are the way to go.

I recommend Elliptical trainers because they provide a similar stimulus as running, with less impact on your joints. An elliptical trainer also doesn’t always require electrical hook-ups in your home.

Sean M. Wells, Fitness Expert