I envy people who love exercise. I unfortunately, do not – and I’ll make an excuse to get out of doing it – usually it plays something to the tune of “I’m sooo busy”. And I am – I work hard, take extra courses, write two columns, a blog, a book, and try to make meals from scratch at home…Though, I’m not too busy to watch Modern Family. But as a holistic practitioner, I know how important exercise is to our longevity, strength and circulation. So I sign up for gym memberships, hire personal trainers and buy packages of yoga classes. And for the first while I’m usually pretty disciplined about it – especially in the summer when the weather invokes activity (and bikini season). But the wintertime is like fitness kryptonite for Kristen. Yes, sub zero temperatures make me so demotivated to leave my heated home that the only way I work out is when I have a trainer come to me. Not only does that spoil my inner brat, but also empties out my bank account quickly.
But I’ve found a great solution: rented fitness equipment! Yes, I have rented a treadmill for my home and have been running everyday since I got it delivered (last Saturday). Hell, both Ben and I fit in a quick job while dinner was in the oven last night. Renting is a great option for those items you can’t commit to (see my post on renting evening gowns). Ben and I considered buying a treadmill, but they run for about $1500 and $600 second-hand off craigslist. This does not really make sense as an investment for people like us who really just want it in the winter and run outside in the summertime.
A rental can cost anywhere from $50 per month to $100. Ours is costing us roughly $75 per month, because we got a top of the line model at great deal from Easy Fitness (who, after calling around was the company that gave me the best customer service). Split between the two of us, its pretty reasonable. And Easy Fitness offers free delivery, unlike other rental companies that charge $100 for this plus set-up – I heart no hidden fees.
One worry of mine is that I would rent and hate the machine I chose (you usually need to sign on for a minimum of one month). What if it was a flimsy machine? Or didn’t work properly? But my treadmill is fantastic, its really substantial and Easy Fitness guaranteed to return my machine if I didn’t like it, taking out any risk factor.
I also love this fitness alternative because I have exercise ADD and the same company we got this treadmill from also rents out elliptical machines, rowers, exercise bikes and vibration plates so I can choose to mix it up. But the biggest advantage for me to rent was that it gives me the freedom of mobility. Ben and I are thinking of moving after we get married, and I have no idea what the space will look like, so renting allows us not to get tied down to an incompatible piece of equipment. And, we get to see what we like and don’t like in a machine by trying it out for months before purchasing (if that’s in our future).
So, if you want a no excuse way to fitness, try renting! Because on a cold winter’s day, home is where the heart (rate) is.


















