Exercise Can Be Fun (part 1)

Now that Summer is here, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite more non-traditional ways to exercise and still have fun. To keep this subject from being so lengthy, I'll probably break it down into a couple of days worth of blogs. Even though I can't do these right now due to a knee injury and my weight, I totally look forward to when I can do them again (hopefully by the end of this summer). I've written about these in the FAQ section of my website, but I still get at least 1 email per week asking me about them, so I figure people must be interested. LOL! Ok, here we go...

Today I'll talk about the Trikke I mentioned in yesterdays blog. I LOVE my Trikke! It's a FULL body workout! You'll use muscles you didn't even know you had and you'll no doubt feel it the next day. LOL! I have two Trikke's (I bought one for my ex-husband so that he could ride with me, but made him give it back to me when we got a divorce - in case I wanted to ride with a friend). My dad who is almost 67 years old also has one and use to ride with me. I'd be out riding my Trikke right now, but the weight limit is 250 pounds and I'm not quite there yet. Any more than 250 pounds and you risk bending the frame (which would pretty much make it useless). There are several different sizes ranging from the kids size T5 to the newest and biggest size T12. I have the T8 which at the time when I bought it was the best one they had. I think the T8 now has a choice of inflatable wheels or the polyurethane wheels. Mine has the polyurethane wheels. I'd love to get the new T12, but with a price tag of $500, I just can't afford it. I like what I already have anyway.

If you decide to buy one, don't run right over to the Trikke website and buy one. Look around for a cheaper price. I bought mine on Ebay for $99 plus like $20 S+H back in 2003. Trikke was pretty much unheard of here in Ohio and many states other than California back then (I got many stares and questions when I was out riding it). I just looked, and it seems the going rate for one on Ebay today is around $130 plus shipping (the auctions I looked at still have a day to go though, so I'm sure it will go up some more. If you buy on Ebay, make sure you check out the persons feedback score before you buy). I saw some "Buy It Now" auctions going for about the same as what the Trikke website is asking but they're including a free backpack and shipping. The Trikke website wants $370 for one. If you're going to pay that much, you might as well get it from the actual dealer. Whatever you do, DO NOT buy one that is "like" the Trikke. It will be worded like "Trikke 8 style". I don't know if they're making them any better, but I heard the knock offs were really cheap and would bend easily when I was shopping for my Trikke a few years ago. Also check Amazon.com since they sell them too (the exact one I have goes for $320 and includes shipping).

Check out What's Trikke? to learn more. If you decide to buy a Trikke, make sure you where a helmet! I've never fallen (knock on wood) but it's aways better to be safe than sorry. Here's a video I found on using Trikke for fitness just to give you an idea of how it moves and works your body...