Work Out at Home

Many people are uncomfortable with working out in a gym, or don't have the extra time to travel back and forth to a health club or money for a membership. With such a wide variety of fitness products available, at-home workouts are easily accomplished. Here are some good picks:

• The GoFit Ultimate Pro Gym is priced at less than $35 and is designed to provide a total-body resistance-training workout that can be done at home or while traveling. The Pro Gym comes with two handles, three 4-foot resistance tubes, two ankle straps, one door anchor, an instructional manual and DVD. Visit www.gofit.net.

• Kettlebells are ball-shaped iron weights with handles, and are one of the hottest new training tools around. For anyone whose time is limited, kettlebell workouts are ideal because they can give great results in half the time of a traditional workout. Lifting and controlling kettlebells provide overall conditioning and strengthening, and burn about 11 calories per minute, making them one of the best ways to manage weight, tone and firm the entire body.

• To improve balance, it is important to strengthen the muscles that provide support for the spinal column. Commonly referred to as the "core," these muscles help to improve posture and prevent lower back pain and injury. Balance boards, Stability Pods and stability balls are great ways to achieve these benefits, adding variety and a new level of difficulty to any workout.

• The Pilates method of body conditioning was invented in the early part of the 20th century by German athlete Joseph Pilates, who designed a series of mat exercises focused on strong abdominals, deep stretching and focused breathing. The Winsor Slimming Pilates system incorporates the use of the Accelerator, an inexpensive alternative to bulky Pilates machines. The combination of all-in-one resistance cords, hand weights and weighted bars along with instructional DVD allows the user to perform 200 strength-building movements. For more information, visit www.winsorslim.com.