How I Work Out and How I Recover

"It is worth it, and the warranty is a big part of why."

Why I like it:

This is the biggest purchase on my whole site, so let me be straight about why I think it earns it. You can get a warranty with it, and they will come out to your house and fix it, which is the part nobody thinks about until something breaks. It comes with all the bells and whistles, and honestly that is what entices me to get my routine on every day. You can get workouts that play right on the screen and guide you along, whether you are brand new or a pro, walking or running.

"For the days a real workout is not happening."

Why I like it:

Some days a full workout is just not going to happen, and this is what I do instead of nothing. You stand on it, it does the work, and about ten minutes in you feel it in your legs. I use the bands that came with it for my arms while I am standing there. It slides under the couch when I am done, which is the only reason it is still in my living room and not in the basement with everything else.

"The bands can work any part of your body."

Why I like it:

I love using my bands. They work any part of the body, and I use them for everything from legs to arms. These are flat seamless loops in color-coded resistance levels, so you move up as you get stronger instead of buying a whole new set. A pack costs very little, they take up no space, and I can use them with the kids in the room, which is more than I can say for the treadmill. If the price of a big machine scared you off, start here instead.

"Relief after staring at a screen all day."

Why I like it:

Between school all day and my phone the rest of the time, my eyes are on a screen way too much. This warms up and gently squeezes around your eyes and temples, and after about fifteen minutes they feel relaxed instead of strained. It helps with the headache that creeps in from too much screen time too. Part of why it works is that the thing is sitting over your face, so you physically cannot look at another screen while it runs.

"Philadelphia winters are dark and gray. This helps."

Why I like it:

It gets dark here at four thirty in the winter and stays gray for months, and that gets to me. I turn this on in the morning while I am getting ready and it genuinely helps my mood. It is bright full spectrum light with no UV in it. Seasonal depression is a real thing, and this is one of the few things I have tried where I noticed a difference.

"Twenty minutes on my lower back at the end of the day."

Why I like it:

I wrap this around my lower back at night, set the timer and sit down with it. I have used it on my knees too, after a long day on my feet at school. I am not going to tell you it is a miracle. It is twenty quiet minutes that leave me feeling looser than I was, and that is worth it to me.