«Previous    Next»
Home-Built Exerciser Ideal For Seniors
"I used to go to the health club every day and use seven or eight different exercise ma-chines, but I can get as much good out of this right at home," says Wallace A. Johnson about a five-in-one exercise machine he built. It's ideal for senior citizens because it's easy to get on and off because you sit only about 2 ft. off the ground, he notes.
Johnson, 77, used a wheel off a conventional exercise bike he bought at an auction and mounted it in a 26-in. wide by 5 1/2-ft. frame built out of 2 by 4's. He built a seat for the machine out of bolted-together 2 by 4's and mounted it, recumbent-style, on the frame.
Handles and cylinders off a rowing ma-chine that he bought at a garage sale mount on each side of the frame near the front. The rear of the frame telescopes 3 ft. on 1 1/2-in. steel pipe fitted inside 2-in. dia. PVC pipe. One weight per side, made of four 10-lb. bricks covered with vinyl and suspended from a pulley, help the frame telescope. An electric massage pad can be added to the seat and a chin-up bar can be attached to the frame for a five-way workout - legs, arms, neck, back and abdomen.
"I've used it every day since I built it last June and have actually lost 20 lbs.," says Johnson.
Out-of-pocket expense was about $80. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wallace A. Johnson, 901 12th St. N., New Ulm, Minn. 56073 (ph 507 354-1601).


  Click here to download page story appeared in.



  Click here to read entire issue




To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
Order the Issue Containing This Story
1998 - Volume #22, Issue #3