A Build-It-Yourself Gym

Cost: Free (using leftover sand and an old basketball)

Materials: Sand, drill with an eight-inch bit, funnel with a narrow nozzle, rubber/epoxy high-pressure tire-puncture plug, epoxy-resin-based high-pressure sealant, sandpaper, radial tire patch, basketball

How to: This project was fun because Hubby got to use his power drill. We took a basketball, drilled a hole in it and poured sand in through a funnel. Then we used the tire-puncture plug to fill the puncture. We smeared the sealant in and around the plug.

Once the sealant hardens, pump some air into the ball. Sand the area around the plug. Slather the area with more resin and cover with the radial tire patch and more resin. Dry overnight.

Medicine ball toe touch/twist: Lie back with the ball on your chest and feet to the sky. Lift the ball with straight arms, raising your back off the floor, stomach in, until you touch your toes with the ball. Then bring your back to the ground and, keeping arms straight and legs in the air, twist and touch the ball to the ground on each side. End with the ball back on your chest.

Project 3: Parallettes

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My dream of becoming the next Mary Lou Retton died while I still believed in unicorns. But I still indulge in the delusion that I'm going for the gold when I use my homemade parallettes -- mock parallel bars. I'm good for only push-ups and dips so far, but gym-nastier folks can actually do handstands on them.

Cost:$16