I know from holding this poll with friends the general consensus is the cheapest and most effective way to get fit is to go jogging, its free and you do not have to buy any expensive equipment, insert here a picture of a person turning up at a gym in their car going on the treadmill for 45 mins and then driving home and you get the picture.

But other than jogging, with the proliferation of home fitness equipment on tv, what is the best and most successful purchase?

Totts : The best and most efficient purchase is whatever brings you enjoyment while you're active.  If you have to buy a Wii to do the exercises but you have fun and you sweat, that's good.  If you buy a jumprope, a football, a canoe, a pair of shoes, a basketball, a weight set, or any other equipment, it is the best purchase if you really enjoy it beyond being healthy.

The trick to exercise is finding something you like and doing that.  If you hate it, you won't do it.  Then you've blown your money.  It's a lot better for me to drop $600 on something I use all the time then to waste 40 bucks on something I never do.

My favourite piece of equipment would have to be my exercise bike. I just put it near a table, put a movie on my laptop and cycle away for however long the movie lasts. The ability to change the setting is great as well, some days I am just not up to a large workout and a quick cycle on an easier setting helps me at least do a little bit of exercise rather than nothing. I would also recommend a yoga mat and weights as you can do quite a lot of things with the both of them put together.

The Pumgo scooter is the best for me . Pumgo Scooter is a JOY TO RIDE.
The Pumgo brings the normally boring gym workout to the great outdoors
where fresh air and beautiful scenery lift one’s spirits to new levels of fun
and enjoyment.Perfect for kids and adults, the Pumgo is powered by two
reciprocal pedals similar to the up-down motion of a stationary stair-climber
workout machine.

I would probably say that push-ups and sit-ups  would be a good idea and maybe swimming laps are pretty helpful too.

My exact words what warmaker posted - that was my intent when I entered this thread.

You have to find the balance between exercising and fun.

When it comes to strength building I find that a barbell is probably the best thing you can have. It can be used for a variety of strength building exercises- bench press, squats, arm curls, etc. But again unless you're really into it or having fun no piece of equipment is worth getting.

Well I think If you could have just 1 piece of equipment it would be a set of dumbbells

With 2 dumbbells and a bunch of weight for them you can pretty much do every single lift imaginable and surely you can work out any muscle you want.

When it comes to strength training I am for sure an advocate of free weights. I've noticed that machines just don't offer the same work out that free weights can. I would not recommend ever buying one of those total work out machines (one of the most well known is the bowflex) Just because I feel they are inferior to their free weight counterparts.

The most obvious reason that free weights> machines is because when you lift using free weights you also have to balance the weight load which strengthens your muscles known as your 'stabilizer' muscles. With machines since the load is not balanced you just can't get this same work out.

Another problem with some machines is that the motion of the actual lift is fixed, you cannot change it or you have little choice of changing it.
The most obvious example I can think of is one of the most popular strength lift, the bench press. For me , I tend to want to keep my hands closer together on the bar when I bench because it feels more comfortable and you should keep your hands fairly close for good form. But I'm not an exceptionally large guy so bigger guys would want to have a wider grip than me usually because their just plain wider than I am.
This means that if maybe you are a bigger or smaller person who might have a wider or shorter grip for that lift , but since it's the machine you can't change it to suit your own needs.

I always thought Rowing machines where pretty awesome if I can be honest... Try going full out on one of those for 10 minutes and your ready to keel over.. Like Other users though.. It really depends on what you enjoy.. I was thinking about joining the gym recently to try and lose some of this unsightly fat... Mainly for the fact that losing a few pounds should help my movement speed whilst playing dodge ball.. 

It'd be nice to get even better at dodge ball in my personal opinion..

I would say the Free Weights or DumbBells.
But the Strap on weights are the best.
Wrist weights and Vest weights are my favourites to use anywhere for any task if I want a little muscle growth.
Doing regular exercises.
Doing Daily Chores. (Laundry, Trash, Dishes.)
Doing Drills Self Defence or otherwise.
I even use them at work. (It's a Wearhouse. No one But co-workers see me at work.)

I am a firm believer in having a body that reflects the profession.
Once I get a desk job it will all end. (Thank god or whatever.)

I see no need for a "Desk Jockey" to bench 300 lbs.
But out here in California you see allot of oddities.
The people out here are not sane. (By any legal definition.)

Good Luck To All.
I need to get some rest.
Peace.

Probably a shake weight believe it or not those things work!

The best workout tool would have to be this thing, it is like a wheel with 2 handles poking out of the side. What you do is roll it out, and keep your feet stationary. It works out your arms, and your abs, and it costs like 10 bucks. You can find it online if you look up Ab Wheel Rollout.

My favorite is the barbell, definitely. Bench pressing, squatting, power cleans... I definitely enjoy the heavy workouts. It makes for a challenge, you get much stronger, and there's nothing like finishing that last rep of a heavy set to get your confidence up and your energy going. Not only that, but anaerobic lifting of this kind burns calories long after you're done.

marcushoward : I was thinking the exact same thing xD

Other than that, swimming can be a good all round work out, and its fun to

You will be amazed how good of a workout you can get with a heavy bag. Rock it hard for 4 or 5 2 minute rounds. With a minute or so rest between sets. It may not seem like much, but try it, you shall see.

There isn't really a best fitness item of equipment.
It depends on what kind of fitness routeen your intending to do really.
If your just going for cardio a simple treadmill is good enough.

iN008 : Eh. I can agree with that to some degree, but there are certain items that work better than others. A treadmill is good, but you burn more calories running outside and you tone your muscles differently because of the terrain. A chest press machine is good, but a bench press is better because you're fighting against the weight as defined per gravity instead of resistance bands, which mimic the effects of gravity but aren't quite as effective. The advantage a machine does have over weights is that because it's easier to focus on form since the machine is set in place, but the growth gains are not nearly as good.