You could splurge on dinner or a couple of rounds of drinks.
You could use it to pay for classes or a workshop.
Or, being the season and all, you could buy stuff. But why not spend your accumulation on things that will help you get fit, or at least stave off accumulating pounds?
Here are some are some ideas to help empty the jar. All these hover at $90 (not factoring sales tax, conversion fees or expert haggling):
• Stay warm and cool at the same time with breathable, wickable exercise apparel. Brooks Running Co. offers the L.S.D. Thermal Vest, which is lightweight, thermal filled and designed to transfer moisture.
• Build a home gym on the cheap by picking up a number of little items, like jump rope, exercise balls (the kind you balance on and the kind you carry) or a yoga mat. You can get this stuff at any sporting-goods store or online from well-established companies such as Harbinger Fitness and Spri Products.
• We pack stuff to and fro. There are all kinds of messenger bags and packs out there. Timbuk2.com sells what it calls the "Track Day Pack," which features pockets for cellphones, pens, laptops and a headphone port, for about this amount.
• Walk in a good pair of shoes. Good hard-core running shoes generally exceed what your change jar can cover, but you can get shoes good enough in which to walk miles. Adidas's Supernova Cushion 6 running shoes, heavy on shock absorption, are one option.
• A heart-rate monitor can be an important exercise tool. Polar's FS3{trade} has a few features beyond the basic heart-rate monitor, but you can go cheaper depending on what you need. Basically, you want to know how hard your heart is working. Everything else is gravy.
• You could afford Phiten USA's titanium tape and liquid titanium lotion, which are designed to relieve pain, increase energy and promote relaxation by improving the flow of bioelectrical current.
• Try a different sort of workout with the 10-lb VersaFit Log. It comes with handles and Velcro straps that allow varying movements and exercises. The "log" is soft-shelled and is about 23 inches long by 8 inches in diameter; www.power-systems.com.
• Pick up some warm books and go hiking.
• Try "The Wave," a new sort of skateboard, and go rolling.
• Buy your kid a bicycle (and tell him he can't play video games until he pedals around the block). Or you could afford the Fisher-Price Smart Cycle, which is a stationary bike that take children through video adventures.
• Play hoop, which is about the perfect exercise. Big 5 sells an "official" NBA basketball.
• Consider some exercise videos. They're convenient. Think yoga and stretching regimens. Save the aerobics for outside or the gym. And you can get about nine videos for $90 if you don't mind buying them used on Amazon.com.
• The Airex Coronella Mat, a sturdy platform for stretching, rehab and yoga, costs about $90.
• Balky knee holding you back? The Pro Style Hinged Knee Brace Deluxe by Mueller can help stabilize the troublesome joint.
Richard Seven: rseven@seattletimes.com
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