I’m a fitness writer – these are my three favorite Amazon Prime Day fitness deals, and three budget alternatives for less than $40 each

Hydrow Wave Rowing Machine: was $1,995 now $1,435 at Amazon
Luxury: If you want a smart piece of cardio equipment, I recommend snubbing treadmills in favor of a rowing machine. Why? Because each stroke recruits every major muscle group for a comprehensive, low-impact workout. The Concept2 RowErg will always be my go-to for simple, sweaty sessions, but the Hydrow Wave offers more guidance for newcomers by providing thousands of fun, engaging follow-along sessions (both on and off the machine). The monthly subscription needed to access the Hydrow app soon adds up though, so it's worth picking up one of these machines while it's down in price. 

WOD Nation Adjustable Speed Rope: was $17.99 now $12.99 at Amazon
Budget alternative: This might seem like an odd swap for a rowing machine, and it certainly doesn't offer smart features or follow-along sessions. However, a skipping session is sure to spike your heart rate for cardio fitness improvements. There are plenty of options for less than $20 in the Prime Day sales, but I've picked this speed rope as it's better-suited to more advanced moves like double-unders and cross-overs – fun skills to learn if you grow bored of single skips. 

NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Adjustable Dumbbells: was $349 now $296.64 at Amazon
Luxury: As I write this, a pair of these dumbbells sits innocuously in the corner of my home office. They take up the space of a shoe box, yet do the job of 15 pairs of dumbbells thanks to a nifty weight-changing mechanism that allows you to select varying loads from 10lbs to 55lbs. This makes them an excellent option for progressive strength training at home, and a steal at less than $300 in the Prime Day sale.  

Amazon Basics Adjustable Dumbbell Weight Set: was $49.99 now $39.99 at Amazon
Budget alternative: If the price of modern adjustable dumbbells makes your eyes water, traditional spinlock sets are a shrewd alternative. Sure, it took me longer to change the load when testing this set, and it doesn't have the same range of weights as the NordicTrack ones above. But they still allowed me to adjust the weight to suit the exercise I was doing and perform thousands of muscle-building moves. The solid metal build is sure to stand the test of time too.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2: was $129.99 now $99 at Amazon
Luxury: A massage gun isn't an exercise necessity, and shouldn't be treated as a substitute for mobility training and proper recovery. However, it is a nice luxury item to have, and one I've often turned to as a way of helping my muscles recover between events at functional fitness competitions. The small-yet-mighty Hypervolt 2 is a top option, packing the power I've come to expect from a Hyperice product while still being small enough to slip into most gym bags. Even better, it's less than $100 over Amazon Prime Day. 

Triggerpoint Grid Foam Roller: was $36.99 now $27.74 at Amazon
Foam rollers offer an analog (and cheaper) alternative method of self-massage, applying pressure over trigger points (or sore spots) to promote blood flow to the area and ease tightness. Having tried a fair few foam rollers over the years (and even broken a few), this resilient Triggerpoint option is my pick of the bunch, with its ridged design intended to mimic the feeling of a massage therapist's hands. I can't speak for that, but I definitely always feel better having used it after a challenging workout.