Purchasing Home Exercise Equipment

Purchasing your own home exercise equipment has some advantages. One is flexibility—you can work out at a time that fits your schedule, not the gym's. Another is convenience—no extra travel, no waiting for machines, and you can set the TV or music to whatever you want. Exercising at home also means you don't have to worry if your shorts and shirt match! Even if you belong to a club, it can still be nice to have something at home when life events prevent you from going out to exercise.

Of course, there is a downside to home exercise. Unless you hire a personal trainer, there is no instruction and no motivation from watching others. You must supply all the self-discipline, and your routine may lack some variety.

And how about equipment? There is a bewildering array of exercise devices available. Running, walking, stepping, striding, twisting and turning—and each one offers fast, dramatic results, insisting it is superior to all the others.

It is best to go slow once you have decided to invest in home exercise equipment. For every treadmill or bicycle that is used regularly, there is another gathering dust or serving as an expensive coat rack. Give some thought not only to the type and quality of equipment, but also "intangible" features, such as delivery, setup, instruction, support and maintenance.

Where to Shop
Almost all exercise equipment is purchased from one of the following sources: Specialty fitness shops, mass market retailers like sporting goods and department stores, mail-order catalogs and media outlets such as TV shopping channels and "infomercials."

Occasionally, a catalog or TV show will offer a product of reasonable quality. This is rare, however, and you also receive little support or guidance once the equipment arrives at your door. Department stores provide better service, but the level of knowledge among the sales staff can range from fair to non-existent. As a rule, both mail order outlets and department stores offer only medium to low-quality equipment. Their market focus is those customers who decide mainly on price, and they do not have the time or expertise to explain the features of upscale equipment.

Specialty fitness stores offer the best selection of equipment and usually the best quality. They offer a range of equipment from "basic" to "luxury." The salespersons usually have some background in fitness and work to stay up with current trends. They are willing to spend extra time to answer questions and allow the customer to "test drive" the machines. In addition, specialty stores offer delivery, setup and warranty service-some will even provide a free visit from a personal trainer who will help you get started (and try to sell you addition training sessions).

Before You Go Shopping
Think about what you want to achieve with your program. Are you mainly interested in increased cardiovascular fitness? Reducing body fat? Muscle strength and definition? Reducing risk factors for heart disease or hypertension? Rank your goals in the order of importance-there will not be one piece of equipment that will do everything. Also consider other issues such as available space, noise concerns and storage.

Exercise is Exercise
Advertisements make each piece of equipment sound like a miracle product. Each promises unique benefits that cannot be delivered by any other form of exercise. How many times do you see the following phrases:

"Burns more calories"
"Designed to burn fat"
"Provides a total body workout"
"Stretches and tones muscles"
"Most comfortable workout around"
"Makes exercise effortless"

What do these phrases mean? Are these important things to consider?

Actually, most of these "features" mean absolutely nothing at all. They are based on characteristics that are common to many forms of exercise or they have no practical significance. Often they are just plain gibberish.

How exercise is performed is much more important than what exercise is performed. Treadmills, bikes, rowers and stair climbers will give similar results if they are performed at the proper intensity, frequency and duration. All cardiovascular exercise can "burn fat." Any advertising claims that a particular piece of equipment is "designed to burn fat," "burns more calories," or "is the best aerobic exercise" are just distortions and should not be taken seriously.

The goal of any exercise activity is to change the body to make it perform better. An exercise activity places a load on a body part or stimulates a body system. If the load is appropriate, the body will respond by adapting or growing stronger. Increased activity will also expend a greater number of calories. In time, if average calorie expenditure is greater than calorie intake, body fat will be reduced.

Exercise activities can be grouped into five categories. Each category of exercise has a different primary effect on the body. For example: cardiovascular exercise results in little improvement in flexibility; flexibility exercises do not improve aerobic fitness or promote fat loss. There is no one exercise that provides complete benefits in all fitness areas.

Summary
The most important factor in the success of any exercise program is consistency. Therefore, the most important factor in choosing home exercise equipment is to buy something that you will enjoy doing. Do not buy a piece of equipment based on claims that it provides the "best workout." Almost any piece of equipment, even some of the junkier ones, can give you some exercise benefits, if you work at the right intensity, frequency and duration.

The difference is that quality equipment will enhance your workouts and make it easier to stay with your program. Think of exercise as an investment that will yield a lifetime of dividends.

Once you get your purchase home, make the most of it. Give it a place of importance in your home. Make sure your exercise area is comfortable and pleasant, well-lit with good ventilation. Provide amenities like a TV or music. Schedule time for your workouts. If you need help getting started, consider undergoing a fitness assessment and consultation at a local club, or invest in a quality personal trainer.

Treadmills

Stationary Bicycles

Stairclimbers

Rowers

Ski Machines

Aerobic Riders

Exercise Videos

Home Gyms

Other Choices
There are some lower-priced alternatives to home exercise machines. These "low-tech" methods may not be as sophisticated and entertaining as their higher-class counterparts, but, with focus and discipline they can give you exercise benefits on a limited budget.

Bike Stand Trainers

Rubber Bands and Tubing

Slide Boards