Before You Shop

Celebrity Endorsements and Personal Testimonials
Advertisements and infomercials love to feature endorsements by celebrities, professional athletes and so-called fitness "experts." They are supposed to add to the credibility and excitement of the product. In fact, these are paid endorsers who would likely say anything for the right price, or they have a commercial stake in the company selling the machine.

Another technique is to show "ordinary" people sharing their success stories or responding enthusiastically after trying the machine for the first time. This is even less reliable than celebrity endorsements. These folks are also paid, but even if they were not, the average "man on the street" knows nothing about exercise, so why would you be interested in anything they had to say?

Aside from commercials, you must also be cautious about "endorsements" from friends and relatives. The fact that they feel they are "getting a great workout" from a piece of equipment is no evidence of its value. Exercise training is activity-specific. That means that any new activity will seem more strenuous at first because your body movements are inefficient and not coordinated. This response will be even more exaggerated in a sedentary individual. (Keep this in mind when trying out equipment on your own as well. A gimmicky piece of equipment that "feels" challenging in the store may not be that effective once you are used to it).

Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is a fine publication containing valuable information on the quality of products and services. They often feature home exercise equipment. They use standardized tests to examine areas that the average shopper could not evaluate, like ergonomics, ease of operation and durability.

A word of caution, however. CR features a limited selection of available equipment. They feature products that are sold by mass-market retailers such as department stores and catalogs, but leave out many of the brands sold by specialty fitness retailers.

CR also focuses on the relative quality of the equipment and not necessarily on the quality of the exercise activity itself. Products are rated a "Best Buy" if they contain quality construction and good features for a relatively low price. Thus a piece of equipment that provides an average or below-average workout might be rated a "Best Buy" because it contains a better ratio of quality to cost than the other machines it is compared to.

Consumer Reports contains valuable information about what to look for when shopping for home exercise equipment. They provide a good overview of the types of equipment available and lists of guidelines to help you make an informed decisions. They deliver unbiased comparisons and help "weed out" the real losers that you might be tempted to try in the store. However, we would caution against following their "Best Buy" recommendations too closely.

Other Buying Considerations
In addition to quality and price, there are other important things to consider when shopping for home exercise equipment.

Hardware vs. Features: At a specialty fitness store, you will find a range of equipment at different price points. Sometimes upgrading to the next level means that you are getting upgraded hardware components�a heavier duty motor, stronger frame, etc. The increased price may also be due to features that are a convenience but not essential to the exercise, like programmed workouts, water bottle holder or decorative items. When comparing different models by the same manufacturer, make sure you know exactly what you are getting for the increased cost. You may decide that the $200 extra for heart rate controlled workouts is a worthwhile feature, but do not assume that a more expensive machine automatically means better quality.

Make Sure the Machine Fits (Everyone): If more than one person will be using the equipment, make sure it can be sized to fit.

Will It Grow With Me?: Exercise equipment is a long-term investment. You want to make sure that the machine you buy will be able to give you the same quality workout when your abilities improve. Good equipment should provide effective workloads for both beginners and athletes alike.

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