Home Fitness Equipment Choices – The Dilema
When setting up a home gym, the best home fitness equipment will be those that help you achieve your goals, while fitting in with your home environment. While individuals and houses vary considerably, here is a list of questions you can ask yourself before spending money on your home setup.
How Much Space Is Available?
For starters, you need to think about whether the room of your home gym will be a permanent fixture, or a temporary area that has other uses when you’re not working out. If you are setting up a dedicated home gym, then you have more freedom to purchase larger gym equipment, though make sure to measure the size of your door frame or that the equipment can be disassembled beforehand.
If you are limited in space, not all is lost. Many elliptical treadmills and trainers fold up into a nice, compact size that can be easily stored when not in use, but take also take into account, whether you’ll feel motivated enough to use it, if it is bulky and cumbersome to set up.
Consider the practicality of your environment. Will it disrupt the rest of your family if you’re sharing half of the lounge room and TV area? Exercise bikes, elliptical machines, treadmills and rowers etc, are loud and vibrate, not to mention that you’ll be puffing, blowing and grunting.
The garage is a convenient location, but think about what it will be like to work out in the cold months of winter. All these factors are important to take into account.
How Regularly Will You Use Your Home Gym?
The frequency of your workouts will determine your choice of equipment. If you expect to use your home gym fitness equipment infrequently, then a lower priced model might address your needs perfectly. If you’re planning on doing a regular, strenuous routine that might see you in your gym most days, then pricier, heavy duty equipment might be more cost effective in the long run. Bear in mind that all home exercise machines have moving parts that wear out at some point in their lifetime. If you’re spending two hours a day in your gym, then you need something reliable!
Also consider the manufacturers warranty on the equipment and reputation for level of service.
Will You Be Sharing?
If sharing your machine with spouse or other family members, it is interesting to note that many exercise equipment, especially those with a digital interface, feature multiple profiles. It can be a great motivator to store a history of past workouts and compare your progress over time. It might also be fun to compare readings amongst other users of the equipment.
What Are Your Goals?
Many different people have many different goals. It depends on the individual. What are your individual goals?
Are you training for a marathon? Then a treadmill is more likely to be a better match for you then an exercise bike or rowing machine. (Unless you wish to cross-train).
Are you trying to lose weight? There could be many answers. An elliptical trainer will always be useful as it provides you with a calorie burning cardio workout, without placing excess strain on your joints or ligaments. Treadmills and exercise bikes are other options that will help you shed pounds and rowing machines are popular for anyone not inclined towards running or for those lacking the space for a bulkier treadmill. Rowing machines can help build upper body strength, while still providing a cardio workout, yet without the high impact of a treadmill.
What Price Are You Comfortable With?
Last, but not least, of course there is price to consider. You might need to justify to yourself (and possibly your partner or other members of your family) the amount of cash you’re willing to commit in achieving your goal. Price can also be a motivating factor, for instance if you spend $1000 on a decent elliptical exercise machine, you’ll naturally be more inclined to use it day after day.
If your budget won’t stretch, it is often possible to find decent used fitness equipment, but keep in mind that used equipment has a history of wear and tear and is thus more likely to break down quicker and less likely to be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
In Summary
The best selection of home fitness equipment, will vary from person to person. Consider how serious your are about your goals and whether you are likely to be inclined to work out day after day. If you wish to get fit, but will not put in the hard work, then the most expensive exercise equipment won’t hepl you achieve your goal. Simple as that.
Consider the types of activities you enjoy. If you hate running, a treadmill is not for you. If you’ve never used a certain piece of equipment. Visit a retail store and request a try, to see if you enjoy the mechanics of the machine, or visit a gym and compare machines until you find one that suits you.
If you think you cannot bear the boredom of continual, repetitive training, consider the kinds of equipment you can do while watching TV, or listening to an iPod.
Maybe a progress indicator would motivate you to train harder? If so, then a machine with a digital indicator and user profile logging might be just your thing. Some home fitness exercise equipment is even sophisticated enough to include its own software package, which can add a much deeper level to your fitness experience, but consider if this is something you would actually use day after day.
Choosing home fitness equipment is not easy when starting out. You have to address a few essential questions before settling on the right piece of kit. You might have to shop around and research the various options for a while before making your final purchase, but having your own home gym can be a rewarding and liberating experience for those who are serious about their health and personal fitness.