Odds are, you know someone who has home fitness equipment sitting in their basement (dusty treadmill, anyone?). Odds also are, you know someone who purchased a gym membership right after New Year’s Day, vowing, “This year will be different,” and has not worked out a day since Valentine’s Day.
However, at home equipment is vastly underrated for its potential and accessibility. Many people say that one of the most difficult parts of maintaining an exercise routine is working up the motivation to either go to the gym after work or setting the alarm earlier in the morning to use equipment at home. While the solution may not come in the form of a pill containing liquid self-motivation, home fitness equipment may eliminate some procrastination, if the “getting there” part of exercising is already done.
It can be a challenge to find equipment to fit your budget, the personal fitness program you want to start, and the amount of space you have available in your home. But exercising at home does not have to equal purchasing a home gym. Many companies sell a wide variety of exercise videos for different fitness levels and different exercise limitations.
By comparing the different types of available fitness equipment, you can get a good idea of how much money you want to spend and what type you want to spend it on. Many people have had success with purchasing in the form of five and ten pound weights and doing repetitions of lunges and arm curls four or five time a week. Lifting weights helps to build muscle, which burns more calories than fat, and also helps to build bone, which can be beneficial to older people. Choices of fitness equipment range from inexpensive (for example, weights, an exercise ball, and exercise videos) to the more expensive and complex (for example, a multi-station gym).
As mentioned before, some people have just as many problems working out at home with fitness equipment as they do with going to the gym. And it certainly does not help when the treadmill is down in a dark basement. One of the ironies of exercise is that after work, the last thing you feel like doing is getting up off the couch and exercising, but after doing so, you have more energy and less stress than before.
Benefits of owning exercise equipment include an independence from the weather, the opportunity to set the TV to the station you want, no lines or sign-up lists for machines, and overall convenience. Many people do not feel comfortable working out with others in a big gym, in front of the super-buff and super-toned bodies, and using equipment at home is not a social activity.
When choosing home fitness equipment, it is best to determine what your goals are (lose weight, build muscle, lessen stress, etc.) and make your selection based on your goals. Your newly purchased equipment is not just another place to hang wet laundry to dry — use it to your advantage.
By Virginia Zignego