Why Buy Home Fitness Equipment?

Why buy home fitness equipment when you have a gym membership?

A lot of people are still not sure if buying home exercise equipment is worth their time and money. 

Here we will go over some benefits and clear out the common misconceptions about it so you can decide whether to invest or not in home gyms, treadmills, weights sets, cross trainers, and etc.

You can exercise whenever you want

One of the biggest misconceptions about fitness is that exercising has to be done at specific hours of the day. However, this isn't true for everyone.

If you are used to working out early in the morning or late at night it might be hard to switch your schedule around just to go to the gym.

You can workout in privacy

There are people who aren't comfortable with working out in front of other people at a crowded gym.

Though you will probably not run into anyone else while working out alone at home, you don't have to worry about feeling shy or embarrassed while exercising on your own.

This is especially helpful for beginners who need to learn the ropes and change their mindset about working out.

You can experiment with your workouts at home

The best thing you can do to improve the quality of your workout is to understand how proper form, intensity, and exercise type affect different muscle groups.

At a gym it’s difficult to try out different exercises to see which ones put too much stress on certain body parts and which exercises don’t work them out enough, because you can't modify the equipment.

With home gym machines such as rowing machines and stationary bikes, it's easy to adjust how hard or fast you want to work out at any given time.

You can even add a little weight to a machine’s sled if you feel it isn't challenging enough.

You can save money

The best home fitness equipment is definitely not cheap, but after buying it, you will have it for a very long time and won’t have to pay monthly gym fees ever again.

On top of that, due to the fact that you will be using it very frequently, buying home fitness equipment might end up as a great investment as opposed to gym memberships which can cost some serious money.

You can easily measure your progress

A lot of home exercise equipment has built-in mechanisms for measuring the intensity of your workout.

With machines such as treadmills, cross trainers, or rowers you can track how fast you are going, the distance you’ve covered, and your heart rate.

You can learn which muscles groups each exercise targets

Another great advantage of using home fitness equipment is that they all come with detailed user manuals which explain how to use them properly. 

On top of that, most of the machines have instructional diagrams which illustrate proper form for each exercise. 

This allows you to check how hard different muscles are working during your workout in order for you to create a balanced fitness routine.

Which home fitness equipment is best for you?

There is an old saying that says something along the lines of “you get what you pay for”. This is especially true when it comes to fitness equipment. 

Buying cheap home exercise equipment might seem like a good idea at first, but they will most likely break after just a few uses and you'll be back with expensive replacement costs.

The best home gym equipment is the one that meets your needs and is easy to use, with enough room in your house or apartment, and doesn't take up too much space. 

The most important thing to keep in mind while shopping for new household fitness gear are the following five questions: 

What are my goals? 

How much time do I have to workout? 

Which exercises are best suited for me? 

What type of budget am I working with? 

What type of workouts do I enjoy doing the most?

You may be wondering what type of exercise you can get out of home equipment - below will give you an idea of the basic types of workouts each machine offers:

Rowing machines

Rowers are mostly used for cardio sessions. Most people use them to improve their cardiovascular system by increasing endurance, strength, and stamina.

They allow users to track how long they have been exercising, how many calories they burned, and their heart rate while rowing.

How it works: when using a rowing machine the user pulls a handle which moves a cable which in turn is connected to two wheels that slide on a rail under the seat.

This movement is translated into forward momentum thanks to the pivoting action at the end of the rail.

Some higher-end models have magnetic resistance which makes the rowing much quieter and reduces muscle fatigue.

Treadmills

Whether you want to lose weight, tone your legs and butt, or simply improve your heart health, a treadmill is one of the best home fitness equipment options for beginners and advanced users alike.

Most treadmills speed range from 3 km/h up to 22 km/h - this means that they can be used by almost anyone as long as you start small and increase the intensity as your fitness level improves

How it works: as you walk, jog, or run on a treadmill, its belt moves underneath using an electric motor or manual drive.

The movement is subsequently transferred into forward momentum thanks to the belt’s contact with the rear roller.

Cross trainers

This type of machine is a combination between an elliptical trainer and a treadmill, which means that it can be used for both cardio and strength training sessions.

Some models even have a built-in rowing machine to add even more exercises to your workout

How it works: cross trainers allow the user to place their feet on pedals attached to a single belt that moves in arcs or circles. As you exercise, this motion creates forward momentum.

To change the resistance level while exercising, you simply increase or decrease the slope at which the belt travels, thus reducing or increasing the effort needed from your muscles

Elliptical trainer

This equipment targets mostly lower-body muscle groups such as glutes and calves by simulating running without causing too much pressure on the lower joints of the legs.

An elliptical trainer is also very good at improving cardiovascular health.

How it works: as you stand and move your feet forward and backward on one of these machines, they mimic walking or running while leaving your upper body free to perform other exercises such as rowing, biking, etc.

Upright bike

A stationary upright bike is an excellent alternative to a treadmill for those who want to do cardio workouts but don’t have a big enough space for a larger piece of home fitness equipment.

It gets its name from its shape that makes it look like a road bicycle with no wheels.

How it works: as you peddle this machine, an electronic display shows all sorts of useful data such as distance, speed, number of calories burned, etc.

Treadmill vs elliptical trainer for home gym equipment?

Elliptical trainers are generally viewed as an all-round machine that can be used both for cardio exercises and strength training sessions.

This is why it’s one of the most popular models among people who want to work out at home.

Treadmills on the other hand are more commonly used by those who need to improve their cardiovascular health without putting too much pressure on their legs joints (especially obese users).

If you plan on doing strenuous workouts then a treadmill might not be the best buy.

Otherwise, buying an elliptical trainer or even a cross trainer would be your best bet if you want to increase your overall fitness levels.

So, why would you want to buy home fitness equipment?

There are several reasons for wanting to get a piece of home gym equipment. The most common one is usually space.

If you live in a small apartment and don’t have the option to leave your door open every time you feel like going for a run, then using a treadmill or an elliptical trainer might be the best solution for you.

Another reason could simply be that buying home exercise equipment gives you more choices when it comes to designing your workout routine.

You can add resistance exercises such as rowing or cycling so if there is no room left on your treadmill belt.

In other words, even people who have access to outdoor exercising will still probably find some benefits of exercising at home.

Wrapping Up:

When it comes to deciding which type of home fitness equipment is best for you, there are a few factors you need to take into account.

If you are looking for an all-round machine that can be used for both cardio exercises and strength training, then getting something like a cross trainer, treadmill or elliptical trainer should suit your needs best.

If you have space issues or don’t want to open the door every time you feel like going out for a run, then having either one of these will help you get back into shape.

And finally, if you have the money to invest in what is supposedly the best home exercise equipment for beginners, then go ahead and pick up that treadmill standing tall on its own pedestal.