Best home exercise equipment

Getting dizzy in the home fitness equipment area of the department store? And you haven't even gotten ON the equipment yet?

Feeling overwhelmed at the sporting goods or home exercise equipment store, wondering what to get?

It's not surprising. After all, if you've ever been to a gym or health club, the array of equipment there can be staggering, and you didn't have to buy that equipment out of your own pocket. If you're like most people, you don't have a lot of room to spare for a home gym, and you want to get just what you need, without wasting money. So let's get to helping you, shall we?

TREADMILLS

According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, there are at least 40 million treadmill users or more out there in the United States. That's a lot of walking. Even if the number is somewhat off, there is no doubt this is a popular item. In fact, if you've had to wait for someone to get off one at the gym so that you could use it, that might explain why you're considering buying one for the home. Treadmills are great because they give a great cardiovascular workout and burn calories quite nicely.

Try to get a treadmill that not only offers you varying programming options for speed and such, but one that has variable inclines. One of the best things about treadmills is that you aren't just walking and going nowhere. If you have both speed and incline control, you have the ability to put a mountain trail in your exercise room. Granted, the scenery may not be as nice, but you'll get just as good a workout and you won't get rocks in your shoes.

Buying a good high-end treadmill can mean not only a lasting exercise companion but also other benefits, such as shock absorption to save your knees and ankles some wear and tear. If you don't have a lot of room, try to get a model that folds up out of the way. Otherwise, a treadmill can be a real space hog.

A study by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee showed that average calories burned on a treadmill over the course of 60 minutes was as much as 865, compared to maximums of 746 for stair climbers, 739 for rowing machines, 678 for cross-country skiing machines and 604 for stationary bikes.

STATIONARY BICYCLES

Bicycling is a great exercise for burning calories for many reasons, one of the best of which is a low-impact workout. Whereas a treadmill simulates walking or running on a surface, and thus can cause some potential impact problems, a stationary bike won't do that, and you don't have to worry about falling off the bike unless you are a particularly clumsy sort, while a misstep on a moving treadmill can potentially twist an ankle. Unlike many home exercise machines, a stationary bike might actually be somewhat easy to move around, in case you want to get it out of the way.

Also, this tends to be one of the most economical of the home exercise machines.

Unless you want a clunky ride, you might want to steer clear of bikes that add resistance with rubber grip on the wheel. Better options tend to be those bikes that use wind resistance or a friction belt. Recumbent bikes, which allow you to recline slightly instead of sitting upright, can ease the potential for back pain or strain.

STAIR MACHINES

For many people, this is a great workout. For others, it's sheer torture. For yet others, it's a little of both. These machines simulate the action of climbing up a flight of stairs, and some units may add the option for body exercise by simulating a climbing motion with the arms. If you're new to the workout world, this kind of machine might be a bit intense for your first home gym purchase. But it does offer great legs exercise with relatively little impact.

NORDIC SKI MACHINES

These simulate the action of cross-country skiing. One of their advantages is that they exercise the arms and legs simultaneously, something the other equipment we've mentioned doesn't always do (though, again, stair machines may offer the option, and some bikes have moveing handles for upper body action). Coordinating the arm and leg movements can be tricky for some people on a skiing machine. Purchase a model that allows independent adjustment of the resistance for the arms vs. the legs.

ROWING MACHINES

Rowing machines work the arms, back and legs, giving you an extra bit of body-working potential over the cross-country skiing option. However, bear in mind that rowing machines are not as simple as they look. To get a proper rowing workout, you need to pay very strict attention to your form. So, if you're looking for simplicity, this may not be your best choice. Also, it's not the most conducive machine to watching TV while you work out, if that's your kind of thing.

WEIGHT MACHINES

OK, we've focused on aerobics mostly to this point. If you want to build your muscles, you need weight or resistance, and that's where a multi-station mini-gym can be helpful. Most home gyms of this sort will use weights with cables, or will use resistance bands. Try to get one that will exercise your upper, lower, abdominal and back muscles, so that you don't have to buy extra equipment or free weights unless you want to do so.

CONCLUSION

In the end, buy what works best for your needs and budget. Also, really give thought to what you want to achieve. If you're looking to shed calories but not build muscle, a multi-station home gym isn't going to offer much to satisfy you. If you want to look like a bouncer, a treadmill isn't the way to go. Shop wisely, and buy something that will not only give you lasting results, but will last a while in your home. And don't forget the tape measure. Make sure you know the dimensions of your space before you buy, or you're going to have one heck of a heavy item to haul back to the store.