Jan
21
Which Exercise Equipment Is Right For You
Filed Under Money
I usually link to interesting articles in my weekend roundups. However, once in a while, there’s an article which I find extremely useful and deserving of its own entry at 60 in 3. Case in point, this article from SFGate, which is actually a summary of a Consumer Reports article. The article reviews exercise equipment and tries to help the user decide what’s right and what’s not.
If anyone can find the link to the original article on the Consumer Reports website, please add it in the comments or send it to me. Would love to link back to them since they’re the ones who deserve the credit for this information, but I couldn’t find the article on their website.
Infomercial Bait
The first section focuses on all those devices you see on infomercials. From abbusters to rocking exercise mats, they all promise instant results, improvements to specific body areas and results that take just minutes a day. The secret?
All but one come with diet plans, some “very restrictive,” Hirsh says. “They also recommend, in addition to the miracle 60 seconds on the device, aerobic exercise. They’ll refer to ’systems.’ I think that’s how they keep it legal. The system consists of a machine, a reduced-calorie diet plus aerobic exercise in a lot of cases.”
That’s right, that “magic” machine that will give you 6 pack abs is actually a small part of an overall exercise and diet plan. Even worse, Consumer Reports tested the machines and compared them to no cost workouts. Here were the results:
The users “got just as good or a better workout,” using the no-cost exercises, Hirsh says.
So you can spend money on these devices or you can do some basic exercises at home without spending a dime and get as good or better workout. Your choice. The nice folks at Consumer Reports even summed it up at the end:
“If you have to have equipment at home, start with stability balls (which cost about $25) and resistance bands (which cost $5 to $20). They have stood the test of time and they’re inexpensive.”
Rating Healthclubs
The article also has a section about healthclubs and how they compare to one another. The results may surprise you.
Almost across the board, independent and nonprofit options such as community centers, universities, offices, YMCAs and Jewish Community Centers fared better than for-profit chains.
That’s right, free or almost free gyms beat out all those expensive chains. There was one exception called Lifetime Fitness, which the article describes in more detail. If you have one of their gyms around you, you may want to read up about them. However, for most of us, the results mean we should look at less expensive gym alternatives first. We may actually find ourselves enjoying them more. I know that for me personally, the gym at my office complex is more convenient, cleaner and friendlier than the 24 hour fitness I used to go to. That means I’m more likely to go, which in turns makes the gym even more useful. All that for $0 a month.
Summary
There’s also a section in the article about bigger exercise machines like treadmills. However, the real lessons come from the first two sections. Essentially, this articles clearly shows that it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money to get a good workout. Don’t fall for all that advertising on TV. It will try to sell you insta fitness solutions, expensive gym plans and fancy exercise machines but the truth is that you don’t need these things. A good workout can be had for free. If you really want to spend a bit of money, focus on the basics, a pair of dumbbells, a mat, a jump rope, bands and maybe a stability ball. If you shop right, the total is going to be less than $100.
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Comments
One Response to “Which Exercise Equipment Is Right For You”
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I agree that the quality of exercise is not depend on the price of the equipment. My family bought a fitness equipment which I think quite expensive…But, finally it only end up in our garage. I prefer to use simple equipment such skipping rope or dumbbells. I can even bring it with me during the long vacation.