What To Look For In A Home Gym

Saturday, September 14th

What to Look for in a Home Gym

Making an investment in your health and well being can be a scary - but necessary - step toward a longer life. Even scarier than making the decision to live a healthy lifestyle can be the choice of method by which you achieve that health.

While eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is a good start, exercise also is an important factor in maintaining one's health.

Once a person decides to make regular exercise a part of their health regimen, the next logical question is to determine what kind of exercise and how it will be achieved. For some people, playing various sports is how they choose to get their exercise quotient for the week. Others may require or desire a more traditional plan that involves a health club membership or home exercise equipment.

However, gym memberships are not for everyone. For starters, they can be expensive and time consuming. The average annual cost of a gym membership is $650. For many people, that is a huge financial commitment. Factor in the contracts that require a year's membership promise from gym users, and many folks find the investment one that is not wise to make.

For those people, a home gym is an excellent option. But what should one look for when creating their own home gym?

First and foremost, adequate space should be reserved for a home gym, particularly if you plan to purchase weights or cardio equipment.

Once a space has been dedicated to your workout needs, the next step is to select the kind of equipment you wish to use. Most novice users prefer to purchase weight machines rather than free weights. Machines can help keep a person's form correct while lifting weights, which is important in preventing injuries. However, weight machines are not the place to skimp in order to save money on a home exercise area.

Gym systems which are made of 11 or 12 gauge steel across the frame are the best indicator of a quality piece of equipment. Weight machines need to be able to support the weights being used on them, as well as the weight of the person using the machine. Choosing a machine that is not well constructed could result in serious injury to the user.

In addition to being sturdy and durable, exercise machines also should be easy to operate. Clear instructions should come with the equipment and operating it should be easy for the user. Otherwise, the user is likely to become frustrated and quit exercising altogether, which defeats the purpose of creating a home gym. They also should provide a wide range of motion for each of the exercises it claims the user can perform to prevent injury.

Aside from the quality of the equipment itself, it also is important to choose machines which come with an excellent service plan from a company that also has a reputation for good customer service. There is nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars on a top-line piece of equipment, only to have customer service for the company which produces it be difficult to deal with if a problem should arise. Research the manufacturer of any piece of equipment you are considering adding to your home gym to find out if previous customers have been satisfied with their purchase and subsequent dealings with the vendor.