How to Choose Exercise Equipment
Choosing the Right Equipment
I'd hate to sound like a broken record, but I'll still go ahead and say it anyway. Regular exercise is imperative to sustaining a healthy long life and remaining physically fit for the better part of it. This is common knowledge, yet people, for different reasons fail to incorporate regular exercise into their daily routines. One of the biggest hurdles to physical fitness and a healthy life, in general, is time constraints. But there's a way around this; home gym; it doesn't have to be fancy. A simple combination of the most basic work out equipment will do the trick. Get out of your comfort zone and kick diabetes, heart disease or any other complications that arise from sedentary lifestyles in the butt.
Choosing the Right Equipment
But what kind of exercise equipment should you buy? Well, this will depend on several factors, most importantly, your fitness goals. Do you just want to lose weight or you'd like to build some muscle in the process? There are two major levels of exercise, cardio and strength training. Strength training can be further broken into free weights/machine training and calisthenics (bodyweight exercises). Each of these forms of exercise comes with its dedicated set of equipment. Here are the most popular types of exercise equipment for each category.
Cardio Equipment
Cardio is good for your heart, lungs and entire blood circulatory system. It is also an effective way to burn some calories and lose excessive body weight. Some of the best cardio exercise equipment include:
Treadmill
The two major types of treadmills are the manual and powered treadmills. You have to step on a manual treadmill and start walking to get the belt moving. Powered treadmills, on the other hand, have motors that rotate the belt on their own. You can set your preferred pace on a powered treadmill say walk or even sprint. Therefore, powered treadmills are better than manual ones since they are versatile and also they have more features.
Elliptical Trainer
An elliptical trainer is one of the complete exercise equipment for general fitness. The machine puts all your body parts in motion and comes with adjustable resistance. An elliptical trainer monitors all the vital components of your work out and displays them on the screen.
Exercise Bikes
An exercise bike improves your cardiovascular system and tones your thighs, gluteus and calves at the same time.
Other types of cardio exercise equipment include:
- Rowing machines
- Pedal exercisers
- Cross trainers
- Tread climbers
- Stair steppers
Strength Training Equipment
If your goal is to reduce your body fat levels and add a few pounds of lean muscle, check out the following types of exercise equipment that you will need to achieve your goal.
Home Gym Machine
A home gym is a single machine that combines the most basic elements of strength training, recommended for beginners. It's a good option to start building muscle before you advance to free weight training.
Free weights
Free weights include barbells, dumbbells, kettle bells and weight plates. With proper benches and squat racks, there's no limit to what you can achieve with free weights.
Calisthenics Equipment
Calisthenics refers to exercises that only use your bodyweight for resistance. Some of the most crucial calisthenics equipment are pull-up bars, dip machines, and abdominal equipment.
Conclusion
The quest for a fit body and healthy life is not an easy one. It takes sacrifice, commitment, and hard work. Use this guide to choose an exercise equipment that fits both your goals and your budget. Purchasing any form of exercise equipment listed above will get you one step closer to your goal.
