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Home Cardio Equipment: What to Look For

Posted September 25, 2007 at 09:00 AM by Shannon Clark

Section: Her Fitness, Athletics, Training Programs, Her Motivation

Home Treadmill Life can get hectic, and when it does, cardio is often the first thing to drop off the workout radar. You have much better things to be doing than slaving away on the treadmill or bike at the gym when your kids are at home, dinner is waiting to be made and you’ve got house errands piling up by the day.

Because of this, many people choose to invest in a piece of home cardio equipment. This allows them to get in their cardio session in the comfort of their own home, without having to deal with excess travel time of going to the gym or wasted time hanging around waiting for a machine to become free.

Another nice thing about home cardio equipment is that it gives you the option of doing your cardio first thing in the morning. Sure, getting up an extra half an hour early to get it in can seem like a feat and a half, but if you can force yourself to do it for two consecutive weeks, I promise it will get easier. After this point, early morning exercise will become more of a habit and something you do naturally without so much effort.

That’s not to say you won’t have the odd morning where the temptation to hit the snooze button is simply too strong to overcome, but for the most part you’ll likely find you actually look forward to your cardio session and don’t feel right if you miss it. Add to the fact that you likely won’t need that morning coffee to fully wake up from the zombie-like state of sleeping any longer.

When looking to purchase home cardio equipment, the first thing you must consider is obviously the mode of exercise. If you hate biking, don’t go out buying a bike just because it’s the cheapest option. There is no use forcing yourself to do something you hate, because it won’t last. After a few weeks that bike will become your newest and biggest clothes hanger. Usually elliptical machines and treadmills sell the best; ellipticals because they are low impact and work the upper body as well, and treadmills because even if you aren’t a runner, walking is a great form of exercise and something almost everyone can do naturally.

The next factor to keep in mind is size. If you have a small space and are looking to invest in a treadmill, try and find one that has a fold up option. This will make it easier for you to store it so it doesn’t make your room feel overly crowded. Bikes are good for size, so if you don’t mind biking and would prefer a smaller machine, that may be your best option.

Finally, look at the warranty. One of the best pieces of advice is to invest in a warranty, particularly if you happen to be buying a treadmill. These machines are going to experience the greatest wear and tear (assuming you use it regularly of course) because of the impact. If the motor starts to malfunction or there is a problem with the electronic readout screen it can create a host of issues for you that could be costly to replace. Spending a few hundred dollars on a warranty might seem like a lot right off the bat, but if you truly plan on getting a good life out of the machine, it really is a necessary investment, particularly if the original cost of the machine is higher.

So keep these points in mind when purchasing your home gym cardio equipment. It likely is one of the smartest moves you can make in terms of giving yourself the most options to stick with a workout and make good cardiovascular health part of your long term plan.