Discover the 4 Essential Home Exercise Equipment

July 30, 2009 by Kat Wendersen
Filed under Home Fitness Equipment

These days most of us wish we had more time to exercise. Unfortunately, when we get home from work or have some spare time at the weekend, we find ourselves looking for the tv remote. Buying a couple of items of home exercise equipment can greatly increase your fitness while still allowing you to watch TV.

Treadmill

There are many products available and the one(s) you choose will probably depend on both your fitness goals and your budget. All these items are convenient in that they don’t take up too much space.

Excerise Bike
One of the most familiar pieces of home exercise equipment is the exercise bike. These have come a long way in the past 20 years or so. Where once they were heavy, metal objects that seemed to be in the way most of the time they are now sleek and easy to carry. The latest exercise bikes such as the Schwinn 130 Upright Exercise Bike feature various levels of resistance, heart rate sensors built into the handlebars, a variety of displays, and even a built-in magazine rack. So-called ‘recumbent’ exercise bikes allow you to sit in a flat, or flatter position, rather than upright. This also makes watching tv a more pleasant experience.

Treadmills
Treadmills are also a familiar feature in the houses of people with home exercise equipment. Treadmills burn more calories than exercise bikes. However treadmills offer less variety in terms of routine. Some treadmills allow you to create an incline to enable you to ‘walk uphill’ but that is all the variety you get in addition to speed. Nonetheless, treadmills remain popular among home fitness enthusiasts.

Rowing Machines
Rowing machines offer a very different form of exercise to both exercise bikes and treadmills. Rowing machines can provide an all over workout with little impact on the joints. Unlike treadmills and exercise bikes they require some getting used to because of the co ordination required. It is important to use the right technique to avoid back strain.

Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers are one of most popular items of home exercise equipment at the moment. This is because anyone can use them. You can adjust the intensity to provide a gentle or more difficult workout.

If you have little money to spend on home exercise equipment you might want to consider buying a balance ball. Balance items can greatly improve your core strength and agility which reduces your risk of injury when playing sports.

There are obviously far more items of home exercise equipment available. Skipping ropes, step machines, and cross country ski machines are all included in this list and can be found in many homes across the world. Which one will end up in yours?