Exercise Equipment Buying Guide

You know it's important to stay in shape. You've decided to start a new fitness and exercise plan and to invest in some new exercise equipment. You may have many different reasons: training for sports, feeling healthier or losing weight. With so many choices in exercise, you may be unsure of how to choose the fitness and exercise equipment that will help you reach your fitness goals. This exercise equipment buying guide is designed to help you evaluate your options, choose the exercise that is most appealing and select the home exercise equipment that will be the most helpful to you.

Buying Exercise Equipment:

1. Aerobic training equipment: Aerobic exercise, also called cardiovascular exercise, uses different parts of the body at the same time (jogging is a good example), which improves the health of your heart and lungs. There are many different forms of aerobic exercise, like jogging, jumping rope, cycling and walking. If you are looking for aerobic fitness equipment, consider buying exercise equipment like stair steppers or cycling machines. For exercise equipment that's a little less technical, pick up a decent jump rope or an adjustable aerobic step. A heart monitor can be your best friend by helping you keep track of how hard you're working out and how many calories you're burning. The right running shoes or cross-training shoes and general fitness apparel can make your aerobic workout more enjoyable.

2. Strength training equipment: A good workout routine should contain a healthy balance of aerobic training and strength training. Strength training, which is also called anaerobic exercise, focuses on working specific muscles, usually by using weights or some other kind of resistance. Many people like using traditional dumbbells and weight benches, the basic elements of any home gym; however, there are many pieces of fitness equipment that can help you develop your muscles, like resistance bands, rubber hand-exercisers and weights that you can strap onto your ankles or wrists.

3. Core training equipment: Your core is the center of your body, also called your trunk or torso. Without core training, you won't have the strength, flexibility or alertness for other sports. Core training will help you even if you don't play sports because it strengthens the muscles that surround your spine, like your stomach, lower back, pelvis and hips, which helps to improve your balance, your posture and even the functioning of your internal organs. Exercise balls, which are large, inflatable vinyl balls, have become very popular as aids for core strength training. If using an exercise ball doesn't appeal to you, there are plenty of other tools that will help you develop your core. In fact, one of the appeals of core training is that you don't need an entire home gym to work out your core muscles. Resistance bands, balance boards and chair exercise systems are just a few of the core training options that are inexpensive and that fit in your living room.

4. Boxing equipment: For a full-body workout, try boxing, kickboxing or mixed martial arts (also known as MMA). Boxing and boxing-type sports help strengthen your upper and lower body while working your cardiovascular system. The first piece of fitness equipment you'll need to begin your nascent boxing career is boxing gloves. Boxing gloves come in different weights; the higher the weight, the softer the glove will be. If you plan on practicing at home, you'll want to invest in a punching bag or a boxing bag, or you can find a willing sparring partner. For kickboxing or mixed martial arts, plan on buying extra sports equipment and protective gear, like padded helmets, ankle wraps and belly guards. Other fitness gear, like kicking and punching pads, is useful but not essential.

5. Yoga and Pilates equipment: Yoga and Pilates are performed quite differently and come from very different sources, but they're similar in the fact that they both focus on precise, controlled movements, they both have become very popular as an alternative form of exercise in recent years and they both promote not only physical strength and stamina, but a connection between the body and the mind. Yoga and Pilates require little equipment, since they both focus on simple body movements without weights. You will want to buy a yoga mat or Pilates mat if you plan to exercise at home. Pilates mats are usually slightly thicker than yoga mats, but they are about the same size; a Pilates mat can work fine as a yoga mat, and vice versa. If you want a little extra help as you tackle your Pilates workout, you can buy special Pilates equipment that will ensure that you're performing the stretch correctly, and you can find yoga videos and Pilates videos that will help you quickly learn the workouts.

6. On the go equipment: Sometimes life gets in the way of your best intentions for getting in shape. Maybe you live in an apartment and just don't have room for a decent home gym. Maybe you recently had a baby and can't put the child down long enough to get in a decent workout. Maybe, between work and the rest of your life, you just don't have time for a 30-minute jog. Fortunately you can find plenty of fitness and exercise equipment designed to help you squeeze as much health and fitness as possible from the time and space you have available. Exercise trampolines are an attractive piece of home fitness equipment because they offer compact, low impact cardiovascular exercise that you can enjoy in your home. If your little bundle of joy is cramping your workout regime, try out a jogging stroller. Jogging strollers let you get in a cardio workout and a stroll around the block with your child at the same time. Pedometers are a great way to see just how much walking you're doing in a day. Once you know that, you can then use a pedometer to steadily track and increase the number of steps you take.

7. Instructional books and videos: When you are unsure about how to start a fitness plan, you'll want to get fitness advice from the experts by reading fitness books or watching fitness videos. Workout videos and books on fitness and nutrition can improve your exercise experience and help you get faster, better results whether you've been training for years or you're just barely entertaining the idea of a regular exercise regime. Exercise videos can simplify the whole process by letting you do your workout along with an instructor from the comfort of your living room, whereas exercise books can teach you the fundamentals or more advanced points of fitness and let you create your own fitness program.

8. Exercise accessories: There's nothing more awkward and uncomfortable than wearing the wrong clothes during a workout. Without fitness clothing and fitness accessories, you'll be hot, you won't be able to move easily and you may get a few funny looks from the people around you. When you aren't comfortable in your fitness clothing, you won't be as motivated to stick to your exercise plan. If you have the right gym bag, it's simple to enjoy an invigorating workout in the middle of your day. Simply stash your workout clothes and shoes into your gym bag along with a few toiletries, and you can head to the gym during your lunch hour or even in the morning before you go to work.