How To Choose The Best Exercise Equipment For Your Needs
If you struggle to maintain your fitness, personal exercise equipment could be the answer! While anyone can get a gym membership or go for a run in the local park, having your own gear opens up a range of workout opportunities. From all-in-one home gyms to exercise bikes, treadmills and rowing machines, home equipment helps to increase motivation and inspire new levels of personal fitness.
Let's take a look and review some of the pros and cons of home exercise equipment to help you find the perfect fitness machine for your needs.
The benefits of home exercise equipment
Before we look at the different types of home exercise equipment, it's important to understand the advantages of home-based fitness routines. While getting fit is easier than ever — thanks to all the great equipment out there — making positive lifestyle changes always involves effort and commitment. Purchasing a gym membership may seem like a good idea, but finding the time and energy to leave the house can prove challenging.
More often than not, home-based exercise equipment is easier to integrate into your existing daily routine. You don't need to find an hour or two to attend a class and you don't need to change clothes or do chores before you leave the house. Instead, you can use your equipment whenever you wish — whether it’s in long dedicated sessions or during small intervals throughout the day.
Home exercise equipment is also more personal, which means you're more likely to understand different controls and less likely to develop injuries as you progress. While large fancy gyms may have more equipment and some people enjoy the social aspect of group sessions, personal fitness gear can lead to better outcomes over time. When home exercise equipment is combined with healthy diet and lifestyle habits, you can seriously upgrade the quality of your life.
Exercise equipment can be categorised into the following three groups, although some machines fit into more than one category.
The best training equipment for cardio and weight loss
Your cardiovascular system is all about blood, from the heart that pumps this precious resource to the arteries and veins integral to its movement. In the realm of fitness, cardio refers to exercise that increases your heart rate and promotes the healthy movement of blood and oxygen around the body. More often than not, dedicated cardio exercise equipment is about the constant movement of your arms and legs to get your body and heart working at an optimal level.
Cardio exercise is also known as endurance exercise, with cardiorespiratory endurance defined by the combined action of your heart, lungs and muscles. While running is the most obvious cardio workout, swimming, cycling and rowing also fall into this category. The best cardio exercise equipment is designed to copy these basic human actions, including treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines. Some cable-based bodyweight machines also boost cardio fitness, as do many accessories such as fitness steps, balls, and belts.
Cardio is great for your general health because it helps your body to become more efficient. Along with improved blood flow, you can support lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and a decreased risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Cardio exercise is also great for fat loss and weight management, with a healthy pumping heart helping to burn more calories and tone body shape over time.
The best training equipment for strength and muscle gain
Your muscles play a central role in your body, helping you to move, lift and manipulate objects during your daily life. The internal muscles of the human body also have an important role to play, as these protein-based structures contract and relax to regulate your heart and other critical organs. When it comes to fitness, dedicated strength equipment is designed to promote healthy muscle growth throughout your body.
Strength-based exercise routines often involve equipment, from dedicated machines with free weights to bodyweight gear with cables, stationary bikes and resistance accessories. All-in-one home gyms are the most sophisticated example, allowing you to work multiple muscle groups with ease.
Muscle-focused machines are normally based on either free weights or cables. The former uses separate weights while the latter uses measured bodyweight differentials combined with inclines and changes in position.
Simple equipment like resistance bands, stationary climbing steps, rowing and cycling machines can also be beneficial. While the latter two examples are traditionally used for cardio training, they can be a great way to build strength. All of this equipment can help you to look good and feel great, from your pecs and abs to your glutes and quads. Whether you want to build muscle mass, tone your body or just look after your general health, muscles are integral to physical fitness.
The best training equipment for mobility
Cardio and strength training get most of the attention from the fitness community, but there's another central aspect to good health: how you move in everyday life. This is why equipment is available to promote mobility, flexibility and agility in any environment.
Sometimes known as cross-training, functional fitness training is designed to promote simple and stress-free natural movements that fit with your daily life. While cardio and strength training equipment always have a functional element, dedicated gear is a good solution. One of the best ways to enhance your mobility is to stretch regularly. You don't necessarily need equipment to do this, but simple accessories can make your life much easier and more comfortable. From yoga mats and fitness balls to suspension belts and trampolines, functional fitness combines flexibility and agility with strength and endurance.
Functional fitness training equipment helps inspire safe mobility and everyday strength. Strong muscles and heart health are important, but functional fitness is even more crucial as you get older and deal with the challenges of everyday life. From balance and coordination to mobility and flexibility, functional equipment helps with all aspects of fitness.
Important considerations for home fitness training equipment
Whether you want to focus on cardio, strength or functional fitness, the following considerations are important with every purchase:
- How big is the equipment compared to your home and room?
- How much does the equipment cost compared to an ongoing gym membership?
- Does the equipment help with cardio, strength, or functional fitness?
- Can you perform short, high-intensity workouts on the equipment?
- Does the equipment offer low-impact exercise to help with injuries?
- Does the equipment have multiple settings to help you progress?
Get your own fitness equipment from Gym and Fitness today
If you're looking for advanced fitness equipment for your home, please make an order or contact Gym and Fitness to learn more about our products.
