When it comes to choosing a home exercise machine treadmills and exercise bikes are among the most popular. Which one would be best for you? Let’s consider the advantages and disadvantages of both these types of exercise machines so that you can decide which one you should buy.

Advantages of Home Exercise Bikes

Most exercise bikes have built in programs to allow you to change the intensity of the exercise and to help to prevent boredom. Some have programs that randomly change the difficulty level and intensity which again is a big help to keep you interested. Some of the more expensive exercise bikes even have video screens so you can imagine you are cycling in the mountains or through a forest or play virtual games. Even the cheaper models let you change the programs so exercise bikes definitely have the advantage in versatility and boredom prevention.

Exercise bikes are also low impact so if you have problems with knee joints or your back an exercise bike is going to be better for you than a treadmill. Recumbent exercise bikes are more comfortable than upright exercise bikes with more padded seats and an easier exercise position.

Advantages of Home Treadmills

Treadmills do come with some programs which can change the intensity, speed and incline but are not so much fun, in our opinion, as exercise bikes. For features and variety of programs however the exercise bikes definitely win out. When it comes to burning calories however treadmills seem to have the advantage. In one study comparing treadmills with exercise bikes with around 700 calories an hour burned for the treadmill as opposed to around five hundred for the exercise bike.

Disadvantages of Treadmills

The biggest disadvantage of treadmills for many people is that they are not low impact and would not be a good idea for anyone with knee, ankle or back problems. A recumbent exercise bike is ideal for anyone with these problems as the position you sit in while exercising does not put strain on these joints.

Other Considerations

Before you decide which type of exercise machine to buy try both out at a local gym. You may hate the treadmill and love the exercise bike, or the other way around! Also look up some electric treadmill reviews to see what other people are saying about the ones you are interested in. You really can’t tell until you try them. It’s no good buying a treadmill because it burns more calories if you hardly ever use it.

Home treadmills are extremely common pieces of work out equipment as they give a good workout and are easy to use. Treadmills that are electric powered are the most popular but you can also buy self powered treadmills. The cheapest treadmills that you can buy are around $300 although, for better value and to ensure the treadmill lasts reasonable long, we would advise you to buy a more expensive treadmill.

One of the biggest advantages of having a treadmill at home, of course, is that you don’t have to leave your home for a gym. You will particularly be thankful for this during the winter when it gets dark early and it’s cold. It will be much more comfortable to do your exercising in the comfort of your own home! Another advantage is that you are able read, listen to music or watch TV during your workout so you won’t get bored.

Choosing a Home Treadmill

While, as we said, treadmills are available for as little as $200 they won’t be very good quality and will lack many of the extra features of the more expensive models. You also must consider the extra features available, including the range of programs as a wider choice will allow for a more varied workout workout and can prevent boredom. A heart rate monitor is also a good idea to allow you to monitor the extent of cardiovascular exercise. Though it may be tempting to select a less expensive model this may be a poor choice over the long term as it will not probably not give a good workout or last very long. A further thing to think about is the number of people who will be using the home treadmill and how much they weight. If your treadmill will be used by two or more joggers than consider spending around $1500 and about $2000-2500 for two runners.

Also think about the weight maximum of the home treadmill you are thinking of buying. Many manufacturers of treadmills overemphasize the weight limits hence, especially if you are heavier, purchase a treadmill that is rated for slightly more than your real weight. Take into consideration that, even if you intend to only walk on your treadmill, once you increase your fitness level you may well start to workout a lot more vigorously. If you purchased a low-cost home treadmill you could need to buy an alternative one that is better for your enhanced level of fitness! It would be much better to buy a better quality home treadmill in the first place.

Conclusion

Choosing a home treadmill may not be as easy as just going to the shops and choosing one. Think carefully about how you will be using it and the features you require. Make certain that you acquire one that will not fall apart in a few months and is able to cope with the type of workouts you will be doing.

A big advantage of owning a home fitness gym is having a gym always available, twenty four hours a day. Many people are uncomfortable working out around strangers so you can exercise at home, in private. Before buying your home gym some things need to be taken into account in order to buy the one that is right for you.

Things to Take into Consideration

* do you have enough room in your home? Make sure that you have enough space and a firm place for your home fitness gym to stand.
* What is your budget? A home gym can be as cheap as $600 or as expensive as $5500 for a top of the range multi user gym.
* Which type of system do you want? Free weights or resistance using built in weights, cables or rods?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Home Fitness Gyms

With a home gym you can, of course, work out in private in your own home, the gym is always available and you won’t have to wait until someone else finishes before you can do your training. Your gym will always be available and, once it is paid for, there won’t be any gym fees to pay. These are substantial benefits but also consider the down sides too. A home gym will be bulky and take up substantial space. Some can be quite difficult to set up. It’s easy to put off training when you know the machine is always there! You may find motivation easier at a gym among other people than alone at home!

Choosing a Home Fitness Gym

The most important consideration, in our opinion, is how well made the unit is. It’s no good having a flimsy gym that will not last and will not give you a proper workout. You won’t save money this way in the long run. Look out for a well made gym that uses eleven or twelve gauge steel. The better quality home gyms have joints that are welded rather than bolted together with larger heavy-duty tubing. Look for a gym with a good warranty. Some of the higher quality home gyms have lifetime warranties but you should at least get a warranty for 3 years.

If you have found a quality home gym at a good price now make sure it is easy to use and adjust for different exercises. You will want one that is easy to change from one exercise to another and also easy to change the resistance.If it takes too long or is too hard it is easy to allow this to put you off working out. You also need a home fitness gym that is comfortable to use with seats that are well padded and that can be easily cleaned. This is not just for convenience but for safety, as well padded and durable handgrips and leg presses can prevent blisters and injuries.

Conclusion

If you are buying a fitness equipment home gym don’t rush out and buy the first one you see. Home fitness exercise equipment can be expensive. Try to find out as much as you can about how it works and the best way to use it. If possible try it out at a store or gym. This purchase is quite a big investment and you don’t want to make a hasty decision that you are going to regret.

Rowing machines offer an outstanding all round work out which is kind to the joints but nevertheless gives a vigorous, aerobic exercise that uses muscles in both the upper and lower body. They are expensive however so it is an advantage to research before you pay money for one to make sure the machine you end up with is the most suitable for your needs. The least expensive rowing machine you will probably find is approximately $500 and the priciest around $2500 so you certainly need to be aware of which type to purchase and which features you need.

Things to Think About When Buying a Fitness Rowing Machine

Rowing machines do occupy rather a lot of space so if you don’t have the space to leave one in place constantly you can buy a machine that can be folded up and put away. You will also require quite a large, well ventilated space to use your rowing machine in, if at all possible with space for a television as training can be quite boring when done for lengthy periods. Several machines do make quite a lot of noise so if is a concern you may want to look for a magnetic rowing machine as these are much quieter. If you expect to use the machine on a daily basis we would advise a magnetic rowing machine that is intended for heavy use. For occasional use a hydraulic machine would be appropriate as these also tend to be smaller and more convenient to put in a cupboard to store.

A number of of the cheaper machines do not have computer readouts for things like time,stroke rate and distance. While not strictly indispensable these are great ways to check your progress and to stop you being fed up during training. They sometimes come as optional extras but we would propose buying them as they will make your training session much more effective and fun.

Variable Resistance Machines

Nearly all of the rowing machines you can buy have an adaptable resistance so test out the range as several are somewhat limited. A machine with a extensive variety is a great deal more useful as you can effortlessly adjust the intensity of your training by increasing the resistance.

Extra Things to Check Before You Buy

Check that the seat and the foot rests are totally adjustable and that you are within the recommended weight restrictions of the machine.

Before You Buy a Machine – Try One Out!

Machines differ to a considerable extent in their action and in how easy they are to use. try to use some different models at the gym before buying. If you’re purchasing on the internet ensure that the seller has a return policy so that if you find the rowing machine is not suitable for you it can be exchanged for an alternative one.

Different Types of Fitness Rowing Machines

Hydraulic Rowing Machines

These are more often than not the most economical machines and also are likely to be smaller which makes storing them a great deal easier. They work on cylinders filled with oil to change the resistance. The movement can be to some extent jerky and they do tend to leak after a few years use. We would not advise a hydraulic rowing machine for heavy, daily use.

Air Rowing Machines

In an air rowing machine air flows over a fly wheel to to produce the resistance. Although you can find air rowing machines from under $200 we recommend paying a bit more to get a better class machine at approximately $400. Resistance frequently covers a wide range which really replicates the feeling of rowing in water and resistance increases as you row faster. Though they do have the drawback of being very noisy especially at high speeds.

Water Rowing Machines

In these rowing machines, a cylinder filled with water provides the resistance. They are among the more expensive machines with prices beginning at in the region of $900. They provide a very efficient movement which is very similar to the feeling of rowing in water and you can even hear the water moving past you as you row! They do need some upkeep however as you will need to restore the water on a regular basis.

Magnetic Rowing Machine

An adjustable magnet provide some resistance in these types of machines. They are fairly small machines which makes them easier to store than some of the other types and they are very quiet. They don’t need any upkeep and offer a very even movement.

Conclusion

Purchasing a good fitness rowing machine is a fairly large investment so you need to take care before you purchase that you are sure to use it on a regular basis. If at all possible you are familiar with rowing machines at the gym so that you are familiar with this type of exercise. A rowing machine is an example of a fitness exercise machine that is an excellent purchase as it will give you an extremely good all-round aerobic work out which strengthens every one of your muscles at the same time.

One of the most well-liked fitness exercise machines is the exercise bike but purchasing one is not as straightforward as going to the shop and choosing one. There are a lot of things to think about before you do this. You may want to think about not only the price, type of bike, whether you prefer an upright or recumbent exercise bike, and how comfortable and effortless it is to adjust.

What is Your Budget?

Certainly this is always the most important concern but you don’t want to go for the cheapest exercise bike you can find as it might not be long lasting, be comfortable to use or give you good exercise. A beginner’s bike at the lowest will set you back about $200, and even though this will be acceptable it probably won’t have any of the features that can be found on more expensive training bikes. For a little more, say between $350 and $600 you’ll get a higher quality exercise bike with some features such as magnetic resistance, heart rate control, a comfy seat and generally quiet and smooth operation.

For approximately $600 you will be able to obtain a first-rate exercise bike with all the features you may require. For this price you should expect lots of built-in exercise programs, simple to use resistance control and LED display console, handlebars that are simple to adjust and a good guarantee.

Comfort of the Exercise Bike

Evidently your exercise bike needs to be comfortable as you will be spending quite a lot of time on it! You will want a well padded seat and handlebars that adjust effortlessly. Are you going to buy an upright or recumbent exercise bike? A lot of people find that recumbent exercise bikes are more comfy to use than upright exercise bikes as you sit in a more reclined position which puts not as much of stress on your back. Upright exercise bikes, although not quite as comfy, do have the benefit that you can effortlessly enhance the intensity of the workout by pedalling standing up just like you would do on a normal bicycle.

Changing the Resistance

Resistance on exercise bikes is adjustable in two ways. A good number of the lower cost models use a belt and tension, higher-priced models use magnetic resistance which is quieter and more dependable. Magnetic resistance is usually adjusted with a knob or a pushbutton. Most people find it easier to use a pushbutton.

Heart Rate Monitors

It is particularly crucial to be able to check your heart rate while training as increasing your heart rate is why you are exercising. Always buy an exercise bike with an integrated heart rate monitor so that you can change your workouts accordingly. Nearly all the exercise bikes do have this although cheaper ones will frequently only have a pulse rate monitor built into the handlebars. The high-priced exercise bikes will have exercises that are driven by your heart rate so they adjust themselves to maintain your heart rate at a level that you fix. This is a very nice feature but not vital if you can’t manage to pay for it.

Integrated Training Programs

Many of the less expensive exercise bikes do not have workout incorporated programs. While you may feel this is not too much of a shortcoming you will discover that just sitting on the bike and riding will grow to be monotonous very swiftly! With workout programs you can adjust your training and the feedback you get will assist with your enthusiasm. Consoles that give you feedback on your heart rate, calories burned, distance covered etc. really do help your enthusiasm and keep you exercising for longer periods. A large amount of the exercise bikes in the middle range i.e. between approximately $300 and $600 will give you a realistic range of built-in workouts and a fairly high-quality display. More expensive exercise bikes i.e. in the $650 and above range will have a very wide range of workouts and excellent console displays with a whole range of feedback information.

Conclusion

Certainly, with exercise bikes, as with other fitness exercise machines, you get what you pay for. It is not really a very good idea to purchase the lowest cost exercise bike you can find as it might not last very long and you won’t be pleased with the training that it gives you. It is not essential to buy a very expensive bike but we suggest purchasing one for about $300 which will give you good quality exercise and keep you motivated.