Having exercise equipment at home is certainly convenient, but you must think carefully about your fitness level and habits, as well as available space, before you make the purchase. — dpa
Rowing machine, treadmill or bicycle ergometer?
Selecting an exercise machine for home use can be difficult.
You don't want to make a bad choice and end up with something you stop using after just a few months.
After all, the machines are expensive and take up quite a bit of space.
But if you think through your decision, the chances are good that you'll enjoy your purchase for a long time.
Here are some factors to be mindful of:
At a gym you've got many resistance machines – not to mention free weights – at your disposal.
At home, people typically have just one.
To choose the one best suited to you, it helps to examine your exercise behaviour.
"Outdoor enthusiasts who go jogging or who hop on their racing bike several times a week, don't need a cardio machine," says Florian Staudigl, a product specialist at TÜV Süd, a Munich-based testing, inspection and certification company.
Better would be a workout machine you could build muscle and strength on, e.g. a rowing machine.
The duration of your workout sessions is another factor.
If you plan to spend only 15 minutes on a treadmill at a time, e.g. during your lunch break while working from home, you might not want to have to set it up anew before each workout.
So it would be practical if it could remain in one place.
Many purchasers of home exercise machines underestimate the amount of space they occupy.
To better gauge this beforehand, TÜV Süd recommends covering its surface area on the floor with paper.
Will it ever get in your way at its intended location?
Will you be able to reach the shelf behind it without any problems?
You need to consider the machine's height as well.
Make sure before you buy it that your head won't come too close to the ceiling, lights or fan.
Speaking of the machine's location, you should also think about whether you mind if it's near a window and visible to the neighbours.
And for example, whether you'll have a good view of the television set if you want to watch a show while working out.
Sure, you've got fitness goals.
But when deciding on the purchase of an exercise machine, you should also keep your current fitness level in mind, notes TÜV Süd.
While you can run fast on a treadmill even if you're not well-conditioned, you might prefer working out on a bicycle ergometer, the company says.
It's important to be honest with yourself.
If the machine puts too much strain on you, it's very likely to end up just gathering dust.
If multiple members of the household want to use the machine, you've got to compromise.
In this case, TÜV Süd advises against specialised machines.
Rowing machines, for example, are geared more towards the physically fit among us.
They're not very suitable for people with back problems or workout novices.
As a compromise candidate, a good choice would be the most classic home exercise machine of them all: a bicycle ergometer.
It can give you an effective workout and is gentle on your joints besides.
And if you'd like to really challenge yourself and feel as though you were pedalling a racing bike, make sure it has plenty of resistance settings. – dpa
