As a personal trainer, I saw a lot of people buy
fitness equipment that didn't "fit" them. And this
time of year is when a lot of equipment is bought as
gifts. So I wanted to take this month to share some
views on this so you don't make a buying mistake.
You may have checked out exercise equipment in the
store or seen the infomercials. As America realizes
how important exercise plays in their well-being,
marketers are jumping on the trend by selling
everything and anything they can build. That's why
it's important you take a careful look at what you're
buying and not fall into the marketers' traps, no
matter how many PAID experts they hire.
Before you buy any piece of exercise equipment, or
even start to shop, you've got to know what you want
out of that equipment. You need a total body workout,
which you can't get from equipment that just works
your stomach or legs or arms. These gadgets may help
the area you want to improve, but only play one part
of your exercise program. You've got to do more than
work out one area. Fitness is a total body experience.
If one piece of equipment did it all, then your local
gym wouldn't have all that different equipment.
Consider that tummy firming equipment as an additional
workout, not as your total workout. I still see people
making that training mistake.
Speaking of those gadgets, buy equipment to add to
your workout. Don't buy an exercise bike if that's all
you plan to do. Soon it will end up as a clothes rack
when you find the routine boring. Mix it up with
walking, weights, stretching, and other physical
activities.
In addition, if all you use is that one piece of
equipment, then the rest of your body won't grow
stronger along with the part you're exercising. Having
one body part stronger than nearby parts can lead to
injuries. For example, if you work the front of your
legs (quads) and not the back (hamstrings), the
hamstrings might not be able to support the stronger
quads. It's simple... it's called balance. You eat a
balanced meal, and you need a balanced exercise
program.
Products to watch out for
Those funny pieces of equipment we see on TV are
probably the ones to fear most. They market to our
weaknesses without taking into consideration our total
health. A lot of the claims guaranteeing weight loss
contain fineprint that say the guarantee is only good
if you follow a strict exercise and diet program in
addition to using the equipment. How many people stick
to that!
So before you buy, ask questions and make sure you
read the small print. I believe one of the most
misleading is the stomach, or ab, machines. Wayne
Westcott, strength consultant for the YMCA, was quoted
in Men's Health magazine saying, "All it does is press
down on the muscles; it doesn't really resist their
contraction in a productive way."
Most ab machines are only expensive ways to do situps.
So WHAT if it supports your neck, in my opinion, if
you can, you need to exercise your neck or you'll have
strong abs and a skinny, weak neck!
Beware of machines that say they can build muscle and
improve aerobic endurance. Westcott was also quoted as
saying these claims are false. "Aerobic strength and
muscle strength are two ends of an extreme." You can't
do both at the same time.
My opinion is when you see a piece of equipment that
claims to help a certain area of the body, stop and
say: can I do that without that equipment? Most likely
you can, and a personal trainer can show you how if
you don't know. In the end, you save money (but you
lose a clothes rack).
Putting it all together
So what's a consumer to do? To summarize, only buy the
equipment if it adds to your program, not to use as
your sole piece of equipment or exercise. Don't buy
unless you get a return guarantee (use your credit
card for protection in case you get into a dispute,
the credit agency is on your side in most cases). Ask
yourself: will I use this equipment for the next year
(you're not in it for the short-term). And, of course,
will I have fun using this equipment?
