Visit garage sales in early spring, and you’re likely to see a number of exercise machines parked near the curb–icons of last year’s New Year’s resolutions. If you’re thinking about buying an exercise machine yourself, you may want to consider these barely used models. Their previous owners, for one reason or another, did choose to abandon them.
Before you make a decision, however, you should answer a few basic questions.
WILL I USE IT?
There are many good reasons to have an exercise machine in your home. A home machine will allow you to squeeze in a workout even when the weather outside is forbidding or you don’t have time to get to the health club. On a home machine, there are no rules: you can exercise early in the morning, late at night, after dinner or while you’re watching your favorite TV show or an important sporting event. You don’t have to worry about fancy exercise clothes or how your hair looks.
And, of course, there are just as many excuses not to exercise: you have to turn the TV sound up too high to hear over the clatter of the treadmill. Sometimes exercise machines can be too noisy for the location you placed them. Another common problem is the laundry or miscellaneous items you place on the equipment between uses. Finally, no matter what the form of exercise, sometimes you simply don’t feel like it. Wherever you choose to exercise, there are always distractions and excuses. Those who get and stay motivated have a plan and stick to it.
WHERE WILL I PUT IT?
Not many houses come with a built-in exercise room. And you don’t want an exercise bike cluttering up your living area. Think about it: if the treadmill is in the laundry room or your upstairs bedroom, you may never use it. If you put it in the family room, on the other hand, you may be worried about disturbing someone’s favorite TV show. And how about the hours when the machine is not in use? If you have to take it apart and store it after each use, you’ll have another excuse not to exercise.
One solution is a “space saver” machine–one that folds up neatly for storage against a wall. Many treadmills and rowing machines come in fold-away models. Stair steppers and elliptical trainers generally do not, but they may consume less floor space.
WHAT KIND OF MACHINE SHOULD I BUY?
If you walked into a room filled with exercise machines of every variety, which would you choose? If you’re not sure, maybe you should visit a health club and try out various options.
TREADMILL: Probably the most popular and most versatile machine is the treadmill. You can walk, jog or run at virtually any pace and burn about 100 calories a mile. You can also change the incline to give yourself a more challenging workout. For persons with sore knees, running, and to a lesser degree, walking is relatively high impact. Because the treadmill is softer than pavement and constantly moving, however, the impact is not as great as it would be on the streets. Walking at a brisk pace with a seven degree or greater elevation can be at least as challenging as a hard run.
ELLIPTICAL TRAINER: On an elliptical trainer your legs move as if you were running, but your feet never leave the pedals. You may also have handles to pull for additional calorie burning. These machines are ideal for high-intensity workouts of large muscles in the legs with very little impact or stress on joints; in fact, they are often recommended for persons recovering from various sports injuries. You can even use them for backward running movements. Elliptical trainers are generally quieter than treadmills, but they do require a bit of coordination. Be sure you try out a machine at a health club for at least one entire workout before investing in one for your home.
STAIR STEPPER: Stair steppers are also low impact, and they strengthen leg muscles used in every day activities. At high intensity, you need to keep your feet flat on the pedals to reduce stress on the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel. Your foot is also subject to significant stress and pressure.
EXERCISE BIKE: An exercise bike is relatively inexpensive and usually not as noisy as a treadmill. Bikes are also relatively easy on your knees as long as you adjust the seat height properly. Because you’re not bearing weight, however, you’re using only about 25 calories per mile as opposed to 100 per mile while walking or running. That means you’ll have to pedal about 16 miles an hour to use up calories at the same rate as a 15-minute mile walk even though your heart will probably be beating significantly faster. Male bikers should also be aware that the traditional bike seat puts some rather severe pinches and pressure on nerves in the groin area. A safer option is the recumbent or reclining model with a wider seat.
ROWING MACHINE: Although a rowing machine may appear to work mostly the arms and upper body, a proper stroke on the machine gets at least 75 percent of its force from the legs. Core abdominal muscles are also brought into play, so you get a fairly complete workout. But it’s important to maintain proper form to avoid putting undue stress on the lower back. The professional-quality machine that’s found in many health clubs–one that moves a seat back and forth with resistance from a big, enclosed bicycle wheel–is relatively inexpensive for the home and can be folded up and placed against a wall when not in use. Anyone who has used a rowing machine will agree that the workout is intense and challenging–maybe too much so for some individuals. It’s difficult to read or even watch TV while you’re rowing. A look around the health club will give you a clue about its popularity: if there are 25 to 30 treadmills in the room, you’ll probably see one or two rowing machines, and they’re rarely used. Again, try before you buy.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND? Those who sell exercise equipment will make a good pitch about the high cost of quality. For home use, however, you can probably get a decent piece of equipment to meet your needs for a few hundred rather than a few thousand dollars.
Motors and belts are usually the crucial parts of any exercise machine. You probably need at least a 1.5 horsepower motor for durability. A treadmill belt should be at least five feet long, particularly if you plan to run. Computerized exercise programs and workout feedback devices increase the price. But if they keep you motivated to exercise, they may be worth the extra expense. Remember though that even if the machine says you’ve used 400 calories, it’s not necessarily true.
Once you’ve decided on a machine, try it out first for comfort, noise level, stability and ease of use. Whatever machine you buy and whatever you pay, it’s worthless if it goes unused.
Michelle Herbert Thomas, PharmD, CDE
Clinical Director
