The best home exercise equipment for weight loss depends on personal factors, including how much space and money you can dedicate to your home gym. Also keep in mind any physical limitations you may have. If you plan to have other members of your household use the equipment, you must choose products that accommodate their needs as well. The best exercise equipment offers movement that you enjoy doing, otherwise you are unlikely to stick to your fitness regimen for very long.
Elliptical Trainers
An elliptical trainer is a stationary cardio machine that provides a workout similar to cross-country skiing. Working out on an elliptical machine burns a significant amount of calories and revs your heart rate without excessive stress on the joints. According to the Health Status website, a 150-lb. woman can burn about 350 calories in a half-hour of high intensity pedaling. Burning calories helps create a caloric deficit so that you can lose weight more quickly. The elliptical machine can be adjusted in terms of resistance, height of the pedaling ramp and your speed of movement to accommodate most fitness levels. Elliptical trainers range in price from about $599 to upwards of $2,000. Higher-quality ellipticals offering arm poles, heart-rate monitors, pre-programmed workouts and accurate calorie counters cost more than basic models. An elliptical machine requires about 30 square feet of space.
Treadmills
Treadmills are a popular home exercise equipment choice because they require simple movements familiar to most people. Most fitness levels---from walkers to elite runners---benefit from a treadmill workout. The intensity of your workout on a treadmill depends on the speed and incline you choose. For weight loss, a treadmill provides a high-calorie burn. A 200-lb. person jogging at 6 mph burns about 450 calories per half-hour, and if that speed increases to 8 mph, the calorie burn increases to more than 600 calories. Treadmills also accommodate improving a fitness level. You might begin as a walker, especially if you are significantly overweight and the jarring motion of running is uncomfortable. As you drop pounds and feel more fit, you can add in intervals of running until you are able to sustain a run for 30 minutes or more. A treadmill requires about the same space equipment as does an elliptical trainer and costs about the same.
Hand-Held Equipment
If space and budget are minimal, consider investing in a jump rope and some resistance tubing. A 200-lb. person jumping rope for a half-hour burns about 450 calories. A jump rope can also be used between strength training sets or, if you are short on time, in 10-minute bursts throughout the day. If you travel often, a jump rope slides easily into a suitcase. Resistance tubing offers the same portability and ease of use. These quarter-inch latex tubes stretch like rubber bands and provide a way to strength train without obtrusive, bulky weights. Use them to perform rows for the back, triceps extensions, biceps curls, squats, shoulder and chest presses or other strength-training moves. Strength training is an essential component of weight loss, as the more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. If your budget allows, add a pair of eight- to 15-lb. dumbbells to your home gym for more variety in strength training.
Member Comments