Purchasing home exercise equipment is a complicated, and potentially lengthy, process. Your purchase choices must align with your budget, your fitness goals and the space available in your home. Some people purchase their home fitness equipment at the manufacturer's stores or showrooms, but the companies rarely have shops in every state. Online exercise equipment shops offer a convenient alternative.
Selection Process
While consumer fitness magazines and professional fitness journals review specific types of exercise equipment, they rarely feature reviews of online equipment suppliers. Searching for the best site requires some homework. Better Business Bureau ratings provide some guidance. In general, sites with at least a "B" rating are most desirable, but you should also look at industry and magazine awards. Equipment companies owned or managed by fitness industry professionals sometimes offer workshops and fitness articles. Employees of these sites provide knowledgeable support. When choosing between two sites, consider the shipping and handling fees, and choose the supplier closest to your home.
Sport and Balance Equipment
MF Athletic, which does business as Perform Better, and Power-Systems Inc. lead the pack for online sport-specific equipment. These websites sell balance training devices, resistance bands and speed and agility training equipment. Perform Better, located in Cranston, Rhode Island, has a Better Business Bureau "B" rating. The company offers multi-day functional training workshops throughout the country, and the website features articles from well-known industry professionals, as well as detailed exercise charts for the equipment that it sells. Power Systems, located in Knoxville, Tennessee, has a Better Business Bureau A+ rating. In 2008, "Fitness Management Magazine" gave it the Nova 7 Award for "Best Specialized Equipment Supplier."
Strength and Cardio
The Better Business Bureau awarded San Diego-based Total Gym EFI an A+ rating. The company, founded in 1974, constantly reinvents itself. Total Gym strength training equipment features a pulley system with an adjustable platform, which facilitates exercise from an incline or decline position. Attachable Pilates training add-ons are also available. For space-saving home cardio training, Total Gym offers the Cyclo Trainer. Place it at the base of the Total Gym gliding platform for recumbent bike training, or kneel on the platform and use the bike for upper body aerobics. The Total Gym website has detailed photos and videos of most of the exercises.
Pilates
A+ rated Balanced Body, located in Sacramento, California, has a strong presence at fitness instructor conferences. The company, which also certifies Pilates instructors, offers articles and training podcasts on its websites. In addition to traditional Pilates equipment, Balanced Body constantly develops new portable and affordable machines, based on the original Pilates equipment. The website features a space planner to help you determine which equipment fits in your space.
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