Whether you plan to join a local gym or exercise at home, knowing the basics of exercise equipment will help you to design an effective fitness program that's right for your specific needs. Exercise equipment comes in many varieties, each of which offers specific benefits. Learn what equipment works best with your schedule and your fitness goals. Check with your doctor or a fitness expert before starting a new exercise regimen.
Types
A typical gym has endless-path machines, resistance machines and free weights. Endless-path machines, such as treadmills, stationary bicycles, elliptical machines, rowers and stair climbers, allow you to perform cardiovascular exercise while staying in one place. Resistance machines allow you to lift weights via cables and pulleys. Free weights include dumbbells, barbells and medicine balls.
Effects
Choose exercise equipment that helps you reach your fitness goals. For example, if you need cardiovascular exercise, endless-path machines give you a high-intensity, calorie-burning workout. If you want to build strength, consider free weights or resistance machines. If your goal is to lose weight, research how many calories each type of exercise burns. The Harvard Medical School provides a table of common physical activities and the amount of calories they burn (see Resources).
Features
Many types of exercise equipment display data about your workout. For example, treadmills often indicate your speed, total calories burned, distance traveled and incline. But the data provided by exercise equipment isn't always accurate, according to the Health Services at Columbia University. Many factors affect the energy-burning results of your workout, including your body weight, intensity and current level of fitness. If an exercise machine does not ask you to enter information about such factors, it is best to consider the displayed data to be a rough estimate.
Expert Insight
Fitness-product manufacturers are notorious exaggerators. Investigate carefully any claims you find in a product's advertisement. For example, some products claim to burn fat off a certain part of your body, which is unlikely to be true, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Warning
Every year, 8,700 children under 5 years of age injure themselves while using exercise equipment, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Do not allow young children to use exercise equipment. When they are old enough to use it, monitor them carefully to ensure they use the equipment properly. [See ref 3]
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