When Is the Best Time of Year to Buy Exercise Equipment?

Building a home gym is a pretty pricy project. Get dumbbells, a cardio machine and a few resistance bands and you're already looking at spending hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars.

That's why timing is key when it comes to finding exercise equipment sales. After all, who doesn't love a good deal? Learn the best time to buy fitness equipment and browse a few of our top picks for your next (savvy) shopping spree.

Without a doubt, the best time to buy a treadmill or exercise machine is the winter holiday season, according to Colleen Logan, vice president of marketing for the iFit virtual training platform. That's when demand and sales spike.

Companies like NordicTrack, ProForm and FreeMotion have equipment on sale from around Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) through the beginning of the year.

Fitness equipment sales follow an interesting trend. The best time of year to buy exercise equipment is around the biggest food-based holidays, according to Logan.

The first: Thanksgiving (the third Thursday in November). The second: Super Bowl Sunday (typically the first Sunday in February). So, if you have your sights set on a new smart home gym, elliptical or stationary bike, browsing online during these holidays is a good idea.

There are a few summertime holidays, like Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) and Labor Day (the first Monday in September) that are common sale times, too, according to Logan. These sales don't generally apply to as many products as some of the others, but can still be a good opportunity to score a deal.

Unfortunately for gym owners, upholding a large-scale facility is tough. That means gyms close pretty often. But that also means they have a ton of equipment to get rid of. Often, when gyms go under, they sell off used machines at a discounted rate.

A clever way to score your favorite exercise machine at a low price: If you find out that a local gym is going out of business, stop in and ask what the gym is doing with its used equipment.