The home fitness trend - home exercise equipment

American Fitness, Sept-Oct, 1990 by Susan Johnson

The Home Fitness Trend

Americans are beginning to realize there's no place like home to exercise. It is convenient, affordable, time efficient and according to individual preferences, the setting can the private or social. Furthermore, according to a recent study, health club members are more likely to quit their exercise program than those who start a workout program at home on their own.

Increasingly, home fitness programs are being systematically planned to include purchase of equipment, design of the exercise area, implementation of the exercise regimen and tracking or logging of progress. In other words, people are setting up their own health club programs and creating their own gyms at home. This is not surprising given a general trend toward cocooning of Americans in several areas of life. To determine current home fitness trends, the Institute for Aerobics Reserach surveyed 144 health and fitness professionals who were regular exercisers. The results were interesting.

The survey participants represented 36 different states across the country and were primarily fitness specialists and personal trainers (46%), club managers and program directors (24%), aerobics instructors and teachers (21%) and medical personnel (9%). A little more than half were females and the average age was 33 years old.

Why do they work out? Collectively, the number one reason given for exercising was to improve overall health. This was followed by feel better, then look better. Control weight was ranked fourth and reduce strees fifth. Finally, to improve a specific health problem motivated some to exercise and to be with friends was ranked in last place.

Where, what and how often do they workout? The chart below shows three-fourths of those surveyed worked out at home as well as at work or at a fitness club. One-fourth worked out at home exclusively. The chart also indicates some exercisers do a total exercise program at home whereas others do only aerobics or only strength exercises. It was found 88% exercised aerobically averaging three days a week, 72% did flexibility exercises on the averae of four days a week and 53% did strength exercises on the average of three days a week.

What aerobic activities were chosen? On the average of three days a week for 33 minutes, the typical home exerciser in this study would get dressed for his or fer favorite aerobic workout. The chart that follows shows the chosen activities. It should be remembered the population in this study are regular exercisers in their early thirties. Surveys conducted on older populations indicate fitness walking has enjoyed tremendous growth and popularity while jogging shows less participation.

Home Exercise Equipment

The home fitness market has mushroomed since the early '80s. Equipment companies which previously showed only a small percentage of sales to the home user now typically shows 30% sales being carted off to the home gym. Exercise equipment should be chosen for safety, effectiveness, program goals, budget and space. Most people are not experts in the fitness field, therefore, it is a good idea to consult with a knowledgeable source and shop around before purchasing expensive equipment. And investment in personal health and fitness is a wise one and should be made with care. The following is a list of questions that should be considered before purchasing exercise equipment for the home.

A Consumer Checklist

General Questions:

* Will I use the equipment regularly?

* Is the equipment a good match for my fitness goals?

* If the equipment a good match for my space and budget limitation?

* Is the equipment safe?

* Is the equipment durable?

* Does the equipment have a warranty or guarantee?

* Does the equipment have adjustable features to accommodate all of those who intend to use it?

Home exercisers often discover the hard way higher-priced equipment purchased from a reputable company may be more economical in the long run because it performs well over time. This does not mean, however, that the most expensive equipment is best for your purposes. The highest priced units often have sophisticated features which are used regularly by only the elite performers.

Judgments must be made on an individual basis about purchases compatible with what you want to accomplish, how much money you are willing to invest, the quality and safety of the equipment, how much space you have available and most importantly, whether or not you will use the equipment enough to warrant the expense. When setting up a home gym, individuals often have questions about aerobic equipment and strength equipment available on the market. The following is a brief review of selected equipment often purchased for home use. This is only a partial list because there are countless exercise machines and equipment on the market with vast differences in price and quality.

Aerobic Equipment:

Treadmills. Treadmills are available in manual models ranging from $300 to $1200, electronic or motorized models ranging from $2000 to $4000 and computerized models from $4500 or more. The more expensive models usually offer features which adjust the belt speed as well as the incline or elevation. Most models are about three feet wide and five to seven feet long. Treadmills are great for walkers or runners, and have the advantage of a safe, weather-controlled environment. Those who find treadmill work boring should think three times before buying one.