With the turn of the calendar to a new year, it’s inevitable. Your local gym is much more crowded than usual. Television programs are filled with ads about weight-loss programs and stories about resolutions around fitness and weight loss.
It can all be a little overwhelming. Luckily there are a number of options out there to help you stick to those New Year’s resolutions, all from the comfort of your home. Let’s look at a few of the home fitness equipment options and see how using them can help you drop pounds and gain muscle tone.
Treadmills
Treadmills by leading brands such as Precor, Landice, Horizon Fitness and Vision Fitness are great options that will build endurance and help strengthen many different muscle groups. Treadmills today have a number of great features, including data and statistic storage for multiple family members; programs to provide variety; target goal-setting around time, distance or speed; oversized running areas; variable inclines; and even models that fold up for easy storage.
Bikes
Recumbent bikes are a great choice for those who prefer a seated workout. These low-impact machines give you a great cardio workout that will help you melt fat. Equipped with adjustable seats and handlebars, and strapped pedals, these bikes often feature touchscreens that allow you to monitor progress such as distance, average speed, heart rate, calories burned and heart rate monitoring. They usually feature preset programs to focus on what you want to work on.
Upright exercise bikes from makers like Vision Fitness and Precor work much in the same way recumbent bikes do, but feel more like a regular bicycle.
Crosstrainers
Crosstrainers by Precor and Landice offer more machines in one. These highly adjustable ellipticals let you choose the muscle group you want to work on by adjusting resistance and distance or using one of the preprogrammed workouts.
Inspire offers a great line of multigym machines, that let you complete a range of exercises from a typical circuit system, all on one unit. Weight stacks let you pick the level of resistance that’s right for you and allow you to complete exercises designed for calves, arms, legs, back and abs.
On most machines, the motions are front to back. That’s not the case with the Helix lateral trainers. These machines provide lateral or side to side movement. These are great if your resolution is to improve your core, glutes, or inner or outer thighs. A 2011 study at the University of Tampa showed that these lateral trainers actually activate muscles and burn fat and calories faster than many other workout machines.
Resolutions to lose weight or get in shape can be daunting. But with the right machine, workouts that leave you feeling great, and perseverance, the new year can lead to a new you.