What is the best home gym equipment for fitness results?

Let us settle the score: Should you buy a rower or an exercise bike?

There is no doubt that getting your own piece of home gym equipment is a great way to go. You will be able to exercise more often, not have to worry about outside weather or dodging traffic on the way to the gym and over time, you will also save money vs paying for an expensive gym membership.

But how do you know which piece of home gym equipment to go for?

Should you get an expensive treadmill, and exercise bike or a rowing machine?

My advice is to go for either a spin bike or a rowing machine:

Where the spin bike is better:

• Spin bikes are very easy to use and everyone can ride a bike so there is no difficulty or wasted time having to learn the technique.
• Spin bikes are space-efficient compare to rowers. They take up less than 1 meter of space compared to a full-length rower that takes up to 2.12 meters of space.
• The whole family can use them

Example of one of the best selling home exercise bikes, the Bladez Fitness spin bike...

Where the rowing machine is better:

• Rowers burn more calories. Bike riding is actually one of the least-effective ways to burn calories exercising whereas using a rowing machine is up there with running for the top calorie-burning exercise option.
• Some can be folded up for storage, so although spin bikes take up less space when in use, rowers are easier to store away.
• All-over-body workout. You will get a great workout for your legs, arms, back and abdominal muscles. A spin bike basically uses your legs and that is it.

The V-Fit Tornado is one of the best selling pieces of home gym equipment in the UK...

Overall, both of the pieces of equipment offer both cheap and high-price options, both have a range of manufacturers to choose from, both can be purchased online at a discount and both will help you to achieve your fitness goals. Your challenge, is to choose the best option and then head on over the an online retailer or local store and make the purchase that can change your life for the better.

Good luck with your home exercise program!

Home exercise equipment is useless without direction

Have you ever heard the saying that time equals money? Time also equals health and it is no use having all the money in the world if you can’t enjoy it with good health. You can spend your days living healthy, or spend them wasting your life by making unhealthy choices. The great thing about that last comment is that it’s exactly that; a choice.

Here are the top tips to help you in achieving the choice you make for improved health and fitness.

Be adaptable: If you struggle with absolute routines, then don’t be affair to mix it up. The golden rule with a fitness program is that anything is better than nothing at all. If your plan is for 4 x 1 hour home workouts on the spinning bike per week, then certainly set that as your ideal scenario. However, if you set that as your ideal scenario but fall short by a workout, or only manage a 30 minute program as a once-off, then that’s not going to be a big issue. The key though is to maintenance consistency. That doesn't mean sticking to a highly regimented routine though.

Don't quit on yourself: Although you should never settle for your own excuses, there are going to be times when life gets in the way. The solution is to just make up for it tomorrow. Or better still, make up for it in advance by getting in extra training sessions whenever you can.

Have some fun and mix it up: There are a number of ways that you can vary your exercise and make it a sustainable habit. Some of the best ways to keep exercise fun and motivating is to workout with family and friends, use social sports as a fitness session, try to exercise at different times of the day, and mix up your routine as much as possible.

Use tools to help you: Use a diary and write in your appointments. Another tactic is to set your alarm on your phone if you need to at a regular time of day. Some people even find that the act of recording exercise and nutrition habits is a great way to go, so you could look to utilize a food diary or even just maintain a basic spreadsheet with your daily positive activities. There are plenty of tools available and these help to keep you on track and to stay motivated.

Use these three tips to keep you on track and heading in the right direction towards improved health and fitness.