PrintDo you love the idea of a gym workout, but can't bring yourself to join? Whether you're put off by the idea of sharing sweat with strangers, feel intimidated by the hard bodies who put your flab to shame or simply don't have the funds, here's some good news: There's never been a better time to just stay home.
Thanks to the latest generation of exercise equipment that can burn those calories and build those muscles, you can now enjoy a fully customizable workout without spending a fortune.
"The main reason why people prefer to work out at home can be summed up in one word: freedom," says Brad Schoenfeld, the Scarsdale, N.Y.-based author of "Women's Home Workout Bible" (Human Kinetics, 2009). "You are free to train when you want, dress the way you want and listen to whatever music you want - or no music at all. You also are free from the scrutiny of others' judgments and don't have to worry about impressing anyone."
Other reasons to work out at home include saving time (from cutting out the commute) as well as hundreds of dollars in gym membership expenses. Many fitness companies now offer a variety of at-home exercise equipment that meets today's budget.
While treadmills, circuit training machines and exercise bikes are popular staples in the home, one of the most popular trends requires only the basics: your body weight and gravity.
Take, for example, TRX Suspension Training, which uses an adjustable strap that can attach to a doorway and allows users to exercise by leveraging gravity with their body weight. Used by celebrities from New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees to musician Mary J. Blige, it comes in the TRX Home Training Bundle for just under $200, complete with a DVD ( www.fitnessanywhere.com ).
"The TRX is definitely a neat piece of equipment," Schoenfeld says. "It allows you to perform a wealth of exercises in a highly portable piece of equipment that doesn't take up a lot of space."
Schoenfeld does not put the TRX into the "fad" fitness equipment category, which many fitness experts avoid recommending. These products often appear on infomercials and late night television ads. Instead, experts and manufacturers say today's fitness watchwords are "multifunction" and "budget."
"Instead of big, bulky home gym systems, the trends are gearing toward products or pieces of equipment that leave a very small footprint in your home," says Richard Davis, co-founder of Tulsa, Okla.-based company GoFit, which makes a $99 Gravity Bar that also utilizes body-weight training and hangs from a doorway. "These days it's all about multifunctional pieces of equipment that provide several aspects of a workout with a single piece."
GoFit also manufactures other multiple-use, space-saving fitness equipment for the home, like resistance cords and kettlebells.
"Kettlebells are one of the most effective tools for training, and they provide a three-in-one workout with a single piece of equipment strength, cardio and flexibility," says Davis.
And we may have the recession to thank for another fitness trend.
"Punch bags and the 'Slam Man' kick and punch sparring dummy is a huge hit - no pun intended!" says Cornel Chin, a London-based celebrity fitness trainer and author of "Celebrity Body On A Budget" (Price World Publishing, 2010). "This, I'm led to believe, is due to the amount of stress we're presently under as a result of the economic doom and gloom. Taking out one's frustrations of the day on the punch bag is not only a healthy way to relieve stress, it also offers one hell of a dynamic workout once you get going."
While a punching bag may cost a few hundred dollars, other trendy fitness products are more affordable.
"For less than $100 you can purchase a set of resistance bands," Schoenfeld says. Under $50, he suggests a stability ball; under $20, he suggests a set of 10-pound ankle weights. "Along with your own body weight, this allows you to perform dozens upon dozens of exercises for every major muscle group," he adds.
If you don't have the money to buy new equipment, another trend is to consider buying used.
"The first thing I tell [my clients] is to e-mail their friends and ask if they have any gently used equipment they want to unload," says Rebecca Strichfield, a D.C.-based dietitian. "You can't beat free. After that, Craigslist and local thrift stores may have good options. Some of the most effective equipment can cost less than a large extra-cheese pizza."
You might even want to team up with neighbors to create your own gym.
Over dinner one evening, Strichfield and some condo neighbors were lamenting the lack of a gym in their building. So they set up their own, using equipment each of them already had in a donated home office space.
"We were able to donate most of what was needed, including pin-adjustable hand weights, medicine balls, a Bosu balance ball, yoga mats and Thera-Bands," Strichfield says. "One person found a gym-quality elliptical machine on sale so we all chipped in to purchase it."
Another piece of equipment for your at-home workout may not be found in the fitness section of your local department or sporting goods store. And while it may cost a few dollars more than your dumbbells, it could be crucial to your success.
Just ask Rick Ferguson, a 53-year-old Los Angeles resident with more than $12,000 invested in a treadmill, universal gym and other equipment for his personal fitness center.
"For any workout to be effective you've got to have a television," says Ferguson, who is installing an HDTV in his gym. "A TV makes the time go by really quick, especially if you are on the treadmil. You get all the benefits of jogging without tearing your body apart on the streets, without getting shot or bit by a dog."
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