Things to consider when choosing a piece of exercise equipment for home use are largely based on the following.
a) How much room do you have? The majority of fitness machines take up permanent floor space, although they can usually be moved around fairly easily (with the exception of multigyms) and some do fold up. Let’s not forget about ceiling height either, multi gyms can be especially tall and apparatus such as cross trainers and treadmills raise you up from floor level. Performing some exercises with free-weights/barbells involve pressing the weight overhead. From a safety point of view, it’s also recommended that some free space is left around you and the apparatus while in use.
b) Noise. Some bikes, cross trainers and rowing machines are noisier than others. With advances in technology and new resistance systems on the market you may find that air or water powered equipment is quite intrusive compared to a magnetic drive and may resonate through the floor to the room below. If someone else is planning on watching TV in the same room as you intend to exercise, then they may not be too happy if you're using a louder machine. There are however accoustic rubber floor mats now available that can help block unwanted noise.
c) Safety. If you have young children or pets roaming free in the house then some apparatus is considered more of a risk than others. Mains powered electrically operated machinery or apparatus with lots of exposed moving parts in particular.
d) ..and lastly, Design. Does the item you are looking at fit in with the rest of your fixtures and fittings? Not everyone has the luxury of an entire room or garage dedicated specifically for exercise equipment - so can you stand to look at that exercise bike at the back of the living room every time you walk in..? Something to think about...
