Home is where the heart is for some. But for many others, it’s where the heart gets pumping.
Americans spend some $2 billion annually on home fitness equipment in hopes of sculpting leaner, meaner bodies. While many end up using expensive treadmills and stair steppers just as decorative wardrobe hangers, others use the comfort and privacy of their home to get into tip-top physical form.
Tony Wooden, a travel agency owner, decided to get in shape eight years ago after the birth of his son. The 43-year-old said he didn’t want to be an out-of-shape dad while his son danced, pranced and tumbled around him.
By the time Wooden moved to Florissant, Mo. from Queens, N.Y., two years ago, he had bought more than $10,000 worth of equipment, including a treadmill, weight bench, stair climber, recumbent cycle, Cardio Glide, Ab/Back machine and an aerobic stepper. “So when the house was built,” he says. “I made sure that the workout room was included.”
Wooden now works out two hours a day, five days a week in his comfy fitness room replete with mirrored walls, piped-in music, television, carpet and gym mats.
Jeffrey Pounds transformed the dining room of his Clayton, Mo., apartment into a modest gym. Now the 31-year-old corporate art consultant and his roommate, Tim Thompson, work out daily with free weights, a treadmill and a universal gym while their pooch, Mikasa, looks on.
“I used to be pretty structured and worked out every day,” Pounds confesses. “But not now.”
At one point, Pounds had an outside gym membership. But overall, he says, he feels more comfortable working out at home.
“I’ve done the gym thing, but it was awfully difficult to get motivated,” he recalls. “But when you have this stuff sitting in your back room, it’s a little easier because you feel guilty.”
Pounds says he and Thompson have spent about $1,000 on fitness equipment. The only thing missing from his fitness haven, he says, is a TV. “Music doesn’t seem to do it,” he says.
Chris Pearson of Chesterfield, Mo., keeps a stereo and TV near her basement fitness area. She says creating a fun, engaging environment really does help.
“I don’t have a set schedule. If I get up early, I’ll do 1/8exercise) or in the evening after dinner. I just try to make it something that’s not a chore,” she says, adding, “Just find something you enjoy doing because if you don’t enjoy doing it, you’re not going to stick with it.”
Pearson acquired most of her fitness pieces as gifts. Her makeshift home gym includes a stair stepper, stationary bike, treadmill, Fitness Flyer, Health Rider, stomach cruncher, hip and bun sculpter, ab roller and Solo Flex.
“A lot of it my mother gave me for past birthdays and Christmases,” the 29-year-old says. “And I added to the collection as I got bored.”
Unfortunately, not all of Pearson’s purchases paid off. She says she once bought an item that failed to live up to its promises of toning and providing a cardiovascular workout.
She urges others to try before they buy.
So does Dale Huff, owner of an in-home personal training company and a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.
“Try it first because if you’re an informercial shopper, you’re going to get burned,” he says. “And don’t be afraid to send it back.”
Before purchasing any equipment, Huff advises health enthusiasts to set goals.
“Talk about what you’re after, whether it be weight loss or strength training,” he says. “And then keep that in mind when you look at equipment.”
Those who plan to focus on strength training can get away with a home gym that merely includes a few dumbbells and an adjustable bench, an investment of between $300 and $500, he says.
