Home fitness equipment can include a vast array of weight-lifting machines, mats, workout balls, free weights, and cardiovascular equipment. At-home gyms are compiled specific to the owner and often have a definitive focus on physical fitness goals. Because of expense and development of skill over time, home gyms commonly have a slow development and few overall pieces of equipment. The wide variety of potential areas of focus on health and fitness leave many choices to be made when selecting personal gym equipment. Several common types of at-home fitness concentrations include Yoga, Pilates, weight training, and cardiovascular training.
Yoga is a type of fitness method with religious origins that has become increasingly popular in mainstream culture. Its main focus includes strength, balance, flexibility, mental equilibrium, and inner harmony. Equipment typically used to practice yoga includes balance balls, mats, resistance straps, blocks, and wedges. This home fitness equipment can often be purchased from an online source in the form of a kit that includes the required basics; video tutorials are also readily available to instruct in the use of the equipment. It is relatively affordable, incorporates multiple degrees of skill, and utilizes easily stored equipment.
Pilates is a fitness regimen that concentrates on core strength, mental focus, balance, stretching, and body alignment. It is similar to yoga in its physical goals, but differs significantly in the types of equipment and exercises. A great deal of the Pilates home fitness equipment is designed to include the use of spring mechanisms. The apparatuses used are complex and trademarked machine designs. Examples include the Reformer®, Cadillac®, Wunda Chair®, Pilates Ring®, Ladder Barrel®, and Spine Corrector®.
Home fitness equipment that solely focuses on strength training generally includes free weights, benches, crossover machines, all-in-one weight lifting machines, pull-up bars, and abdomen equipment. Depending on the size and degree of variety desired, this equipment can range from affordable to fairly expensive. The larger crossover and all-in-one weight lifting machines have a greater assortment of possible exercises and are therefore a more costly expenditure. It is relatively easy to develop a well-versed weight training at-home gym that focuses on specific areas of the body.
Cardiovascular training equipment can be significantly more expensive and often includes bulky exercise machines. Examples of common types of cardiovascular equipment include elliptical cross-trainers, treadmills, and stationary bicycles. These exercise machines usually require a larger area of use and are more difficult to store. The initial investment can be significant, but if used frequently, the higher cost can be validated when compared to potential gym fees.