Common Mistakes when Buying Home Exercise Equipment

Whether you are planning to buy a treadmill, an elliptical exercise machine, or any other home exercise equipment, understanding the mistakes people commonly make when buying the equipment will help avoid repeating the same mistakes.

People often make the mistake of failing to confirm what they are actually buying when shopping online. The Internet is the most convenient and the cheapest place to buy home exercise equipment, but you should not be deceived by pretty pictures since some sites use edited images to make machines look better and bigger than they are. You should read independent reviews of the model you are interested in, read posts in blogs and discussion forums, get recommendations from people you know, and take advantage of ‘fitness consulting’ feature in the website.

Do not go for home exercise equipment where poor quality freebies like exercise mats and water bottle holders are given with each purchase. These freebies are usually given to make you upgrade or to deceive you so that you do not consider such things as the quality of the equipment.

You might get the best home exercise equipment from Japan at a good price, but do not buy it if you will not get support. Treadmills and other equipment that have moving parts and electronics need regular maintenance and repair and you should, therefore, only buy from a manufacturer who has a presence in your locality. You should also ensure that the manufacturer offers a guarantee.

Avoid the common mistake of failing to check the fine print. Look at the warranty, the return policy, restocking fee, and the instructions. Do not buy expensive home exercise equipment before consulting an expert. An expert such as a fitness consultant or a gym instructor will know the right equipment from training and experience, he/she will know top brands, and he/she will know the best place for you to buy the equipment.

People often make the mistake of following fitness fads. Do not go for fitness equipment just because your friends have bought them – we all have unique requirements. This is particularly important when it comes to newer equipment. Go for treadmills, elliptical exercise machine, and other equipment that has been tried and tested.

Do not make cost considerations your most important considerations. You should actually be skeptical about overly cheap home exercise equipment because it usually means low quality materials and/or poor workmanship. You will pay more for branded equipment, but your will be assured of its longevity. Other common mistakes are overbuying features and failure to test.