Exercise Equipment-Is It Necessary For A Good Workout

My friend turned me on to watching infomercials on certain TV stations in the evening and all the programs I have seen are about exercise equipment of every kind. Some of those machines have you standing on your head, some evening hanging upside down; others look like the poor fellow is being stretched on the torture rack pretending he is having fun, other channels are also promoting things like machines, treadmills, the elliptical machines and a lot of others.

It seems to me it would behoove the men especially to heed a word of caution: with all those additional Abs and increased muscles being hyped, where are you going to put 'em? You've only got so much arm, leg or stomach, what then? As for you ladies, will you really slim down or bulge up? Where do the muscles hide? Please be careful.

As you've no doubt surmised, I lack expertise in the fitness realm, but please don't stop reading. With all the excellent TV infomercials and the sophisticated new and up-dated plaza gyms opening up, I need to get with it and see what the attraction is. I'm really motivated by all the densely populated gyms, pulsating with sweating, tenacious bodies, thankfully clothed in the latest designer "sweats".

Yet with all this national craze centered upon exercise machines it begs the question "is all this equipment necessary for losing weight and being fit?" Someone might answer "people have been slim and trim for hundreds of years without all these machines that are at out disposal-why do we need them now?"

The simple flat out answer to this question is that you don't need exercise equipment but the main reason that exercise equipment is so popular is because of its convenience. Most people just won't exercise without a machine. Think about it-you can go in to your treadmill turn it on and have an intense workout as you're watching TV or as you are listening to music through your Ipod.

We've talked about gyms with machines and home machines -which is best for you? Do you use your workout time to socialize, to be with friends and to lunch later? Many people do that to their advantage. Many, like myself, prefer keeping our activities separate, choosing to concentrate on one thing at a time - like exercising in the gym and socializing at a favorite restaurant, place of worship or entertainment center.

I finally realized that it takes more time than one thanks to exercise at a gym, therefore I choose to exercise at home. Yes, exercise equipment is expensive, but I'm willing to cut back elsewhere and buy the machines that will serve my purpose. I like what they do for my body and for my well-being. It's really a matter of individual preference.

Whichever you prefer, the home or the gym, professional trainers encourage you to consult a professional to plan your program, or to research and map out your own plan for the safest and most effective results. Usually the instructions with your exercise equipment have a suggested plan of action. So all you "hefty, hearty and happies" start pumpin', stretchin', pedalin', and crunchin' and join ranks with the trim, fit and slim.