Guide to Choosing Cardio Exercise Equipment for Your Home Gym

Have you decided to purchase a piece of cardio exercise equipment for your home gym? If so, you’ve got several considerations to evaluate, namely cost, size of the machine, functions, features, as well as the type of aerobic equipment you’ll prefer to use regularly. Fortunately, there are a lot of affordable choices available in cardio fitness equipment suitable for any size of home gym.

While there are stairsteppers, arcs, cross country trainers, rowers, and bikes in this category, we are going to focus on treadmills and ellipticals since they are the most popular machines among low-impact cardio exercise equipment. Because of their design and function, they are not only ideal for aerobic purposes but as a "weight-bearing" workout they are also great for building stronger bones.

Where to buy equipment?

Many people use this approach when shopping for cardio fitness equipment: they do their research and price comparisons online, then go to a local sporting goods or national discount chain store to buy the item. Well, that approach is half right! It’s true you’ll find a wealth of information and reviews on the web, but did you know the best place to purchase a quality machine is from an online retailer?

You may be hesitant because of the costs involved with shipping heavy cardio fitness equipment; and then there’s the possibility that it could have a defective part that will need replacing. Keep in mind that you will have delivery charges for a 300-lb treadmill from a local store anyway, and who’s to say it won’t come with a mechanical problem? Online purchases are safe, competitively priced, and they usually come with free shipping and inside set up as well as outstanding warranties and service agreements. In fact, many top brand manufacturers of treadmills and ellipticals sell their models only online and direct to the consumer. You’ll never find them offered in discounted box stores next to the cheap mass market machines.

What to look for in cardio equipment?

Once you’ve determined which brands you like, and what’s in your price range, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when shopping for cardio fitness equipment:

The first is that you want to buy a machine with a decent motor. For example, runners and heavy people should not buy a treadmill that offers less than a 2.0 continuous duty horsepower motor. The motor is the most important feature in the machine; because nothing else matters if the motor fails.

For that matter, how quiet is the motor? You might not think this is such an important point now, but spend just a half an hour on a noisy machine and you’ll wish you had paid more attention to what other customer reviews said about it. All reviews will mention the noise of the motor, and it’s something to keep in mind.

You’ll also want to think about getting some attractive features such as resistance and incline levels which are a great way to increase the intensity level of your workouts. You should also consider the pre-programmed workouts installed on the machine; these programs will help you stay motivated and challenged.

A heart rate monitor and wireless chest strap is something you should always use when doing cardio workouts. A heart rate monitor will show you on the display console at what level you are working at, and if you’re not in an aerobic zone, you will know immediately to step up the pace. Many machines have this feature as standard equipment but you can also buy a personal device that looks like a wrist watch to monitor your heart rate

You’ll want to read the manufacturer’s warranty which gives an indication of how well a company stands behind the quality of its cardio fitness equipment. A good warranty will likely offer a lifetime on the frame, 5 years the motor, up to 3 years on parts, and 1 year on labor.

When shopping for an elliptical trainer the most important thing to watch for is the length and feel of the stride. The attraction of an elliptical trainer is that they are very easy on the joints so you don’t want an inferior model that has a choppy stride motion with a rounded and not oval glide pattern. Furthermore, you may want to get a model that comes with the upper arm handles to give you a complete body workout.

Another thing to consider is purchasing refurbished cardio exercise equipment. These are also called remanufactured models by some dealers and they are every inch as good as a brand new machine. During the refurbishing, the machine gets a new control board, bearings, rollers, belts, and so on. It’s completely tested before it leaves the shop and will look and perform like new. The only difference you’ll notice is the price; expect it to be about 40 percent less than a comparable model sold new.

Some final tips we can give you is to be sure the machine "fits" you; that is, fits your height and weight, stride, and fitness needs. If you’re an avid runner but have a tight budget, you don’t want to get a cheap machine since it won’t hold up to daily punishment. Likewise, overspending isn’t necessary either; casual walkers should not buy more machine than they need. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll have no trouble selecting cardio exercise equipment that’s right for your home gym.

About the Author: Kevin Urban is the editor at AllEllipticals.com, the web's top elliptical review site. Start searching for the best elliptical crosstrainer in your price range or submit your own elliptical trainer consumer review.