Many of us make New Years resolutions to get in shape, lose weight, and exercise more. This usually means either a trip to sign up at a local gym, or buying a piece of home fitness equipment. Buying fitness equipment for your home can often be a better choice, especially if your local gym is out of the way from your home and work.

Many people sign up with full intentions of going but find that it is too much of an inconvenience. However, many people also buy expensive equipment only to end up using it to hang their laundry on (sound familiar?). Read on to learn how to make the most of your home fitness equipment.

If you have a spare room, consider making it into a home gym. Keeping all your gym equipment in one place makes it easy to find and feel more like a real gym. You should also try and remove other clutter from your home gym. Make sure you have some upbeat music on hand and perhaps even a TV. You’ll be surprised how quickly a workout can go by when you’re watching your favorite shows.

Equipment Must-Haves

If you don’t currently have any home fitness equipment but are ready to start building your home gym, you may be confused as to which equipment is best.

Start off with one piece of cardio equipment. To get the most bang for your buck, look into an elliptical trainer. These simulate running, but are virtually no-impact. Look for one that allows you to move your arms as well since this means burning more calories.

Treadmills are also a great choice, but keep in mind that they are much harder on your joints. A stationary bike is also a popular piece of gym equipment, but you won’t get as much benefit from your workouts.

A universal gym is a great addition to your home gym as well. These combine several types of weight machines into one. A great choice if you don’t have a lot of space. You may also want to get a stability ball, resistance band, and other hand weights. This should make for a perfect home gym, which you and your family can use and enjoy for many years.