My family is thinking of getting an exercise equipment and while I appreciate that they are taking initiative to exercise, I have to say that I'm not entirely for this decision because I think the exercise machine will eventually just be forgotten and ignored. I've seen it happen to a lot of households and as far as I know this is even a very common occurrence for people who buy exercise machines. It's why I prefer just walking outside instead of buying a treadmill but I do understand that it's much more reliable since you wouldn't have to rely on good weather. Do you guys have exercise machines at home that are just collecting dust?
I think if you're trying to get fit you shouldn't just buy things on a whim. First you have to figure out what you like to do and then decide on a machine that will help you do that. I bought a pair of resistance bands a while back, and while there are times when I don't exercise for a while it's a little less than 4 months in a year, so they are definitely not collecting dust. I love weight lifting though, and resistance bands do the job well for what I need. I would never get a treadmill myself because I don't like running as an exercise, so if I got myself one it would be a waste of money and it would indeed collect dust.
Not really collecting dust, but not as frequently used as we would have liked it. We don't have a lot of machines, as you call it. We're limited to a single stationary bike, one Ab Rocket, two dumbbells and a curl up equipment. That's as much as we have. My brother and I are the ones who do more exercising than the rest. There are times when we're really into the groove so the equipments get used often. There are also times when we run out of steam so for a few months, all workout paraphernalia just gather dust. And then we get back into shape again. It's really an ambivalent, erratic workout phase.
I built my home gym gradually over the course of two years. I don't have all the equipments but I'm pretty happy with my setup. None of my exercise equipments collect dust. I use all of them. Before buying, I made sure that I would use the equipment regularly and it'd last me a long time. It also helps to buy equipments that serve more than one purpose. For example, my favorite equipment is the power rack. I can do pretty much all my compound exercises with it including squats, military press, bench press, and deadlift. This makes it a very worthy investment.
I would also prefer outdoor walking or jogging rather than going for an equipment. I know a lot of people who have forgotten the machines faster than it was bought.
I too prefer outdoor exercise. I have a set of good snowshoes and a long greenbelt behind our home. We had our first snow a few days ago and I was planning to go out today but it's a howling blizzard out there so the snowshoes will collect dust until the wind dies down. I have a recumbent exercise bike in the back room and I ride it for thirty minutes every night while I watch the news. That works up a good sweat and gets the heart rate up. That's all I'm after at my age (76). The secret is watching TV while I exercise because exercise is so boring otherwise.
Perhaps look into a family gym membership before investing in an expensive piece of home workout equipment? That way, you can kind of see how dedicated they will be to working out and if it's something that you know will end up getting a good amount of use. And honestly, I've found a lot more motivation and success with going to a gym than I ever did when I had a piece of home equipment at my house. So that might end up being a better investment for getting in shape in the first place. Especially when many gyms offer great deals for new members for a few months.
If you don't think you are discplined enough to continue using equipment, then definitely don't buy it. There are many alternatives that can get you the same results. Bodyweight fitness is an option: you can work out at home, barely any equipment, and easily sold. I only have a set of weights so far, and I feel like I'm doing pretty good. I may get a gym membership as time goes on, but I don't think purchasing a machine is worth it.
While I don't have any exercise equipment at home I do have a gym membership, and personally I feel that it's the better option. You're much more inclined to go for your gym sessions, having paid for it, and there's no clutter taking up space in your house. Plus going to the gym can be a social experience as well, and you get to use a wider range of equipment and perform more exercises for holistic training.
