Exercise Machines – Friend or Foe?

By Cameron Abel – BestFitnessChoices.com

The benefits and overall total effectiveness of using an exercise machine as part of the tools in your fitness and weight loss efforts is another area that splits the fitness industry and provides plenty of debate and endless opinions!

There are a heap of different types to choose from such as rowing exercise machines, elliptical exercise machines, abdominal exercise machines, pilates exercise machines, vibration exercise machines and the list goes on!  So which of these are actually good, useful and the best exercise machine?

In my opinion there are some positive effects that can come out of their usage however it largely depends on some specific factors. These factors range from what type of machine you are using, your expectations from it and also the big one – what is the enjoyment / longevity of the machine or put another way, how long will you actually use it?! Machines covered in dust due to lack of use have not been proven to be effective :)

The common characteristic of these fitness exercise machines is that they are cardio based – which is good! Some claim to work your whole body while others train certain parts or problem areas of the body. There are certainly more than a couple to choose from too! The home shopping channel and the late night infomercials are constantly spruiking the latest and greatest amazing scientific breakthrough! More about that little statement later…

Some people expect that the purchase and use of a cardio exercise machine will give them the body of their dreams and a whole new level of fitness. If you share that belief then I am sorry to disappoint you! Of course a good quality exercise machine can help you achieve certain aspects of your fitness and weight loss program but it is not the only part and should be used in conjunction with great and healthy nutrition, weight training as well as other exercise strategies such as interval training.

When selecting an exercise machine, it is also important to choose one that allows you to “mentally switch off” and just go through the motions. As the benefits of most cardio workouts don’t really kick in until after 20 minutes or so, machines that have fluid, easy movements, with repetition that does not drive you silly with boredom or movements and actions that take your concentration to do continuously are best. Preferably they can be used while watching TV which really helps pass the time especially in workouts in the 25 to 45 minute range. If your machine does not tick these boxes then start writing out your FOR SALE – hardly used – advertisement!

As mentioned briefly above, there seems to be a new breakthrough in fitness machines every week with product after product wheeled out on the shopping channels and late night infomercials all claiming to take advantage of the newest discovery in fitness technology!

Isn’t it funny that these machines keep coming out and replacing the one just released which already was the best thing around, promising easy and fast results and done with a great smile on your face! Is technology in the health & fitness industry really evolving so fast? I think we both know that it is not and the reason why these machines keep coming out is that they take advantage of the people craving an answer to their fitness and weight problems and are willing to keep handing over their hard earned money for that quick fix or exercise breakthrough.

If you are still following me then you are not one of those people. Thankfully you realise that there is no magic fix, pill, potion or machine and that getting fit and losing weight is hard and takes commitment and motivation! So with this in mind I can only truly recommend the traditional machines that have been around for ages and remain one of the true constants in gyms both home and commercial over time. These are:

  • The Treadmill
  • The Stationary Bike

Have a look at gyms from many years ago and then again today and you will see these two machines in all of them. Can we say the same about most of these others being advertised? There are of course other machines that can help you. Machines like the stepper and also rowing machines are also very good however nothing beats the first two. There are also some effective elliptical machines out there but you need a good one. Rowing machines can also be excellent when used correctly.

I love the treadmill and the bike simply because you can just go and go and go without too much thinking and then suddenly your workout is over. They are also both fantastic for interval training (changing the intensity of your exercise in programmed intervals) and the bike is a tremendous alternative for those of us with bad ankles or injuries caused by or aggravated by running. As for the others, especially those on the infomercials with the gorgeous sports models, exercising away with big smiles and not a bead of sweat… well just take a look at nearly every garage sale or second hand shop and undoubtedly you will be able to take your pick of them! I am sure that point speaks for itself!

As said above, machines aim to give great cardio workouts. An extremely cheap alternative is the workouts you can design and use through the awesome BodyBot software.

I don’t normally recommend quick style workouts but sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time or you don’t have much equipment available to you. At BodyBot, you can access ready-made 5 minute workouts that work your whole body or specific parts (up to you!) or design your own all with video descriptions of every exercise and believe me when I say that they are not easy! That for me is the key ingredient in seeing whether or not a quick workout is a waste of time or not. Another great feature is that it is internet based so you can access it anywhere which is great for when you are on the move. No longer can holidays or business trips be an excuse to not get your workouts in!

See it here =>BodyBot and have a look for yourself!