Should You Buy Cardio Equipment For Home?

If you clicked on this, you are probably thinking of buying some cardio equipment for your home and you decided to take a strangers advice on it. Or you are just passing time.(You should read this anyway).

But is it really worth the investment? Not only that it require space and maintenance, but it can come with a very spicy price and, if you have a gym membership, you can always go to your gym and train there.

I can't deny having your own calorie burning machine in your home isn't a good investment, but is it worth it?

Let's find out!

What is the cost of a cardio machine?

This price is where we should start from. Gym Equipment can be expensive, but some of the most costly things in there are the Cardio Machines.

But there are many cardio machines to choose from and the price can range from 50 bucks to over 800 bucks for the most new and expensive pieces.

Let's compare the prices of more popular cardio choices.

The Treadmill

Price: 7

Variety: 10

Effectiveness: 10

Total Score: 27

The Treadmill can be found in every gym there is. It utilizes the most basic cardio exercise done for calorie burning, running. It is true that you can go on runs in the park and not have to buy this, but the treadmill will help you.

Running at a speed of 10km/h(6.2miles/h) burns around 660 calories for the average person, so you can already see why the treadmill is such a popular choice. It is a very effective way to get your cardio workout in and still have some fun.

For the treadmill, there are more options on how to train. You could go for intervals, the choice I prefer, because it is more fun and it is not so boring like the classic workout. Another solid option is just selecting a jogging speed and going for resistance, but after some time it can get boring. A good alternative is selecting a walking to running speed and increase the level of the incline to 15%. All of them will give you a great workout nevertheless.

If you want to buy a treadmill, it is very important it can fold so you can move it around your house and it won't take that much space.

The price can range widely depending on the quality and features of the Treadmill and is changing constantly so if you want to check the price out for the one that I find the best price/quality is here.

The Indoors Bicycle

Price: 8

Variety: 6

Effectiveness: 9

Total Score: 23

The Indoors Bycicle is another very popular choice and is the one that I made myself, but I will cover that later in this article.

Compared to the treadmill, it gives a easier experience but burns less calories. It actually burns around 450-500 calories. It is not a big difference, but after some time, the difference becomes important.

As for the treadmill, the bicycle provides more ways to work out. You can choose intervals, even thought they are not as effective as with the treadmill, or normal cycling which is good if you just want to chill and not tire yourself too much. You can even change the pressure you need to apply for the pedals to move so you can adjust you workout to your needs.

The good thing about the Indoor Bicycle is that all of them can be folded so it makes for easier moving around the house and they take less space than the treadmill, so if you don't have that much space in your house, this might be the better choice for you.

The price for an Indoor Bicycle can range from a mere 100 bucks to 500 bucks or even more. The one that I found the best quality/price and has the best reviews is here.

Rowing Machine

Price: 7

Variety: 4

Effectiveness: 10

Total Score: 21

The Rowing Machine is another unorthodox choice, but it can work out in the right situation. The big advantage of the Rowing Machine over the other cardio choices is that this is manly the only one that works your back.

The big disadvantage of the Rowing Machine is that it requires unnatural movement and it has a higher difficulty. The truth is that this is no form of "passive" cardio, if you are using the rowing machine you need to give your all. Poor technique can affect the results you get.

The Rowing Machine burns around 500-700 calories per hour and it gives you a great full body workout. If you are not in the mood for hitting the gym, this is a great alternative.

Moving a rowing machine can be a hard task depending on what type it is. Most of them can't fold so you will have to carry them as they are.Well, at least it will add even more to your full body workout. Jokes aside, this is another disadvantage of the rowing machine.

A great feature some of the rowing machines have are games that make you more competitive, thus making you train harder without even realizing.

The price for a rowing machine can range between 140 bucks- 550 bucks. The one that I found to have the best quality/price is here.

The StairMaster

Price: 5

Variety: 5

Effectiveness: 9

Total Score: 19

This is another pretty popular choice besides the 3 I just mentioned. This is good if you are a corporate worker so when you will have to walk all that stairs, you will be trained. Jokes aside, this is a really effective way to do your cardio.

The Stairmaster can be used with intervals, but beware, if you go for intervals make sure your breakfast won't make an appearance. What is certain though is that the stairmaster will give you a great legs workout.

Moving a stairmaster is a pain in the ass. Not only that it is pretty heavy, but trying to move it around the house will make you understand why this is not a staple in the fitness industry. But the mini Stairmaster is a good choice being way cheaper and easier to move. Nevertheless, if you leave in a tall building, you can work out there, no need to buy this.

For 1 hour of this pain, you will burn 500-600 calories and be unable to use your legs after. For some, it is a fair trade, but I prefer the other choices.

If you are interested in a Stairmaster, the best I found on the all-mighty Amazon is here.

Others

Well, there are many others, but they are choices you probably wouldn't even read or consider so I decided to save both of us some valuable time. All you need to know is that the other options are not as good. Who says that? Me, you are in good hands.

So, what should you get.

Well, whatever the hell you want. Of course that wouldn't be a wise idea, but neither reading a blog written by someone you don't know nothing about, so go ahead. All jokes aside though, it is really your decision to make. Honestly, you can just not buy anything and go out for a run like every other person does. But, who am I to judge? I do the same

My Story

Yeah, trust me I know, almost nobody will read this part of the blog so why am I even bothering?!

2 years ago, I put myself the same question. Not why am I bothering, but "Should I buy a cardio machine?". I decided to go for it and I bought a indoor bike. At that time, it was fairly expensive, and as you might guess I don't bath in money.

In the end, it helped from time to time. I didn't need to do that annoying trip to the gym, so I would say it was worth it. Even after about 5 years, I still use it even though it makes a sound like it is about to disassemble itself.

Time to work out

Now that you read this, it is time to go out and really do something instead of pretending to think about your decision. For real, calories don't burn themselves and it is time you do something about it.

In the meantime, live healthy, stay healthy.