Do you have an unused piece of TV exercise equipment, bought from a shopping channel, gathering dust in a closet or under the bed? Those TV ads are so tempting aren’t they? We’re taken in by the promise of a lean toned body with just a few minutes of our time each day, done in the comfort of our own home on the latest and greatest fat-burning piece of apparatus. So, convinced that this shiny new machine will give us the spur we need to get rid of the fat, reshape our body and get fit, we dig out our credit cards and part with our money, eager to get started.
In due course the package arrives; we assemble the piece of home exercise equipment and try it out. And for a time it’s great; we use it regularly, we have fun, we start to get fitter…but somewhere along the way we lose the motivation. We miss a session here and there, and then another and another, until finally the apparatus becomes forgotten and unused. And this can happen in just a few weeks.
Now, I’m sure there are those who single-mindedly use their piece of TV exercise equipment until they are fit and healthy. In my experience, most of us don’t. So what’s the solution? Before you reach for your phone and wallet, stop for a moment and think of alternatives.
If you’re a beginner to exercise, then you don’t need expensive TV exercise equipment to start getting fit at home. You do need a television though, plus a good pair of supportive trainers and a DVD player. There are loads of fitness DVDs
You may be thinking that a DVD won’t motivate you in the same way as a home exercise machine, but here’s the thing that many fail to realise – if you are going to give up on exercise you will do it whether you use the cheap option or the fancy apparatus. That’s right – it’s not the tools that make you fit, it’s YOU. Heck, you could have a purpose-built gym in your home but you still have to go into the room and start working out before it’s any use.
If you start working out with DVDs and enjoy it, and are able to keep up the momentum to exercise over a period of time, then you can add in equipment to your routine. Again, start small, for instance by adding exercise bands or weights (or try unopened food cans). After that, if you still want a home exercise machine, then you can go ahead and get out your credit card. By then you will know that you enjoy exercise, that you have the willingness and the motivation to keep it up, and that you are unlikely to stop.
A final word of caution – if some of those fancy pieces of TV exercise equipment on the advertisements seem too good to be true – then maybe they are. Look around online for unbiased reviews of a product before you buy.
