Does anyone own an at-home exercise machine that they actually use?

[ThelmaLou]

Elliptical, treadmill, stairstepper, NordicTrak, whatever?

I've owned a few over the years and they've eventually wound up in the garage sale pile. (I did have a treadmill years ago that I used every day during the O.J. Simpson trial... after he was acquitted, it was never the same.)

[blondebear]

I have a semi-cheesy mini-elliptical trainer, the InMotion E1000 that I use a couple of times a week in the winter. It doesn't provide the greatest workout, but I have a couple of sets of wrist weights that I swing around at the same time. I set up in front of the TV and put on a high-energy rock concert DVD and go for about 50 minutes--I manage to work up a decent sweat.

[Athena]

Yup, I have a Schwinn Spin bike that I bought maybe 12 years ago that gets used quite a bit, by both me and Mr. Athena. Is it super fun? Heck no, it's dull. But it's a good, quick workout for busy days.

But in general, working out at home *is* dull. The only way that works for me is that I've made a commitment to make it as pleasant as it can be. The bike isn't in a dingy garage or basement; it's in a nice, finished room with a big window. I have a TV set up with a Tivo and a DVD player. I try to make sure there's something good to watch while I'm on the bike - I'll save a good movie, or (even better) a series. Right now I'm re-watching the last season of Mad Men in anticipation of the new season starting, and the rule is that I only get to watch it while on the bike.

[Moonlitherial]

I have a treadmill that I use 4 days a week now that I'm working from home. In January I bought one of those suspension training systems but between illness, work and vacation I haven't had time to set it up yet.

[Al Bundy]

I have a treadmill that is used at least once per day, sometimes three times up to 90 minutes per session. And I also have a magnetic resistance exercise bike that gets used between treadmill sessions or with certain injuries.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

I have a Lifefitness exercise bike that I use five times per week. I find that it isn't tedious if I read a good book while pedaling for my life. Especially if I only allow myself to read the book while I'm exercising.

[overlyverbose]

I have a treadmill I use at least once a week (I use it if I can't walk or run outside). In the winter I use it about 3-4 times a week.

[mikenj]

I have and use a Sole Fitness elliptical trainer. It might sit unused for a week or two at a time but I've pretty consistently used it over the 3 years I've had it.

I also have a weight bench and dumbbells that I use consistently and in the coming months hope to be ale to get a power rack and barbells to add to my equipment.

I find I'm much more likely to work out at home than I am at a gym. I find it easier to fit in 20-30 minutes at a time than it is going to the gym. Either I have to go after work when it's busiest or convince myself to change and drive to the gym after I've already been home for a while.

[the lone cashew]

I use my exercise bike all the time but I use it to hang clothes on, this time of year it's coats and hats.

[enipla]

Yep. Real nice stair climber. My Wife has a Compu Trainer for her bike. Got rid of the BowFlex.

[ethelbert]

I have a Nordic Track that I have owned since the late eighties. I use it fairly regularly. In fact I just had to replace the rollers because the bearings went.

[Zulema]

I tend to only use things at home if I can read while using them. Things I've gotten a lot of use out of over the years are a nordic trac ski machine and various stationary bicycles.

[Moonlitherial]

To combine a couple of threads I not only read on the treadmill but I also use my iPad to watch TV shows while running. The nice part about using the iPad (or any other ereader) is the ability to increase the text size if I'm running faster

[Poysyn]

I have a treadmill that I killed last year training, and am now in the market for another one. I watch TV, listen to podcasts or music but don't read, it's too hard to read while running at a decent clip, at least for me

[carlotta]

I have a treadmill that I got off craigslist for $100. I use it at least 5 days a week. I work out while watching Netflix movies. Nothing else has ever come close to getting me to exercise that often.

[Lasciel]

Rowing machine. Awesome thing. I hit it up about once a week (really need to do more) and my husband is much better, he's about every night.

It's pretty cool. I've never had a nicer set of shoulders!

[Lynn Bodoni]

I have a CardioCruiser that I use two or three times a week, and my husband uses it too. It's boring as hell, but if I'm too sick to get out but well enough to want some exercise, it's just right.

[Onomatopoeia]

This is, more-or-less, a repost of my response to a similar question posted here in the past.

I have a small gym on the second level of my home, and have learned a few things over the years.

I initially had a Soloflex and then switched up to a Bowflex believing the Soloflex was too limiting. After a year of the Bowflex pretty much gathering dust, I decided to add a treadmill and purchased one of Sears' ProForm treadmill units. Although it was more expensive than I would have preferred, it has many features of a commercial treadmill, and that was important to me because I didn't want to give myself an excuse not to use it, so I didn't concern myself too much about the cost. After all, the most expensive treadmill in the world is the one that doesn't get used.

I also have a LifeCore elliptical machine, which was very reasonably priced. A Caveat on LifeCore is that their products, as far as I'm aware, are available for online purchase only. Why does this matter? Well, when I purchased my treadmill, Sears delivered it, brought it up to my gym, assembled it, and placed it where I wanted it; good thing too, because it's over 250 pounds. The elliptical machine, on the other hand, was delivered by UPS in a box, disassembled, and left in front of my garage door. I had to get the thing in the house, up to my gym, and assemble it myself...no fun at all.

Another thing to bear in mind if you want to be serious about working out at home, is to make the environment as appealing and stress-free as possible. If your workout feels like a chore or the environment is uncomfortable, you will quickly find excuses not to do it. To that end, I made a few investments that help to improve the experience.

I purchased interlocking rubber matting for the floor from Modell's Sporting Goods. They come in 12x12 and 24x24 inch panels that are a half inch thick. The matting not only protects the floors from scuffs and scrapes from the equipment, they absorb impact from floor exercises and help to ease the stress that comes from running on the treadmill. Not only will your knees and ankles thank you for it, it makes the room look more like a gym. See? Form and function.

I also have a TV/DVD combo unit wall-mounted within easy eye shot of all the equipment and exercise areas. I subsequently added a laptop and connected it to the TV to give me broadband entertainment options as I work out.

A modular, expandable, multi-shelf aluminum rack with casters holds all my smaller equipment and related paraphernalia, e.g., wrist and leg weights, rubber dumbells, free-weight plates, resistance straps, etc...

One of the last things I did was have one wall covered end to end, floor to ceiling, with a mirror. It's actually two 6x9 ft mirrors placed side by side, but the installers did such a good job that you really have to look for the seam to see it. Not only do mirrors help you gauge your progress visually, they make the room look twice as large.

I also painted the walls a bright, cheery color, and mounted motivational posters.

It all works for me. I exercise between 40 minutes and an hour every day when I'm home. It's so much a part of my daily routine now that I don't really think about it anymore. Although I gravitate to the treadmill most days, I do use the elliptical, and even the Bowflex from time to time. The bottom line is I'm in there working out, which is much more than I can say about my old WoW membership I let lapse.

[DCnDC]

I have a bike trainer I bought myself for Xmas last year. It's light, small, easily moves from room to room if need be, and I can take my bike off it and actually ride it outside.

[don't ask]

I have a treadmill that was simply gathering dust until I started a modified 5BX program. I do it every day when I get home from work. I just invoked a simple rule - no TV watching or eating until I did the exercises. So I now walk in, turn on the treadmill, change and start running while watching TV. I later added, for non-working days, no TV during the day without at least 20 minutes walking to start.

That has been enough to have me doing light/medium exercise 7 days a week for months now. And actually enjoying it most of the time.

[Soylent Juicy]

Well I WOULD be using my treadmill, Universal and elliptical if they weren't covered in drywall dust from hubby's basement reno.

Years ago I bought myself the Chuck Norris machine - I forget what it was called, something like Fitness 2000, it was a sliding incline with pulleys and you used your body weight as resistance. Looked great on TV but it turned out that I'm not heavy enough to make it work effectively. I even tried holding hand weights while using it but it made no difference. I donated it to a senior's centre for their gym after only a few months.

I had an "Ab Roller" when they were trendy - gave it to a friend when I realized that just doing normal ab crunches were more effective.

Sometimes I wonder about those exercise machines on informercials...does anybody actually use those after the novelty has worn off? Like the Gazelle, and that core-twisty one?

[Khadaji]

Before I got my dog I used my elliptical regularly. Now that I have her, I feel I owe it to her to go out for walks.

[dzero]

Originally Posted by Onomatopoeia

I also have a TV/DVD combo unit wall-mounted within easy eye shot of all the equipment and exercise areas. I subsequently added a laptop and connected it to the TV to give me broadband entertainment options as I work out.

This is the key in case that post got tl;dr'ed by a lot of people.

I have a Reebok treadmill that has a tiny 7" LCD built-in. That's the main reason I bought it - oh, and the built-in fan. Laugh at me if you want, but things that make working out a little easier are a lot more important than you think.

The goal is to break the monotony. Another way to do this is to use equipment you can program. I can program the Reebok to change the speed and % incline in fairly short increments over a 1/4 mile course. Then it repeats.

edit: there are many times when I look forward to getting on the treadmill because I pick tv serials to watch and often at the end of a lap, it's like a mini cliff-hanger, so you want to go back.

[Greg Charles]

Originally Posted by Athena

... both me and Mr. Athena.

Theseus?

I once read an article where the author said his Soloflex machine was responsible for his good health. The day he bought it, he made a deal with himself that if he did any other physical exercise ... biking, jogging, playing a sport ... every day, he didn't have to use the machine. So he did use it, but in sort of a "scared straight" way.

[DSeid]

I am embarrassed to admit the number of exercise toys I have, but I do use them all. The newest is the Concept 2 rower. I rationalize that my toys cost a lot less over the years than would a health club membership ... and save me the time and effort of having to go there. Plus no wait. I only watch TV when using the elliptical. On the rower I am focused on keeping my intensity where I want it, and the treadmill is just too loud. I also have a free weight rack, a good set of dumbbells, a dip stand, and a wobble board. They're all in my unfinished basement with the washing mahine. The jump rope and the bikes are in the garage. A pair of fairly cheap minimalist running shoes too. No mirrors or bright colors anywhere. I don't like monotony either.

[Lasciel]

Originally Posted by DSeid

I am embarrassed to admit the number of exercise toys I have, but I do use them all. The newest is the Concept 2 rower.

(snipped)

Yay! That's the kind we got also! We were trending towards them anyway, and it sealed the deal that they had rail extensions that you could purchase (husband is freakishly tall) and the representatives we talked to were extremely nice about it.

[Fionn]

I have a treadmill that I use for running two or three times a week. We bought it to replace the treadmill that we got from my parents, who were delighted to have it out of the garage.

[pullin]

If by "use" you mean "hang lots of clothes on it", then yes. I use my stair machine constantly.

[Digital is the new Analog]

I have a recumbent bike. I use it 3 or 4 days a week.

I also have a multi-station weight set. I use it 3 or 4 days a month. Then again, the room it lives in is under construction right now. If/when I ever finish, the bike will move back in there..and the TV will be on the wall..and I'll get a lot more use out of all of it.

-D/a

[GreenElf]

I got a Soloflex at Goodwill for $40, and use it a few times a week along with dumbbells. It was a space-taking clothes hanger for about a year because a weightband broke and I didn't have spare money to buy a replacement. Or I was lazy and that was my excuse.

[Rachellelogram]

My old roommate had a manual treadmill in the living room. He would use it every night while he watched TV. But my mom must have gone through 5 exercise machines by the time I left home, none of which were used for more than a couple weeks before becoming glorified dressmaker's dummies.

[groo]

I bought a Total Gym (a superdeluxe model from several years ago) from someone through Craig's List for $450. It's great; it doesn't take up much room and I can set it up in 90 seconds in my living room. This 90 seconds, combined with being able to listen to TV or music while I exercise, has been critical to keeping up with the exercises. My cardio exercise is three sets of 80-100 inclined squats, and the Home Gym can emulate most weight training exercises except for bench presses. However, the equivalent new model costs ~$2000, and I don't think it would be worth it. I'd suggest buying one from someone on Craig's list or E-bay.

In the past, I had a stationary bicycle that I never used, as well as a home weight bench that I seldom used because I had to pull it out from a corner of my garage every time I lifted weights. Going to the garage, pulling my car out and moving the weight bench was just enough bother to make me find all sorts of excuses not to bother.

I think the pattern in this thread is thus: whatever you get must be easy to set up and must allow you to read/watch/listen/whatever, because otherwise, it's boring.

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by groo

I think the pattern in this thread is thus: whatever you get must be easy to set up and must allow you to read/watch/listen/whatever, because otherwise, it's boring.

Thanks for all the replies. Yes, this does seem to be the key to consistency and follow through. Also working the exercises firmly into your daily routine.

[Dendarii Dame]

Yes, and my family uses our stationary bike every day or almost every day, depending on the person.

[TreacherousCretin]

Had one of the first Nordictrack ski machines, loved it. We used it more or less regularly for about five years before finally getting tired of it.
About a year ago we got an elliptical, and both still like it.

.

[John DiFool]

I have a stationary bike (bought c. 10 years ago for c. $200) that I've been riding pretty religiously for the past 3 months (and off and on before that). Alas the internal parts have given up the ghost, I don't know how to access them (the entire pedaling mechanism is enclosed), so I'll be getting a new one in the next few days (which will hopefully be more durable and thus will have to be more expensive). If the wii or some other console (or even computer game) would allow me to synch it up to say a Tour de France simulation (with adjustable difficulty levels), I'd probably be pretty obsessed about riding it.