We Americans have a way of taking a good idea and pushing it to extremes. We do it with food, TV programming and total home gyms. My personal joke is that if you like total home gyms, there is probably a time-share property somewhere that has a condo built in to the gym.

Concepts Of Fitness

Let’s get back to the basics for a minute or two. Basic fitness entails painless movement and normal functioning throughout the day. A healthy human also breathes easily; shortness of breath is an indicator of lack of fitness or cardiovascular weakness causing distress.

Strength and lifting capacity are also measurements of good health. Weight gain and depression follow along with lack of energy.

Total Home Gyms

So, what is the attraction to total home gyms? The idea behind total home gyms is based on what is commonly known as one stop shopping. One exercise or piece of equipment cannot do everything required to stay trim and fit. The total home gym’s offers totality in equipment that combines multiple exercises in a single or grouped unit. The appeal persists and seems to be in the belief that buying the equipment and having the equipment in view somehow guarantees it working.

All the fitness equipment at curbside betrays the theory of proximity equals success. It is true that having the facilities is a big help, but it is more in the regular and punctual exercise schedule that success lies.

Memberships at gyms are expensive and still require going to the gym and participating to get the benefit. The same is true with total home gyms; you have to use it to get the benefit.

Great New Products

Numerous lightweight home gyms are on the market with more popping up weekly. Whether they can live up to claims of being total home gyms is yet to be determined.

The fitness ball is a great example of new, affordable fitness products that can be used for all sorts of exercises. In conjunction with a stretch band, this one almost qualifies as a total home gym. Other products and systems go by any number of names and will be called resistance systems, total body systems, etc.

Do your research and ask around. Personal trainers are familiar with most systems and can at least steer you in the right direction. Remember, what we’re really wanting is good health and fitness; good looks is a bonus.