As well as fitness equipment and weights mentioned in other sections, you can buy an entire home multi gym. You’ll need a spare room to put it in, but if you get good use out of it you’ll save loads on gym membership fees in the long run.

Multi gyms let you do different exercises on one piece of equipment, with various sections to let you focus on different muscle groups and body areas. Most multi gyms offer the same basic exercises like chest press, leg extension/curl and seated row.

Some things to consider when shopping for a multi gym:

• Weights included: If you decide on a gym with a weight stack, make sure it includes enough weight. Also check that it includes a set of free weights (eg dumbells) if you like strength training.
• Bands or weights: Some multi gyms provide resistance with a series of elastic bands; others use a system of cables and pulleys to lift a stack of weights.
• Size: It seems obvious, but make sure you have the space for a multi gym. Item listings should include a gym’s height, length and width – if in doubt, click “Ask seller a question”. If only one person will use the multi gym at a time, a smaller single-station gym setup should be enough.
• Storage: Many multi gyms fold up so that you can store them away under the bed or in a wardrobe. Other have folding parts that you can add or put away as you wish.

treadmill, exercise bike, stair machine, rowing machine, or elliptical trainer, and they needn’t cost a lot of money.
Weight lifting of any kind is great for toning your body and boosting your metabolism, whether you’re a man or woman. If you find yourself enjoying it, a small set of free weight can easily be added to. Before long, you’ll have the spare room kitted out with weight lifting benches and sophisticated Smith machines.
When shopping for free weights, think about how you’d like to use them:

• For a quick start: Buy a set of dumbbells that don’t involve any assembly. Dumbells don't take up a lot of room and come in set weights.
• For durability: Metal weights last a long time, but may damage your floor (or your foot) if you drop them. Chrome weights need regular maintenance to prevent rust.
• For easy handling: Weights coated with plastic, acrylic, rubber or neoprene give beginners a great grip, cause less damage when dropped and don’t require regular maintenance. However the coating may degrade over time.
• To add weight as you work out: Get a barbell to which you can add weight plates. If you’re interested in bench pressing, you’ll also need a bench.

Benches
Look for a bench that fits your size and can be adjusted for comfort. Here are some other factors to consider:

• Weight: Choose a bench according to the weight you want to lift. If you want to bench press 400kg, make sure the bench can handle it.
• Crutches: Crutches are the two supports on a weight lifting bench that hold the weight bar. Make sure that you buy a bench with crutches that fit your bar. In general, wider crutches can handle more weight.
• Incline: Some benches can adjust to create an incline or decline. This is a useful feature if you want to do abdominal exercises on your bench.
• Arm and leg attachments: Useful for working on your arms and legs.

Smith Machines
Smith machines consist of a barbell that moves up or down on steel runners with a series of slots. You lift the barbell (with attached weights) as high as you can, then release onto the slots. This is much safer than lifting an ordinary barbell, which you have to drop to the ground.
The Smith machine can be used for any weight lifting exercise where the barbell moves up and down, such as bench pressing or squats. It’s not suitable for weight lifting exercises where the barbell moves in an arc, such as the bicep curl.
When shopping for a Smith machine with a weight rack in the base to keep it stable. Popular examples include the Marcy MWB Multi Station and the Marcy Deluxe Smith Machine, which includes a flat/incline bench, five Olympic plate adaptors and adjustable deluxe arm curl pad.

Treadmills are one of the most popular cardiovascular exercise machines. They’re very versatile – use them for a gentle stroll in the front room, or for marathon training whatever the weather. If you’re short of space (and treadmills can be quite large), choose a treadmill that folds away. Some other features to look for when shopping for a treadmill:

• Speed
  Most treadmills have a speed range of between 0-16kph (0-10mph), and some go up to 19kph (12mph). As a guideline, most people walk at 4.5-9kph (3-6mph) and run at 9-16kph (6-10mph). Look for a treadmill with one-touch controls to change speed settings while you’re running.
• Belt
  More expensive treadmills have better cushioned belts (also called running beds) to absorb impact – important for endurance runners, who risk “runner’s knee” or ankle strain when training on pavements or uncushioned treadmills. Treadmill belts also come in varous sizes, from 40cm-56cm (16”-22”) wide and 1.1m-1.7m (45”-66”) long. Make sure you buy a treadmill with a belt long enough for your longest walking or running stride. If you’re a runner or have a long stride, also look for a wide belt to accommodate natural side-to-side movement.
• Motor
  You’ll find budget treadmills that have no motor at all and require little maintenance, but they’re hard work because you need to run to get them going and keep them going.

Electric treadmills have one motor to drive the belt and another to control the incline. They reach your desired speed quickly and don't slow down when you do, motivating you to keep up a steady pace.

The larger the motor in an electric treadmill, the more horsepower it can deliver. The amount of power you need depends on your body weight and how fast you want to go. For walking and gentle jogging, look for a continuous horsepower rating of 1.0hp-1.5hp; for running, look for 1.5hp and higher. Heavier runners need a minimum of 2.0hp.

• Monitor
  Most electric treadmills have pedometers to monitor speed, time, distance covered and calories burned. Many also have pre-set programmes that run from basic cardio and fat burning settings to workouts that mimic hilly terrain. On the more expensive treadmills you’ll find features such as a heart rate monitor, cooling fan and CD player.
• Incline Control
  Most treadmills have an adjustable incline level. The steeper the incline, the more resistance is created and the more effort you have to put in – an excellent way to train for races. Most treadmills with adjustable or motorised inclines can go up to 15%, though commercial gym treadmills often go up to 25%, and you’ll find many of these listed on Bizrate. Treadmills offer three types of incline control:
1. Power Incline: Press a button to increase or decrease the incline.
2. Heart Rate Control: Incline is adjusted automatically based on your heart rate to give an optimum workout. Can be expensive.
3. Manual Incline: Cheaper, but it can be annoying to stop running and adjust the incline setting by hand

Stationary exercise bikes are excellent fitness machines for all types of exercisers, including beginners. They’re easy to use and have lots of levels of resistance, so you can work your lungs, heart and muscles as little or as hard as you want. Adjustable seats and handlebars and cushioned seat pads on the more expensive models mean that exercise bikes let you work out in comfort whilst watching television or reading a book.

Spinning provides a cardiovascular workout without risk of strain to your back and joints. As well as working on your overall fitness and endurance, cycling also gives great tone to your leg and glute muscles.
Most exercise bikes have meters that monitor your speed, mileage and how much time you’ve been pedaling. More expensive bikes can also measure your heart rate and calorie burning and offer pre-programmed hill or flat workouts.

Choosing an Exercise Bike
Some types of exercise bike offer extra resistance for lower-body conditioning, some are kinder to the joints and some give detailed information on your heart rate and calorie burning. You’ll find four main types of exercise bike on BizRate:

• Uprights: Most similar to outdoor bikes. You sit up on a traditional bike seat whilst spinning. Most cheaper exercise bike models are traditional uprights.
• Recumbents: As with recumbent outdoor bikes, these have the seat positioned at a low level, parallel to the ground. The pedals are in front of you so you don’t bend your legs as much, which is great s for cross-training runners. There’s also a back support for greater comfort. A great choice if you suffer from back or knee problems.
• Semi-Recumbents: These exercise bikes have an inclined seat higher than full recumbents. Ideal for elderly users, since they’re easier to dismount.
• Dual Action: Great for an whole-body workout, thanks to changeable handlebars that work your arms as hard as your legs.

Resistance
Pedal on a stationary bike with no resistance is like spinning on a bike with a broken chain – you’re going nowhere and your muscles aren’t doing any work. Stationary exercise bikes create resistance, so you’re actually powering along with your legs. Different exercise bikes have different means of creating resistance:

• Magnetic: Lets you pedal quietly and without friction. You can increase resistance smoothly and easily. Popular in professional gyms, but expensive.
• Air: A fan built into the wheel builds up an air flow for you to pedal against. The harder you pedal, the greater the air flow and resistance. The air from the fan helps cool you down.
• Direct Tension: You adjust resistance manually with dials.
• Flywheel: Resistance is regulated by a heavy wheel and maintained by kinetic energy built up by your spinning.