By: Joann Bally CSCS
I attended a fitness equipment show—equipment designed for health club or institutional, not home use—and I can tell you that the health club industry is alive and well. If you haven’t joined a club, or haven’t been recently to the one you belong to, it might be a good time to check things out.
The new aerobic (cardio) equipment mostly improves on the old favorites, like treadmills, bikes, rowers, and ellipticals, to make them more comfortable and more fun to use. The big manufacturers give you larger and more interactive displays. Software allows you to track your workouts, and if your club is really upscale, they may offer you your own entertainment system. The Real Ryder bike is a little less stationary than the traditional ones, as it banks to give you more the feel of a road bike. There are two new lateral-motion machines (Fitnessbotics and Helixco) that I thought were fun. Pretend you’re a speed skater.
The big manufacturers are making strength equipment that is smoother and more adjustable, so it fits the individual’s body better and is safer. Nautilus has a pulldown machine with handles instead of a bar, so you are less likely to hit yourself on the head. If you like to use body weight exercises, the Fitnessanywhere suspension trainer is a simple concept that gives more variety. The Perfect Pushup you may have seen advertised really does make your pushups more challenging. They have a Perfect Pull-up too. Hammerstep is a simple device designed to put more emphasis on the hamstrings in squats and similar exercises. For the traditionalists among you, you can still get nice new dumbbells.
This type of equipment is found not only in health clubs, but in high schools and colleges, corporate fitness facilities and some smaller businesses, apartment complexes and housing developments, community centers and medical facilities, hotels and even airports.
If you are interested in buying, or assigned to buy some equipment for your business or residential complex, consider not only cost but size, which includes footprint and height and weight. It should be versatile enough and appropriate for your clients, members, or residents. Consider ease of maintenance, durability, and safety features. Look, too, at the appearance of the equipment. It would be a shame if someone were to miss out on getting the benefits of a nice fitness facility because they didn’t like the color of the upholstery and refused to use it, but these things happen.
Related using the H&F.com Search:
MODERATE EXERCISE IMPROVES FITNESS FOR SENIORS
HEALTHandFITNESS.com 
