PERSONAL HEALTH : First, Exercise Your Shopping Smarts

Exercising at home can sound hassle-free, if not effortless. Buy the right equipment, set up the home gym and you’ll never miss a workout--come rain, smog or threat of muggers.

Or so the myth goes.

John Reitano, an exercise physiologist at FHP Health Plan, doesn’t buy it. “Stair-climbing machines hold more clothes than some closets,” he says.

Home exercise equipment is a booming market that brought in about $3 billion last year, according to the National Sporting Goods Assn. and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Assn.

Top sellers, according to industry spokesmen, are treadmills, cross-country ski machines, exercise bikes, stair-climbing machines and free weights.

Smart Shopping

The key to increasing the odds that you’ll actually use home equipment is to think before you shop.

“First you have to answer the question, what kind of exercise goal are you trying to achieve?” asks Bob Girandola, USC associate professor of exercise sciences who often evaluates exercise equipment for manufacturers.

“Are you trying to increase your strength? Muscle tone? Are you trying to improve your cardiovascular condition? To lose weight and fat? Those questions have to be answered. There is no one piece of equipment that can do everything,” he says.

To increase strength, consider weight-lifting devices--dumbbells, rubber bands or other resistance equipment. For cardiovascular improvement, consider treadmills, stationary bicycles and stair-climbing machines.

Store Tryouts

“Go to the store with your exercise clothing on,” says Reitano of FHP. Take a towel and plan to sweat. Most stores have displays meant for demonstrations. “You’re investing money,” Reitano points out. “I wouldn’t worry what people think.”

Pay attention to the feel of the equipment. Is it comfortable? Can you exercise with full range of motion?

On a stair-climbing machine, for instance, do your legs extend all the way as you climb or do you feel cramped?

Place your hand on the muscle the equipment is supposed to improve. “If it tightens the muscle,” Girandola says, “you know it’s working on that area.” If not, either you are performing the exercise incorrectly or the equipment isn’t effective.

If the demonstration equipment looks worn out, be wary, says Geff Gandy, an exercise consultant for Cooper Clinic for Aerobics Research, Dallas.

Equipment should be sturdy enough to withstand intense and frequent use.

Safety First

Look for safety features. For instance, many treadmills include a safety clip that exercisers affix to their belt or shirt. If you slip or faint while working out, the machine automatically shuts off.

Buy What You Like

“Buy the one piece of equipment you enjoy the most,” says Michael Garvey, a Torrance manufacturers’ representative for commercial and retail exercise equipment who bills himself as “The Dumbell Man.”

Start small if you are not sure if you’re the home exercise type, he advises.

“You can get started for a couple of hundred dollars,” he says. For that, get a bench and a variety of dumbbells, Garvey suggests, and then hire a personal trainer to teach you proper form. In six months, if you’re still at it, you can trade up to better equipment.

Perspective

Don’t expect your salesperson to know everything. While some are high-tech experts, many aren’t. Depend on supplemental sources of information such as consumer magazines, which rate exercise equipment. Or call a manufacturer’s “800” number for answers to specific questions.

Call a health club and talk to trainers: What do they like? What equipment do they find easy to use and stay with? Ask friends who are dedicated home exercisers.

Consult a Physician

Before buying, describe the equipment to your doctor to see if it’s appropriate for your fitness level and age.

What Price Is Right?

Exercise equipment doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective, says Girandola of USC. Consider, he says, simple two-pound barbells for arm strengthening. But buy high-tech equipment that is too cheap, other experts warn, and you could be sorry.

As a guideline, Gandy tells exercisers to spend at least $2,000 for a good treadmill and $500 for a good exercise bike, although he admits not everyone agrees with him. “I’d go with major brands,” he adds.

Don’t skimp, advises Reitano. “You need to be willing to invest in your health.” People splurge on big-screen TVs, he says, “but want to spend only $50 on a stepper.”