Consumers Digest - What is your experience of home exercise equipment?

What is your experience of home exercise equipment?

I see the ads promoting them on TV and wonder if they are worth the expense. I would love to know what your experience is - and why?

You'll use it about twice, because it'll bore the hell out of you. Trust me, walking is free and easier.
Stay away from Bowflex. It can snap back and hit you in the eye while you are hooking it up.
Not worth it. You would make better use of your money by going to the gym. A. it putes you in a different place where you only need to focus on building muscle or getting fit. B. you cant beat free weights and they would cost a fortune to buy. C. going to the gym helps motivate you. it putes you in the zone and right frame of mind. 9 out of 10 home gyms sit in a corner and end up being sold at yard sales. most dont even offer real resistance. for example the bowflex, looks great but 300 pounds of pressure on the bowflex is about as comparible to 180lbs of free weights. hope this helps
The problem with home exercise equipment is that we get sucked in by the advertising (it's very convincing!). We all have the best intentions but often lack motivation. Plus, there are a lot of distractions in the home. Some people, myself included, prefer to use a Personal Trainer. You will find it is easier to stay motivated and stick to a routine that way. If you still want to give it a try I suggest you start by borrowing some equipment from a friend or hiring it for a decent length of time. You will get a feel of whether this is the right option for you or not.