You’ve seen the claims: Lose three inches in three weeks, tone your entire body with just one machine, build a muscular, lean body with just one device. But do these exercise devices really do what they claim they do?

Buyer Beware: Tips for Buying Infomercial Excercise Equipment, Exercise Machines, or Exercise Devices

Important things to consider in helping you decide if the infomercial fitness product is right for you.

Here are some things to consider before buying exercise machines, devices, and equipment.

Some of the top selling exercise devices recently went through the rigorous ratings process of Consumer Reports magazine.

Some of the fitness products got good reviews and some did not fare so well and did not live up to their fitness claims. Consumer Reports noted that the weight loss mentioned in some of the product marketing testimonials is more likely the result of the reduced-calorie diet plans that most fitness manufacturers recommend rather than solely from the exercise devices themselves. So that’s something to consider before purchasing such products.

Consumer Reports had some really good advice about these exercise products that we would like to pass along. First, make sure you read the fine print on those fitness products. Most of the amazing results are not typical. Many of the excellent results may result from a combination of using the exercise equipment along with a low calorie diet and perhaps even another exercise routine such as aerobic exercise mixed in.

According to Consumer Reports, you should not confuse the claim “toning” with “weight loss.” The exercise equipment may help you tone or tighten a target area, but you will still need to change your diet and / or engage in regular aerobic activity to lose weight.

Even the workouts on the total-body exercise machines are not vigorous enough to give you an aerobic benefit, according to Consumer Reports.

Consider free weights or even resistance bands before you invest in the home gym equipment. Consumer Reports claims that many of the movements on the fitness products can be done with simpler equipment.

When considering the money-back guarantee, factor in the cost of shipping the exercise machine back to manufacturer. In some cases, shipping can be as high as $100 if the product is heavy.

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