Top Home Fitness Companies

The fact that the world is a peculiar place is emphasized by the various health crazes that appear in different nations amid a sea of overweight and obese people. Take America for example. Around 34% of the population are considered to be obese with national health surveys suggesting that 75% of the American population will be overweight by 2015. Despite these damning statistics, more than $3 billion is spent per annum by Americans on fitness equipment with 100 companies responsible for these sales figures. Even more remarkably, approximately half of this money is accrued by just five fitness organizations.

Why So Few?

The most popular companies are Nautilus, Life Fitness, Precor and Cybex International. It seems strange that a handful of top home fitness companies have managed to conquer the market when you consider the limited amount of equipment on offer. Yes, there are hundreds of different types of machines but there are only a small number of body parts to concentrate on: legs, back, arms, chest, shoulders. This is of course a simplistic overview of the human body but the fact remains: There are only so many machines out there that are effective. Therefore, why are a small percentage of home fitness companies ruling the roost?

The obvious answer is: Effective marketing. Yet the best companies are already established. Customers know that they will get what they pay for as these machines have been verified and tested by various elite athletes and medical professionals. An obvious way to find the top home fitness companies is by using a search engine and looking for customer reviews. These are more important than any propaganda generated by a top fitness company. The power is now in the customer's hands more than ever before. Companies can extol the virtues of their product but because more than 70% of customers read reviews before purchasing, their efforts will have little effect.

Beware Fraudulent Companies

The aforementioned organizations such as Nautilus have forged a reputation as an industry leader and their products generally receive favorable reviews. There are also a growing number of companies that have been unmasked as frauds. Organizations such as Gately Home Fitness, Planet Fitness and Home Fitness Mart have received complaints from irate customers who claim that they have been ripped off. All three businesses are still trading so it is unknown if these complaints are genuine or if the companies are being unfairly scapegoated. One thing top fitness companies will never do is ask for payment via Green Dot Cards. This is a common method of defrauding customers. A Green Dot Card is like a cash card which means it cannot be traced. Consumers are urged to avoid such payment methods and companies that use them.

If you are considering a purchase of equipment from a fitness company, be sure to purchase only quality. If you are going to pay $500 for a second rate piece of equipment, you might as well dig deep and pay an extra $200 for a guarantee of quality. A product like a treadmill for example should last for several years and could pay for itself by preventing you from spending money on a gym membership. There is a reason why a handful of top home fitness companies generate all the revenue. It is best to stick with them when buying fitness equipment for home use.

Jason Kay also recommends reading Bowflex reviews to learn about this line of home fitness equipment.

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