How to shop...

As a result of the Pilates workshops I took recently, I bought a couple of new toys for the studio.  I don’t do that very often for two reasons:  I already have a lot of toys and most toys I don’t have don’t seem to justify the money I’d spend on them.  However, I am now the proud possessor of two matching swivel discs.

I know that most people don’t have the kind of space or enthusiasm for exercise equipment that I have.  In these times when we’re all stuck home, though, it might be useful to know how I evaluate what deserves space in the studio to help other people’s decision processes.

The first important criterion for something that gets to live in my studio is that whatever it is can be used in multiple ways.  (This also works for kitchen gadgets—I don’t have a quesadilla maker because I have a regular pan that makes other stuff, too!)  Dumbbells, barbells, bench, stability balls, and the like all meet that criterion.

Another important criterion is that whatever it is doesn’t take up an undue amount of space.  I don’t have big cardio equipment in my studio, but I do have an Xiser, a jump rope, and a repertoire of exercises that can get the heart rate up without a bunch of stuff.  There is an exception:  I have a spin bike in the studio at Christmas time because the space in the living room where the spin bike lives the rest of the year gets preempted by the Christmas tree.  And yes, I do have a spin bike in my living room because that is the best and most efficient place for it to live and the spin bike has earned its place in my exercise equipment necessities many times over; other people might not make the same calculation.

How much does the new gizmo cost?  I’m more likely to try out something that doesn’t cost zillions of dollars.  The relatively few dollars I have spent on rollers, yoga tune up balls, Daiso ducks, and other SMR equipment, for example, have all been well spent.  TRX is good value for the money. 

Then there is the use test.  Sometimes I get excited about a piece of equipment and think I’m going to use it All The Time and I’m just wrong.  Clients don’t like it, it doesn’t do what I think it’s going to do, or whatever.  When that happens, I try to notice and get rid of the offending item before the burden of its guilt gets too heavy.

The short version is:  it is important to engage the brain when buying gym stuff or else you end up with a shake weight and other stuff they sell on infomercials gathering dust.