Bring your fitness routine home with the right fitness equipment

Now more than ever we're time pressed and looking for easier ways to squeeze in a workout. For some of you (including myself), that means moving from the gym to your living room, bedroom or basement.

While working out at home might be the answer for your busy schedule, first make sure you know what fitness equipment you'll need and more importantly, make sure you get what you really want. Remember: You want to stick with your workouts, so keep these 4 tips in mind before you plunk down the big bucks for your home-gym equipment.

• Shop in your workout gear. Spend 5 to 10 minutes on the equipment at the store so you can see what a home workout would be like. And notice the noise: In a small room those hums and beeps may drive you nuts.
• Get nitpicky with the parts. Give the equipment a thorough once-over.
  
• Consider how you'll use the equipment. Planning to walk on your treadmill a few times a week, for example? A $400 to $1,800 model will probably be sufficient. For running several miles daily, though, you're going to need a durable, $2,000 to $7,000 model. Health magazine has a list of some of their favorites.
• Beware bells and whistles. You could pay hundreds of dollars more for extras. If you don't care about things like having multiple programs to choose from, don't get them.

Lastly, think about how much space you have. This is often an overlooked issue. Having a treadmill is cool, but what if there's nowhere to put it?