What is your normal method to stay fit, healthy, and flexible? A healthy and hearty diet of nutritious fruits and vegetables is the key as well as regular and varied exercise, consisting of aerobics, strength training, and stretching.

The best exercise is one that you are really and sincerely work at over a lifetime, be it push-ups, stretches, jumping jacks or aerobic exercises such as running, bicycling, or swimming. However, there are people who prefer to work out using fitness equipment in their own homes.

Here are a few basic, important things to consider when buying exercise equipment.

Do not always believe the advertising!

At least not everything. It is good to assess all the claims exercise equipment sellers declare in their advertisements. It is so hard to believe some statements that assure people that they will lose several pounds in an unreasonably short period of time,or that you will decrease clothing size in a matter of a few weeks. Even with the assistance of a weight-loss diet and dietary supplements, it is not possible to accomplish changes as major as these in a few weeks, or even a month.

Reducing fat in specific areas of your body

Be skeptical of claims that say you will be able to burn a tremendous amount of fat in specific areas of your body, such as the hips, butt, thighs, or waist just by using a specific type of ointment, cream or lotion. The only sure way to burn the fat away is by changing what you eat. And a weight loss diet will reduce fat generally, not from specific areas of your body. Specific exercises tailored to work on specific areas of the body work well to tone that section of the body.

The only testimonial that counts is yours or a very trusted friend

Before and after pictures of people who claim that they were able to lose weight because of using a specific brand of exercise equipment may or may not be true. Even if they are, their experience is personal and is certainly no guaranty that your unique body style and situation will see the phenomenal success that they claim. There is an old (and usually accurate) saying, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is".

Read the fine print

It is always advisable to read the fine print on any major purchase. Though you believe that the fitness equipment you are planning to purchase is a fair deal, reading the fine print is advisable, since it may include other bits of information you should know, like "you must also decrease your calorie intake to lose the weight" and "these results may not be typical"!

Do the math

There are advertising statements that say you could pay off the fitness equipment in a number of easy payments or by paying a very small sounding monthly payment. Remember to check on shipping and handling costs and include that in your calculation. Also, add-on the required sales tax, delivery fees, set-up fees, etc. Know all the details before you purchase.

Read and understand the warranty

Read the warranty closely. Make sure you understand who pays for shipping charges in case a repair is needed. Treadmills and other aerobic equipment can be quite heavy, and it is often impractical to haul the equipment. Some warranties will cover the cost to have a service person come to your house. Usually, buying "extra" warranty coverage is not a very good deal, but in the case of large exercise equipment, it may be worth the added cost.

Where and how do you receive customer service?

Most reputable equipment manufacturers or sellers have a customer service hotline. Normally, they have toll-free numbers for parts and service. Make sure the information for this is readily available. Do internet searches for sites that do review of products like this, and read the customers comments. A simple search for "brand x treadmill" will often bring many consumer or review site comments.

If you do your homework, you should be able to find the exercise equipment you are looking for, at a price you consider fair, and have it last many years!