It's easy to be committed to losing weight and getting in shape while you're looking at swimsuits for a tropical vacation. But it's another matter entirely when you have to make the time for a health club. Getting fit may be easier when you plan to do it at home.

Although Americans continue to be interested in fitness, longer workdays and stressful lifestyles are making it harder for most people to make a commitment to a health club or fitness facility.

Even with advances in time management technology, Americans continue to make excuses for not getting exercise. People are committing their time to work and other obligations, rather than exercising -- all of which leads to a fatter America.

The American Heart Association reports that 104 million Americans are overweight and 42.5 million Americans are obese. And it's getting worse. The World Health Organization and the International Obesity Task Force have declared obesity a global epidemic.

But for over a decade manufacturers of home fitness equipment, have attempted to turn the tide against obesity with home gym equipment. Having a home gym is a solution because it combines a number of features to counter all those excuses that are easy to make.

Turning to home gyms is smart because they give the benefits of exercise, including reduced stress and overall better health, without the complications that go along with a health club membership. This is especially true with two-income or single-parent families. A home gym enables everyone to make and keep a plan for getting more exercise. As Americans turn to home gyms, they're becoming more sophisticated, choosing gyms with multiple functions and longer usability providing a health club-quality workout. In as little as 20 minutes a day and as few as three days a week, users can see the results.

Here are the most common concerns and solutions from the home gym experts:

1. Finding 20 minutes: To balance work, family and personal lives, Americans are increasingly turned to home gyms to gain the benefits of exercise. Research shows that 20 minutes of exercise 3 times a week can make a difference. Finding those 20 minutes is the reason most fitness programs fail. Finding 20 minutes at home is easy if you know where to look. Some of the best places are the:

- 20 minutes waiting for dinner to cook.

- 20 minutes waiting for your teens to get out of the bathroom.

- 20 minutes watching the morning or evening news.

- 20 minutes by not having to drive to a health club, find a parking spot, and waiting for equipment or classes to be open.

- 20 minutes looking for something to wear that still fits and is not too tight.

2. Variety of exercise. Doing the same thing even a short period of time becomes boring and begins to eat away at motivation. choose a home gym that gives you a large varity of exercise options.

3. Affordable: A homeusually costs less than an annual health club membership for two. Plus it eliminates the hidden expenses of childcare, gas, and parking - and convenient financing plans are available.

So, the next time you're running from place to place in a dizzy blur, and you look down at a growing belly, flabby arms, or legs that don't pack the same oomph they used to, think of getting a home gym. It could be the solution to your time versus exercise dilemma.

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