Working out with a rowing machine is a great way to burn calories, improve your cardiovascular fitness and tone up many of your major muscles. Because rowing is low impact, it's ideally suited for exercisers who are concerned about knee pain from activities such as running.

One of the most popular pieces of home exercise equipment is the stationary bike. The bikes come in a variety of sizes, styles and price ranges, making them suitable for many different people. People who have a room dedicated to working out may choose a larger model that can’t be moved.

Anyone who has ever become breathless while climbing several flights of stairs knows the muscle and cardiovascular benefits that accompany stair climbing. This effect is harnessed by the creation of a stair climber or stair stepper machine, which attempts to emulate climbing stairs.

Riding a stationary exercise bike is an effective way to get your cardiovascular workout in, either at home or in the gym. Exercise bikes also strengthen your glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors and calves. You’ll find stationary exercise bikes in upright and recumbent models.

If you are tired of looking at that old treadmill in the garage, you’re not alone. Lots of Americans buy exercise equipment they end up not using. If you’re one of them, you can do yourself (and the world) a favor by donating the unused equipment to charities or individuals that will put it to good use.

Owning a treadmill provides easy, efficient access to a flexible cardio workout. When you're ready to upgrade, or decide that it's time to join friends at the gym, though, the biggest obstacle can be determining how best to sell your treadmill.

Exercise balls, such as large Pilates balls, are a great piece of equipment for many people, but they are also sometimes hard to store in an out-of-the-way area. Some exercise balls are smaller, depending on how it (or they) are used.

When in good repair, a fitness ball in an effective piece of workout equipment. You can use it as a base for bodyweight exercises like push-ups and planks, or as a stand-in for a weight bench. But if your fitness ball starts leaking or shows obvious wear, it's no longer safe to use.

To maintain a general level of good health, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate cardiovascular activity five times per week. If you want to drop pounds, you should increase that to between 60 and 90 minutes for those 5 days.

You can use weight machines to tone your inner thigh muscles, which are called your adductors. The adductor muscles include the adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, gracilis and the pectineus.

Do you only have 30 minutes a day to exercise? That may be all you need to keep yourself fit and healthy. Make the most of it by alternating activities. For optimum fitness, dedicate at least three weekly sessions to cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking, biking or aerobics.

The classic pull-up is among the heavy hitters for upper-body training, working the shoulders, arms, back and chest. Most gyms have pull-up bars, but it's also quite simple to install one at home. A sturdy wood doorway is a fine place to put one, allowing you to do a pull-up whenever you pass through the door.