Home exercise machines

Forty-seven percent of consumers were planning to spend more on health and fitness in 2011 than in 2010, according to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker. But when consumers buy an exercise machine, are they glad they did?

The Consumer Reports National Research Center recently asked 1,433 owners of exercise equipment who subscribe to our website about the use of their machines (mostly treadmills and ellipticals, bought for a median price of just under $1,000 for those purchased since 2008). Turns out not all machines end up in closets. The top reason to have one, cited by 69 percent of respondents, was that it could be used at any convenient time. Among other findings:

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