When you think of great long-term investments, you probably think of things like education, buying a home, investing in an ETF following the S&P 500, or Bitcoin. Okay, maybe not Bitcoin, but it could very well be a great investment.
Disclaimer - Freedom Fitness Equipment is not responsible for any money lost by investing in Bitcoin. Also, please don’t take financial advice from us; after all, we are a business entirely focused on providing quality gym equipment to our customers. You wouldn’t ask your financial advisor for barbell recommendations, right?!
Just know we are only kidding, but in all seriousness, the investments listed above are great (Bitcoin TBD). However, in our opinion, that list is missing another great long-term investment - used gym equipment.
Let me give you three reasons why, and I’ll let you be the judge of just how good a long-term investment used gym equipment is for your home or commercial gym.
#1) Health Benefits
Like any good investment, you want good value for your money.
Gym equipment in general provides great value when used consistently and correctly. Well, most of it, I don’t think we can count the shake weights or the vibrating belts. However, equipment such as dumbbells, barbells, strength machines, treadmills, benches, cardio equipment, and many other pieces of equipment provides a huge value for your health.
Research has consistently proven what we already intrinsically know to be true: cardio exercise and resistance training are incredibly powerful tools for your health, confidence, and longevity. You are training for life; fitness matters.
When exercise is performed correctly:
- Body fat decreases
- Muscle mass increases
- Cardiorespiratory fitness improves
- Chronic disease risk decreases
- Your sleep, mobility, and confidence improve - and these are just the tip of the iceberg.
What does this have to do with buying used gym equipment? Well, if buying used gym equipment - i.e., having a home gym - allows you to exercise more often and more effectively, then the value here is undeniable.
Exercise is powerful, and a home gym makes exercise more accessible.
Ditch the commute, the waiting for equipment, and the traffic. Your health is a priority; invest in it.
#2) Quality
Most gym equipment is built to last.
If you are buying quality gym equipment, you can expect it to last for decades.
Literally. Things like barbells, dumbbells, weight plates, benches, power racks, and kettlebells should provide almost unlimited use for you and your family. So when looking to buy these pieces of equipment used, you shouldn’t be worried. These pieces have few to no moving parts and are primarily made of metal or rubber, good to go.
Something to keep in mind - used equipment from gyms is at a much greater risk of breaking or wearing out.
This is simply due to the amount of use the fitness equipment received. Quality rubber (bumper) weight plates should last you a long, long time. However, if a CrossFit gym has been using the plates for the last 6 years, 8 times a day for 5 days a week - at that facility, this is a different story. So, keep in mind where in the market you are buying used equipment from.
The second category of gym equipment packages is machines. Whether this is strength (leg press) or cardio equipment (treadmills), be a little more skeptical here because of the many moving parts. Check the belts, the upholstery, the monitors, etc., as you browse for deals. However, cardio equipment and strength machines are generally built to last as well and can be a great long-term investment for your space.
Investing in (the right) used gym equipment and machines is a great investment.
The durability of the equipment should allow you to train for many, many years.
#3) Holds its value
Used fitness equipment holds its value. It’s kind of like shopping for a used Toyota.
It sucks that used Toyotas come at a higher price than other used car brands; however, selling a used Toyota is much easier than other car brands.
A huge feature - quality used gym equipment holds its value.
Say, you change your mind on a piece of fitness equipment or machine, simply price it and list it for sale on Facebook Marketplace, and you’ll likely recoup most of the price you paid. Not to mention, you got to use it for plenty of workouts.
Now, the flipside of this is that you could say that used gym equipment comes at a high sale price relative to brand new equipment.
While this may be true, you still can save money by buying used equipment, especially if you are patient as you browse for deals.
This comes into play as companies have to consider things like labor warranties, shipping worldwide, pricing, customer and client satisfaction, stock and inventory, and so much more. These things impact new pricing for businesses more so than with used.
