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Posts Tagged ‘fitness equipment’

A Side By Side Look at Elliptical Machines and Treadmills

April 25th, 2009

Elliptical machines are the “new treadmill.” They provide a person with a complete cardiovascular workout. They can be bought as low as 400 dollars, or as high as 4 thousand dollars.

The elliptical machine combines skiing, walking, and bicycling in its design. These machines typically have screens on them that will display a person’s heart rate while they are working out. Some elliptical machine screens display the calories that they have burned as well.

One of the best factors of the elliptical machine is that it does not put pressure upon the joints of the feet while using. It is different from the treadmill in that aspect, walking on a treadmill put constant pressure on the feet. There is little to no impact on the ankles and feet when using an elliptical machine.

Another great aspect of the elliptical machine is that elderly people or people who have been injured can use them. People who have had ankle injuries may find it difficult to walk or run on a treadmill because of the pressure that is puts on their feet. They will not feel this pressure when using the elliptical machine, because it is not there.

Seniors may find it difficult to walk on the treadmill due to a fear of falling. On an elliptical machine their feet are set in place and falling in unlikely. Ellipticals also have a multitude or programs a person can choose from.

Some elliptical machines have up to 20 different programs to pick from, these are usually the more expensive ones; the cheaper ones usually have fewer than 10 programs. Ellipticals provide a person with a better workout then a treadmill, because they affect more muscles. Elliptical machines have resistance levels that can be altered; this way, more than one person can use the elliptical machine.

The word elliptical means oval, this is due to the motion that the legs form when using the machine. The bigger the strides, the more room a person will have to move around when using the machine. Most elliptical machines normally are designed with 10 to 20 inch strides.

When a person purchases an elliptical machine, they should ask themselves three questions, will it fit my budget, my house, and me? Elliptical machines come in many different designs. Some can fold up to give a person more space in their home, but most should be put together in a spot that they can stay for a while.

Elliptical machines can be found in most gyms nowadays and are being used frequently by gym guest. They focus more on cardio and can help a person shed the pounds off by burning fat without building too much muscle. Ellipticals can be programmed to help build muscle if that is what the person wishes.

Another great factor about elliptical machines is that they can run without the use of electricity. A person will not be able to see their heart rate, but they could still use the machine and get a workout. A treadmill will only work off electricity.

Elliptical machines provide a better, overall workout than treadmills. They will run with out power, and they do not affect the joints of the feet and ankles like treadmills do. All in all they are a better source for exercise than the treadmill.

About the Author:

John Patrick Nutrition , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How To Make The Most Of Your Treadmill Workouts

March 31st, 2009

Using a treadmill can be a quick and simple way of getting fit, whether you use a machine designed for home use or whether you use a machine at a gym. But, the key thing to remember here is that you will only get out what you put in with any treadmill workout. So, how can you maximize your results here?

One of the few drawbacks to using a treadmill is that using one regularly can get downright boring. It doesn’t matter whether your workout involves a long brisk stroll or a short race at double quick speed — a lot of people simply find walking and running boring. And, with a treadmill you don’t have the advantage of passing scenery and other people to distract you unlike when you are jogging in the outside world!

So, the first thing you can do to ensure that your workout on a treadmill works right is to make sure that your head is as occupied as your body. The more bored you get here, the more likely you are to give up. Expert tips include watching the TV while you workout, working out with a friend so that you can chat or simply listening to music.

It is also important to make sure that you start off right with a treadmill. Don’t be tempted to do too much too soon especially if you are new to exercising. So, start off slow and listen to your body. A bit of treadmill ‘burn’ is good but push yourself too hard and you could hurt yourself or feel so bad the next day that you never want to get on the machine again!

On the other hand it is also important not to get complacent. The aim here is to make fitness/health progress and not to sit on a ‘happy medium’ plateau. So, look to increase the time you spend on your workout and/or increase its intensity. If you are using a motorized treadmill with controls then up the resistance/slope or the speed. If you are using a manual treadmill then speed up or stay on longer.

You can also maximize the benefits you get from this kind of workout by altering the exercises that you do on the treadmill itself. So, for example, one day you could do hard road running and the next you could increase the incline to do slow hill walking. Changing the exercises that you do here will simply give you a better range of fitness results for different parts of your body.

As you get more experienced on a treadmill you might also want to add something extra to the mix to increase the fitness benefits. Many people, for example, will use dumbbells at the same time that they are working out on a treadmill. You can do this as you use your treadmill or you can alternate work on the treadmill with work on the weights.

So, remember to start off slow but to keep upping the ante. This will help you get the best results from this kind of workout. And, most of all, try to make your workout an interesting one — the happier you are to be on the treadmill, the better your results will be.

About the Author:

Richard Belton Fitness , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chair Recliners for Body Building Builds Performance

March 27th, 2009

If you are serious about body building, then you may want to investigate the benefits of regular massage therapy. Studies continue to show that regular massage therapy helps to increase muscle tone, improve range of motion, enhances your flexibility and reduces recovery time from injury. You already know the importance of diet, exercise and stretching. These are important elements of your established routine. Regular massage therapy should be added to your routine as well. Although time constraints may not allow you to see a massage therapist, a convenient alternative is a massage chair recliner.

If you body build, then regular massage therapy helps you in many ways. It increases circulation allowing the body to supply more nutrients and oxygen. It helps to relax and soften overworked muscles and can soften injured muscles and scar tissue. It reduces the incidence of cramps or muscle spasms. It helps to increase your range of motion by increasing your joint flexibility. It reduces the recovery time from strenuous workouts while reducing aches, pains and discomfort. Massage therapy releases endorphins or your natural pain killer to reduce pain and speed recovery from surgery.

Massage therapy is becoming standard practice in many sports for both pre-event and post event. As part of your warm up, massage therapy helps you prepare for peak performance before your event. This helps to decrease muscle tension, enhance your flexibility while increasing your mental awareness and alertness. In the competitive arena, these are important factors which can give you an edge over your competition.

One of the challenges of getting regular massage therapy is reliance of going to a massage therapist. Most body builders have a strict regimen of diet, exercise and nutrition. Finding time to get a massage on a regular basis can be problematic. Massage chairs are a good solution for this situation. Massage chairs are always available when you need them and the massage can be delivered at your convenience. These massage recliners can provide you with regular massage therapy. Studies show that the real benefits of massage therapy are when massage is received on a frequent and regular basis.

Massage chairs continue to advance with the unprecedented pace of technology. You can now find massage therapies ranging from Sports massage, acupressure, deep tissue, Shiatsu and Swedish style massages. Each of these massage techniques has particular target areas and specific benefits. These massage chairs also have full body massage capability from head to toe. If you have a specific area you want to target, then you can focus the program exactly where you want.

There are also other therapies included in the more advanced massage chair brands. Some massage recliners have traction systems. These traction systems can provide stretching capabilities. There are stretching functions for the lower body and also for the shoulder and arms. You can find massage recliners with full body heat. Heat is great to reduce swelling and to increase blood circulation. To relax, some massage chairs have integrated music players and headphones. Just slip on the headphones and relax to your favorite music as the chair goes to work on you.

Most people think that massage chairs are expensive. However, if you are getting regular massage therapy, then they really are the most economic way to receive massage therapy. A massage therapist may cost $50 per hour plus tip. Massage chairs can provide an hour massage for as little as $3 per hour. Most massage chairs are rated for 1,000 hours. If you purchased a $3,000 chair, then your cost per hour is $3. This is a big economic advantage.

If you body build, then you really should incorporate massage therapy into your regimen. The benefits of regular massage therapy help you to attain peak performance. Keep your body and muscles in top condition and lessen the chance of injury with regular massage. A massage chair is a great compliment to your arsenal to get regular massage therapy.

About the Author:

James Knolan Fitness , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How To Choose The Best Home Treadmill

March 25th, 2009

Buying a treadmill to use at home is a popular thing to do when you are looking to workout outside of the gym. These machines can give you a variety of fitness benefits in a single piece of equipment and they are easy to set up and to use so they tend to suit all kinds of fitness needs extremely well.

When it comes to choosing the best treadmill to set up in your home you need to think about a few things first rather than simply picking a model that catches your eye and that looks good in a store. For example, although treadmills aren’t as big as many home gym equipment options, they can be bulky so you do need to think about how much space you have at home first of all.

If you don’t have a lot of space and you don’t want to have your machine standing around in sight all of the time then you may be best advised to look at a folding treadmill as your first choice. These treadmills are relatively compact and they can be folded down once you are done using them and stored away out of sight.

However, many trainers find that they don’t get enough features from folding treadmills. Most of them are, for example, manual treadmills rather than motorized ones. When you use a manual treadmill you make the belt run by walking or running on it. A motorized model has a powered belt that you turn on before you start using it.

Another reason to look at the size of the treadmill that you buy is the comfort factor that you will get when running or walking on it. Smaller treadmills come with smaller belts which may affect your stride pattern. If you can try to have a go on a few sizes at the gym or in a store to see which one suits your stride pattern best.

You also need to think about the features that you need from more advanced models. Many motorized treadmills, for example, will have settings that allow you to increase resistance and slope so that you can vary your workout and increase the effort that you need to put in (and the results that you can get!) as you make progress.

In some cases you can also buy treadmills that will give you reports and data on the progress that you are making. The features on offer here range from step rates through to miles covered and speed, for example. You can also sometimes use functions that monitor your heart rate and that count the calories that you are burning which can be useful.

At the advanced end of the scale here you can also find machines that will let you set up individual training programs to make sure that you do the most effective workout. These can be useful ways of monitoring your progress and making sure that you do move on with your overall fitness aims.

Do remember, however, that the best treadmill that you can buy will be the one that best suits your budget at the end of the day. So, don’t be tempted to buy a machine that comes with a load of ‘bells and whistles’ that you simply won’t use.

About the Author:

Richard Brown Fitness , , , , , ,