Archive for March, 2009

Choosing The Right Bowflex Elliptical Machine

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Author : David Cowley

If you've been searching for a Bowflex elliptical machine you may be a bit confused since Bowflex doesn't actually offer elliptical machines in their product catalog However Bowflex is owned by Nautilus, which also owns Schwinn brand products, so if you're looking for a Bowflex elliptical you're actually shopping for a Schwinn or Nautilus product Many people mean to look for the Bowflex Tread Climber instead of an elliptical machine but we'll review the elliptical machines here as well

One thing that makes the elliptical exercise machines so popular is that it comes in a wide variety of models so that you're sure to find something that's comfortable for you Because any elliptical machine is working a wide variety of leg muscles, it's important to find one that closely matches your stride and that is comfortable for you personally rather than relying on what's at the gym or what someone else uses Some are specifically made for those who are taller and some are a bit more compact; while you can often adjust the stride on any Bowflex elliptical you do want to try out a few different models before purchasing the one that's right for you Keep in mind too that some are larger than others because they're designed to withstand constant use in a gym; you may want to opt for a smaller model for your own home

The NE3000 elliptical is probably the best quality model they offer; it's specifically meant for the rigorous use of a gym or spa The remote operation control is built into the handles so that you can change features of your workout without moving your hands, which means you can keep up your pace even while making adjustments It is made with a frictionless design for maximum ease of movement and less natural resistance; this means you adjust the resistance yourself according to your fitness level

The 430 series elliptical machines are made for home use and are smaller and more upright than other machines, perfect for cramped quarters of any house or apartment You can fix or move the handlebars for more of a comfortable workout for you

Unlike treadmills the elliptical machines produces a smooth walking motion without the jarring, joint damaging action of walking or running For someone with any type of joint or back problem this not impact motions will mean the difference between using the exercise machine and not using it What good is any exercise machine if you will not use it An elliptical trainer can have a dramatic affect in the way you look and feel about yourself The price can range from $300 to over $5,000 so there is something for every budget

Try before you buy Elliptical trainers come in a verity of styles and types Front drive, rear drive and center drives are available and no one type is better than the other You will need to give each type a try and decide for yourself which one feels best to you

Probably the best feature of any Bowflex elliptical is that you can trust the Bowflex name Their equipment is built to last a lifetime, whether it's a commercial grade model that is expected to be used constantly or a home model that will stand up to just a few hours per day When you consider that any exercise equipment should be seen as an investment in your overall health and your longevity then you realize that there's no good reason why anyone shouldn't add a Bowflex elliptical machine to their home gym equipment

David Cowley has created numerous articles on Home Exercise Equipment. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Home Exercise Equipment. Visit http://www.exercise-team.com

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Counting Calories To Lose Weight

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You and I know that losing fat and staying in great shape is a difficult task because it is so hard to stay motivated and it is so tempting to cheat, especially when you can hide the cheating. We dieters have all been in a starving situation when dieting and our mind reasons very quickly why that extra piece of pie is not going to hurt us. We take it, forget about it and then wonder next day why we didn’t lose weight.

For most of us dieting is a constant battle between emotion and reason and when hungry, reason is out of the window and emotion just wins. We do not see the immediate effects of our behavior and therefore our brain is fooled into thinking that everything is all right. On the other hand, let’s say you would get very sick when eating more than you need, overeating would stop very quickly.

Getting sick after a little bit of overeating does normally not happen therefore we need to find a different way to show the consequences of our behavior. We need to show this in a factual manner, an immediate visual display of the results of our cheating. It is not punishment right away, but over time our brain will be conditioned such that taking an extra piece of pie will give negative weight loss results. Then we will start to understand why we don’t lose weight and can pinpoint the causes.

What should this visual display look like?  First I like charts, they are very easy to understand and can show trends and correlations between variables. In this chart I would like to see over a period of time, the average calories that I take in per day compared with the average calories that I burn per day. If the chart shows that the intake calories are lower than the burned calories, I will lose weight and vice versa I will gain weight. Correlate that with a chart that shows your weight or BMI (Body Mass Index) over time and I have the tool that helps me regulate my food consumption versus my daily activities.

If I add my hunger levels before and after the meals, I can fine tune my meal plans and daily activities. In this way I can sustain my dieting for a long time and preferably it will become my way of life. I have minimized the hunger pain and increase the pleasure of losing weight and feeling more attractive.

There is abundance of free online food calorie calculators. These calorie counters just display nutrition facts and are not going to help you lose weight. Nor is a simple calorie calculator that tries to calculate your calories burned solely based on your weight and average activity level. These are simple little gimmicks that are a waste of your time.

Only when you seriously can track and correlate your calorie intake and calories burned over time, depending on your age, weight, gender, height and individual activity intensity levels can you precisely measure your calorie balance. Seeing visually that your weight loss program works is a big motivator to stay on track. Also you can see immediately when you are off track and you can adjust your situation accordingly.

Acquiring great health is a complex task. Interrelating factors like diet, nutritional facts, meal plans, calorie balance, body reading measurements, supplement and medicine intake, exercise routines, daily activity intensity and costs will make it very difficult for you to see the forest for the trees.
Well designed software that keeps track of all of the above factors and can correlate them will make it very easy to manage your health, fitness, weight loss, muscle mass gain or any goal you have set…

Keep Your New Years 39 Resolution To Get Fit

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Author : Brian Tilley

After being a fitness instructor for the past 28 years I find the first of the year as a fascinating view of human resolve or the lack thereof

Year after year virtually every health club is swamped with people determined to get into shape, lose weight, or, in most cases, both They are sincere in their attempt, their motives are valid but all too often they will give up and fall back into their old ways

What I have learned is that the most important part of any attempt to begin a regular physical fitness program is finding the time that will fit into your existing schedule We all have multiple demands on our time and any new demand will quickly fall to the bottom of the list if it competes with your current schedule

Finding the right time to workout is much more important than what type of workout you want to do The ability to plan a workout when you know you have some time free will go a long way to insuring you follow through Virtually all health and fitness clubs offer many types of programs, both for group exercise or individual instruction This will also make it easier to find a program you will enjoy and look forward to doing

Take a few minutes and write down your schedule Be sure to put in the time you spend with family and friends You then want to find at least two times a week, though three or four will be much better, that you have at least 90 minutes of free time

Be realistic and include travel time, changing into your workout clothes, and showering after you are done, into your time slot The feeling of being rushed will quickly lead to putting your new resolve on the back burner

We are all creatures of habit, and what you are primarily trying to do is 'create' a new habit One that will not only improve your physical health, but will also help you deal with the stress we seem to have too much of these days Creating this new habit will be much easier if you give it a space to develop in

Fortunately we also have the ability to acquire new habits quickly, and especially when those new habits are in our best interests Meeting new people and making some new friends in the process is also another often overlooked benefit of going to the gym on a regular basis

Finding the time is the secret to getting over the hump of staying with any fitness program It is the critical component that will allow you to go and workout when you may not feel like it and we all sometimes don't feel like it

The days when you don't feel like exercising are always the most satisfying when you do it anyways They reinforce your confidence and give you the incentive to strive for even higher levels of fitness It becomes a self-fulfilling and very rewarding use of your precious time

The author has been an aerobics instructor for over 28 years. He has taught classes for private health clubs and has been a Certified Group Instructor for the Y.M.C.A. since 1980. He is currently developing web sites focused on Health and Fitness.

To read more on health and fitness by this author

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Exercise and Hypertension

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Author : A. Aaron M.D.

It seems as though many Americans are living a life that leads to high blood pressure or hypertension As people age, the situation gets worse Nearly half of all older Americans have hypertension This disease makes people five times more prone to strokes, three times more likely to have a heart attack, and two to three times more likely to experience a heart failure

The problem with this disease is that nearly one third of the folks who have hypertension do not know it because they never feel any direct pain But overtime the force of that pressure damages the inside surface of your blood vessels

However, according to experts, hypertension is not predestined Reducing salt intake, adopting a desirable dietary pattern losing weight and exercising can all help prevent hypertension

Obviously, quitting bad habits and eating a low fat diet will help, but the most significant part that you can do is to exercise And just as exercise strengthens and improves limb muscles, it also enhances the health of the heart muscles

Heart and Exercise

The exercise stimulates the development of new connections between the impaired and the nearly normal blood vessels, so people who exercise had a better blood supply to all the muscle tissue of the heart

The human heart basically, supply blood to an area of the heart damaged in a "myocardial infarction " A heart attack is a condition, in which, the myocardium or the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen and other nutrients and so it begins to die

For this reason and after a series of careful considerations, some researchers have observed that exercise can stimulate the development of these life saving detours in the heart One study further showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than extremely vigorous exercise done twice as often

Such information has led some people to think of exercise as a panacea for heart disorders, a fail-safe protection against hypertension or death That is not so Even marathon runners that have suffered hypertension, and exercise cannot overcome combination of other risk factor

What Causes Hypertension?

Sometimes abnormalities of the kidney are responsible There is also a study wherein the researchers identified more common contributing factors such as heredity, obesity, and lack of physical activity And so, what can be done to lower blood pressure and avoid the risk of developing hypertension? Again, exercise seems to be just what the doctor might order

If you think that is what he will do, then, try to contemplate on this list and find some ways how you can incorporate these things into your lifestyle and start to live a life free from the possibilities of developing hypertension But before you start following the systematic instructions, it would be better to review them first before getting into action

1 See your doctor

Check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program If you make any significant changes in your level of physical activity — particularly if those changes could make large and sudden demands on your circulatory system — check with your doctors again

2 Take it slow

Start at a low, comfortable level of exertion and progress gradually The program is designed in two stages to allow for a progressive increase in activity

3 Know your limit

Determine your safety limit for exertion Use some clues such as sleep problems or fatigue the day after a workout to check on whether you are overdoing it Once identified, stay within it Over-exercising is both dangerous and unnecessary

4 Exercise regularly

You need to work out a minimum of three times a week and a maximum of five times a week to get the most benefit Once you are in peak condition, a single workout a week can maintain the muscular benefits However, cardiovascular fitness requires more frequent activity

5 Exercise at a rate within your capacity

The optimum benefits for older exercisers are produced by exercise at 40% to 60% of capacity

Indeed, weight loss through exercise is an excellent starting point if you wan tot prevent hypertension Experts say that being overweight is linked to an increased risk of developing hypertension, and losing weight decreases the risk

A. Aaron M.D. is a practicing physician and writer based in Atlanta.
He is also a premier resident expert at-THOUGHTSEARCH.COM

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