Showing all posts tagged ‘gym equipment’

Finding Time To Exercise

May07

For many people, computer-based jobs that have taken the physical element out of work also take up so much time, and exercise is the last thing they feel like doing when they get home. The key to finding time to exercise is to realise two things:

It doesn’t have to take very long – perhaps half an hour a day, perhaps in ten -minute bursts if necessary.It can be built into your day – to – day life – it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to find additional time.

 

If you’re in employment

Despite the advances in technology, a lot of us spend more time at work. But don’t worry there are ways in which you can become more active:

- Go for a walk during your lunch break. Workouts three different routes and vary them throughout the week. It might even be possible to find an indoor walking route where you can incorporate stair climbing, for those inevitable bad weather days.

-Talk to your employers about promoting health at work. Ask them to provide showers and cycle racks to encourage people to bike to work. If you work for a bigger company why not ask the company to make room for a in house gym where you can have access to the latest fitness equipment such as exercise bikes, vibration plates and elliptical cross trainers and treadmills.

-walk to and from work. If you live too far away, you could park further from the office or get off the bus or train one stop earlier – a ten minute walk could help you as long as its intense enough to get you out of breath.

 

If you look after children

Having children can drastically change everything about your lifestyle. Some parents find that their activity levels drop and their weight increases, making going to the gym or playing sport become more difficult. Here are some positive steps you can take:

-Exercise with your child, take them to the park or play with them in the garden, this is sending a positive message to them.

-Find out which of your local sports and leisure centres have crèche facilities, you can work out while you child is being looked after.

- Walk your child to school. Not only will this help you to be active, it can also help your child to develop an early pattern of physical activity that might stay with them into adulthood.

-Find out if there are activities available at your Childs school open to the local community. Many schools use their facilities for sports and exercise classes on evenings and at weekend.

 

If you’re based at home

-Plan your week so you have to walk to the shops regularly. By going on several occasions you’ll only have to carry a few light bags of shopping back.

-Look at ways in which you can be more active in and around your home. Use the stairs to exercise, work in the garden or- if you have the space and can afford it- install some gym equipment, such as  treadmills, exercise bikes, vibration plates or elliptical cross trainers.

-Look for community based activity programmes in your local area. These don’t have to be fitness classes, just anything that gets you moving.

The early bird

If your day doesn’t really allow you to incorporate exercise, one option is to get up earlier. if you normally set your alarm for 7.30 then set it for 7 instead, use that half an hour to go for a brisk walk or run. Exercising first thing on a morning can leave you feeling invigorated for the rest of the day.

Alternatively

if you’re not an early bird think about how you can use your time on an evening, think about how you can use your time more productively, instead of watching TV, invest in a piece of home gym equipment. Try to experiment to find a time that suits you the best.

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Choosing Fitness Equipment to meet Your Goals

Oct17

We can all admit to buying a piece of fitness equipment at some point in time that we never use. Rash, impulse purchases are common in the quest to shape up and lose weight but you can avoid this problem simply by assessing your fitness goals before shelling out your hard earned cash. A little careful consideration will mean that you end up buying a piece of gym equipment that you will use time and time again.

exercise

What are your exercise goals?

Do you want to bulk up, lose weight, or simply add a little tone and definition to your body? Think about the changes you want to achieve and choose a product that is the most likely to help you reach your targets. Weight training is the best way of bulking up your muscle mass, weight loss will be achieved more rapidly through cardio exercise using a cross trainer or a treadmill and improved muscle tone and definition can be gained with the help of toning equipment, such as a vibration plate. When buy the right piece of equipment you will start to see results and when the results show in the mirror your motivation remains high.

Once you have considered your goals you need to do some more in depth research into the type of fitness equipment that is best suited to you. For example, if you know that cardio exercise is right for you have a look at the RANGE of cardio exercise products on the market within your budget and think of the type of exercise you are most likely to enjoy. If you like running then a treadmill is the ideal product for you. For those who detest running (and there are many) then a cross trainer is likely to suit you more.

When your fitness equipment arrives at your home make sure you position it in a stimulating environment where you will be happy to spend some time throughout the week. It is no good creating your home gym in the cellar for example if for 6 months out of the year it is too cold and damp for you to even want to step foot in. Consider converting a bedroom instead, where there is ample space and plenty of natural light. To make the workout more fun add distractions, such as a TV or radio. Thirty minutes of exercise goes much faster when you are doing it watching your favourite soap opera.

A home gym is a sound investment in your health and wellbeing. Make sure you choose wisely and use your equipment as frequently as possible. Set yourself small achievable targets and you will quickly be on the path to a leaner, lighter, healthier body.

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A Brief Review of the Concept 2 Rowing Machine

May09

Way back in the early 80s, the Concept 2 rowing workout machines made their introduction to the world. The snowfall in Vermont, where Concept 2 rowing machines are manufactured, compelled this company to start producing them in response to the harsh elements. So it makes sense that developing a high quality rowing machine for use indoors would be a terrific idea. Another great concern was the desire to create the very best using superior criteria for design and materials.

The options are pretty upfront, you can purchase the Model D or the Model E. However, the Model D rower can be bought with separate options depending on your needs. The performance monitors are named, PM3 or PM4, and they accompany each machine. The Model D comes with a PM3, although you can choose to have a PM4 at additional cost. The higher priced Model E always has the PM4 with it as the main monitor.

What is really helpful during exercising is you can use the performance monitors to keep an eye on your heart rate while working out. The way you can do that with the pulse is with an additional unobtrusive sensor that you strap across your chest area. This sensor is very low profile and made of rubber, and the strap that comes with it is like spandex and is very elastic. Once you begin rowing on this piece of home gym equipment you will hardly notice that it is there. There are no wires either since the info is sent out to the monitoring device.

The resistance to rowing is accomplished by making use of an intelligently designed flywheel that is very much like a manual fan. There are no safety issues with this because the flywheel is totally encased in a plastic assembly. The means by which you change the degree of difficulty with rowing is a mechanical, and manual, lever on the flywheel. If you are thinking this is something that will create noise, then that is not the case because it is very quiet. The flywheel rotates when you row, and it produces a soft air movement that is so quiet. However, I can tell you after many years of use that the sound of the moving flywheel is not at all distracting. Unless somebody in the other room is a very light sleeper, you won’t be disturbing other people.

You can watch how quickly you row, plus other information, from the PM3 or PM4 performance monitors. Just a few of the available rowing metrics include total rowing time, total distance rowed, 500 meter split times and number of rowing strokes per minute. Your approach will for the most part be based on by your current fitness level and general reason for using the rower. A lot of rowers who compete at the tertiary level use the Concept 2 to train, so they will by nature pay attention to particular data types.

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Boost Stamina and Strength with Resistance Training

May05

Love exercising but wish you had just a little more stamina? Want to get the most from your fitness equipment? Resistance training could be the key to help you boost not only your stamina but also you strength and overall fitness levels.

Try adding the following elements to your workout session:

Hamstring Curls

Lie flat on the floor and place both your feet on a Swiss ball. With your shoulders remaining on the floor lift up your lower body. Draw your legs towards your bottom by rolling the ball towards you. Do three sets of 15 reps.

Thigh Squats

Hold a bar across your shoulders and raise one leg out infront of you. Lower yourself down by bending your supporting knee (not quite into a full squat or you may fall over). Raise yourself up slowly. Repeat 10 times. On the final rep hold the position for ten seconds.

Dumb Bell Lifts

Take a dumb bell in each hand and perform rapid, alternate curls. Do not cross your arms and remain as straight as possible. Do three sets of 10 reps.

Step Ups

Step up onto a bench with one leg so that your bent knee forms a 90 degree right angle. Bring the other leg up, then step back down with the leading leg. The leg that lands back on the floor second should be the leading leg on the next rep. Do three x one minute sessions.

To get the most from your home gym equipment you really do need to warm up, cool down and perform resistance exercises to avoid the plateau effect. Try adding these simple steps today and really give your workout the boost it needs!

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