Best Rated Fitness Equipment For Weight Loss

Most recently we took a look at 10 pieces of fitness and exercise equipment that provided the best value for the dollar, the lowest overall price and the highest quality.  You can read the posts by clicking “Treadmills Best Exercise Equipment For Weight Loss“.  When you read the post you’ll see that Schwinn received one of our TOP PICKS for treadmills and two TOP PICKS for elliptical trainers.

Schwinn® is an American icon, and a leading brand of bicycles, recreation products, and home and commercial fitness equipment. The brand is on the forefront of advances in fitness technology, and has been an indispensable player in revolutionizing bicycling and fitness around the world. Schwinn® knows that who we are is in direct relation to where we came from… and the vision of our founders.

The Schwinn story begins over 100 years ago, in 1895 where Ignaz Schwinn and partner Adolph Arnold incorporate “Arnold, Schwinn & Company”. The company is founded in Chicago.  Lets fast forward to 1995 where Schwinn partners with fitness guru Johnny Goldberg (Johnny G) to develop the Johnny G Spinner bike. Schwinn also offers its expertise in developing a worldwide network of Spinning instructors, facilities and distributors.

Jumping ahead a few more years to 2006 where innovation again takes hold with the year-end launches of the smaller-footprint 430 Elliptical machine, and the step-through 231 Recumbent bike. Early consumer feedback has been terrific, with more to come.

Something you may not know is that Schwinn is part of the Nautilus family which includes the Bowflex brand.  So while one of our top picks for treadmills was Bowflex, you’re getting Nautilus quality.

There are several pages worth of Success Stories from purchasers of Schwinn products…

The statements below are from actual Schwinn Fitness users. Once you’ve had a chance to try Schwinn Fitness products for yourself, we invite you to share your experience with us, as well. For now, you can read these real testimonials from real people.

My husband and I bought the 430 Elliptical three months ago and already we are seeing fantastic results. He works out in the morning and I work out in the evening. This machine can take a beating since he is a little hefty. Anyhow, great work Schwinn. If you’re on the edge about this machine, get it, you will absolutely love it.

Jenn M.

Clinton, NJ

• Schwinn 840 Treadmill
• Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill
• Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer
• Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer

 The best place to purchase these products, at the best prices is through Amazon:

Schwinn 840 Treadmill Average Rating: 10 total customer reviews...

Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill Average Rating: 206 total customer reviews...

Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer Average Rating: 72 total customer reviews...

Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer Average Rating: 472 total customer reviews...

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Benefits of Home Exercise and Home Gyms

Wouldn’t it be great if you could lose 10 lbs within 10 days and get into the suit you wore on your wedding day?  Or the sexy dress you bought for your girl friends wedding?  I hate to disappoint you, but you can’t lose weight that quickly safely.  Weight loss is an ongoing, sustained activity especially for those individuals that are having trouble keeping the weight off — like me.

Infomercials make millions per year by promising you stunning results in no-time-flat, and to emphasize that they use models that are already slim and trim – guys with 6-packs abs, women that are size 2, 3 or 4 and are uber-sexy.

If the world worked that way you would not be here, reading what I’m writing or searching for ways to lose weight fast or about diet and exercise.

The fact that the weight loss industry – in all forms, from weight loss products like pills to surgery to exercise equipment is making billions of dollars per year shows that we’re all looking for a quick fix.  There really isn’t one.  But if you are serious about losing weight you’ll find some good ideas on this blog along with great practical advice in this post on the best types of home exercise equipment — and it won’t cost you a fortune!

Before even thinking about the type of equipment to buy, you want to look at what your goals are and what you enjoy.  Do you enjoy walking and running?  Then perhaps a treadmill is what you need.  Do you like cycling?  Why not consider a stationary bicycle?  Do you want to build strength?  Consider total home gyms that allow you to build arms, legs, chest, and back – a total body workout.

If you’re just trying to lose weight and want to get some exercise without going to a gym – then start with something small and work towards getting your daily dose of exercise by heading outside.

Once you know what your goals are, and what you enjoy the next step is looking for a place to put that equipment.

If you are space challenged – living in an apartment or townhouse, the size of the room will really dictate what type and how much equipment you can bring in.  You’ll also need to consider your neighbors and the potential noise that most equipment will make.

A lot of treadmills today are designed to be space savers – that is, they either fold down flat to be stored under a bed or can be raised to minimize the amount of space they take up.  When considering a treadmill, look for these features:

• Continuous duty motor, about 2.0hp
• Deck size of 18″ by 53″ – you may not be running right now, but eventually you’ll want to.  A deck that is too short will not allow you to run properly.  The deck should accommodate your stride.
• Incline control – while nice, not essential.  Some treadmills come with computerized incline control, while others only have manual control in three or four possible inclines.  Incline helps build muscle as you could be running “up hill” or “flat”.
• Computerized controls – this can provide a great experience on the treadmills, from pre-programmed sessions that provide computerized inclines to designing your own program for the ultimate walk or run.  The computer will track time, distance and calories.  Even the most basic treadmills will have some type of computerized controls.

Treadmills are great versatile pieces of equipment.  Walking is relatively low-impact so is a perfect way to start exercising.

Treadmills can cost as little as $200 for manual (not recommended) to over $6,000 for fully computerized models that include DVD, LCD screens, fans and just about anything else you could want.

A good middle of the road treadmill can be purchased for around $400 that will satisfy most of your needs — that’s what I purchased from Sears on clearance with 5-year warranty tossed in for a little more.

Other types of equipment you should consider are:

• Elliptical trainers – take up a little more room, but simulate running with less impact on the knees.  They are low-impact, and low maintenance equipment and usually small footprint (when compared to a treadmill).
• Stationary cycles – the staple of health clubs, and home gyms.

Stationary cycles come in a few flavors – recumbent cycles where you sit back in a seat and can pedal and the regular cycles that we’ve all grown up with.

As with treadmills, there are a wide range of prices available – but in all honesty when it comes to a stationary cycle you do not need to spend thousands of dollars.  The last cycle I purchased with a basic computer on it was only $100.00 and I used it for over 5 years.  I eventually sold it for… $100.00 and the person I sold it to is still using it.

Recumbent cycles are more expensive and are ideal for those that need back support but I found them a little more difficult to use.  I preferred the traditional cycle.

I’ve not gone into home gyms as I don’t have much experience with these, but as I was starting to lose weight I kept to the traditional types of exercise equipment: treadmills, stationary exercise bicycles, and ellipticals.  They helped me get the workout that I needed to boost my weight loss efforts which ultimately helped me loose 100 lbs within one year.

Here is to your health!

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Top Tips For Walking

Getting regular exercise can be difficult – I know.  But there is something you can do for yourself that is easy, and does not take a lot of time and is good for you.  Walking.  But how can you get walking into your schedule?

Just look at these tips…

• Walk to work.
• Walk during lunch hour.
• Walk instead of driving whenever you can.
• Take family walk after dinner.
• Walk to your place of worship instead of driving.
• Walk kids to school.
• Get a dog and walk it.
• Replace Sunday drive with Sunday walk.
• Get off a stop early & walk.
• Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.
• Make a Saturday morning walk a group habit.
• Walk briskly in the mall.
• Park farther from destination and walk.
• Walk instead of sitting around.
• Take your dog on longer walks.
• Drink lots of water.
• Walk the beach instead of sunbathing.
• Walk to a co-worker’s desk instead of emailing or calling them.
• When walking, go up the hills instead of around them.

Simple steps (excue the pun) to get you up and out walking!

Here is to your health!

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: walking, walking for fun and fitness

Lose Weight From Playing Sports

Losing weight isn’t easy – I’m the first to admit; however the health benefits of losing the weight cannot be overstated.

Losing weight is more about making lifestyle changes – changes that will benefit you in the long run.  You start gradually and work your way towards a healthy lifestyle.

If you eat fast food 3, 4 or 5 times a week start by cutting down to once or twice per week, then once or twice every two weeks then finally once or twice per month and eventually cut it out entirely or limit it to a few times a year.

In order to boost your weight loss you need to become active.

I was reading an excellent article on a website called Exploratorium.  I’ve reprinted parts of it below and have included a link to the article and site:

During the course of an average game, some players can lose as much as 5 to 8 pounds. This loss is mostly water, so players are concerned about making sure they keep enough fluids in their bodies. Goalies, who make it to the bench much less often than other players (who have one-minute shifts), keep a water bottle on top of their goal. Goalies can lose as much weight as a forward or defenseman.

Some players lose more than just water. Many players will lose weight during the course of the season. In an extreme case, Sharks Captain Todd Gill went from 180 pounds to 165 pounds (82 to 74 kg) over the course of the 1996 season.

Millard told us that it was typical for a player to lose 6 or 7 pounds (3 kg) in fat and lean body mass during the course of the season.

Source: http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/fitness1.html

Source: © The Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu

While these are extreme cases, it does go to show that playing sports will help you lose weight.

But that’s not all playing sports will do – it will help you tone your body and help tighten your skin so as you lose weight your skin stays tight and doesn’t sag.

Sports or regular exercise can do much for us: improves mental health, helps prevent depression, helps to promote or maintain positive self-esteem, and can even augment an individual’s sex appeal, frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system.

There is an excellent summary on Wikipedia on the topic of physical exercise – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_exercise.

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Can The Wii Help You Lose Weight?

In short – no.

There is NOTHING out there that can help you lose weight.

You can only lose weight when you want to lose weight.  Then you need to combine sensible eating with a healthy dose of exercise to get your body moving.

If you think that you can sit on the couch, or even jump around and lose weight – it won’t happen.

Although I’ve written about loosing weight with the Nintendo Wii in the past – it always comes down to ensuring that you are eating well, getting enough sleep and regular exercise.

Short and sweet post as my “Welcome Back” post after several weeks of not being able to post…

Walking To Help You Lose Weight

MONDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) — For people in cardiac rehabilitation who are overweight, longer but slower walks are better for losing weight and improving heart health than shorter, brisker walks, a new study has found.

Frequent long, slow walks — 45 minutes to 60 minutes a day at a moderate pace, five to six days a week — were found to burn more calories, improve cardiac function, reduce weight and body fat. The standard regimen for cardiac rehabilitation involves walking, biking or rowing for 25 minutes to 40 minutes at brisk pace three times a week.

“The benefits of weight loss in cardiac patients have not been all that clear,” said Dr. Philip A. Ades, a professor of medicine and director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the study’s lead researcher. “And docs are usually pessimistic that their patients can accomplish weight loss.”

In fact, most cardiac rehabilitation programs have not been effective in weight loss, Ades said.

“The reason people don’t lose weight in cardiac rehab is they don’t burn enough calories with their exercise,” he said.

Walking can burn more calories than biking or swimming, Ades explained, because walkers support their total body weight by themselves, rather than having a bike or water support their weight. People have to bike or swim a lot more, he said, to gain the same calorie-burning effect as walking.

The report is published in the May 11 online edition of Circulation.

The study involved 74 overweight people with coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease, who were enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program. They were randomly assigned to an exercise regimen designed to burn 3,000 to 3,500 calories a week or to a standard rehab exercise program designed to burn 700 to 800 calories a week.

The high-calorie expenditure program was based on exercise that was not more intensive than standard rehabilitation but was done more often (five to seven times a week, rather than three) and longer (45 minutes to 60 minutes a session, rather than 25 to 40), according to the study. Participants did not begin walking for an hour each session but gradually built up their ability, Ades said.

Exercise for the standard rehabilitation group included a combination of walking and biking or rowing.

Being overweight increases the risk of heart attacks and increases other risks factors, including cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, the researchers noted.

After five months, people in the high-calorie-burning group — those taking the longer, slower, more frequent walks — had greater improvement in insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, blood pressure and cardio and respiratory fitness than did people in the standard exercise group, the researchers found.

In addition, the long, slow walkers lost an average of 18 pounds, compared with 8 pounds among those in the standard rehabilitation group, and they lost more body fat (13 pounds versus 6) and inches from their waistlines (2.7 versus 2 inches) than the others.

A year after the study ended, people in the high-calorie-burning group had regained an average of 2.9 pounds and those in the standard treatment group had regained about two pounds. Weight and body fat remained lower in both groups than it had been when they started, the researchers said.

“However you lose weight is good for heart patients and should reduce their risk,” Ades said. “But don’t forget the exercise. It’s a big part of how to lose weight. Walking daily, walking far, really made a big difference in reducing cardiac risk.”

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a cardiology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said he thinks the regimen from the study would be worth trying in people in cardiac rehabilitation programs.

“There is an ever-increasing proportion of individuals who are overweight or obese,” Fonarow said. “Achieving a healthy body weight is a challenge, even among patients who are referred to formal cardiac rehabilitation programs.”

The study demonstrated that a new exercise protocol aimed at maximizing exercise-related calorie expenditures was more effective in achieving weight loss than a standard cardiac rehabilitation exercise regimen, Fonarow said. “There was also improved insulin sensitivity, lipid levels and inflammatory markers with the high-calorie expenditure regimen,” he said.

“This new high-calorie expenditure protocol should be considered for overweight and obese patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation who are eligible for a five-to-six-times-a-week exercise regimen,” he said.

SOURCES: Philip A. Ades, M.D., professor of medicine, director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vt.; Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; May 11, 2009, Circulation, online

Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_84104.html

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Is Playing Sports Better Than Exercise?

So what is wrong with this question – “Is Playing Sports Better Than Exercise?” – if you are paying attention you would probably figure out that they are one in the same!  When you play sports, you are getting exercise.  But it really is a trick question, because the word exercise is taken out of context – think of the question as “should I play sports to get exercise, or should I go to the gym for exercise” – really two different things.

So which is better?  Sports or the gym?

I have gone to the gym, and failed miserably.  I am not as regimented in that respect.  Though going to the gym you have the advantage of a personal trainer or at least someone to speak to to ensure that your workouts are accomplishing your fitness goals I’ve always found the gym boring and sometimes embaressing.  Where I used to live, I went to a gym on a fairly regularly – but it was full of muscular and thin men and women.  I felt out of place being a big guy.  In fact, I never saw big people at the gym.

Eventually I stopped going.

Over the last year, I’ve started playing more sports and going outdoors instead.  Partly to aid with weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and also because my son who is now 6-years old has so much energy that we have to get him outside to burn it off.

I enjoy going outside more because I don’t have anyone watching me.  I can exercise at my own pace, and I have fun doing it.

I find that you get more of a rush when you’re outdoors enjoying the good weather and tossing in some exercise — it does not feel like exercise.  Going to the gym felt like work and it was boring, unless I could find someone to come with me — which was always easier said than done.

The verdict?  It is really up to you.  Either way you are getting a chance to work out your body, one is more regimented and does require a certain amount of will power but the other allows you to exercise on your own terms.

Here is to your health!

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: Exercise, fitness gym, play soccer, playing soccer, playing sports, sports better than exercise, sports better than fitness gym, Weight Loss

8 Reasons Why You Should Watercize

Lets get the disclaimers out of the way.  Before YOU start any exercise program, speak to your health practitioner (i.e., doctor) about the program in which you wish to undertake.

Now that that is out of the way…

So I take my son (who is now 5 years old) swimming every Saturday.  He goes for lessons, but we go at least 2x per week outside of the lessons so he can practice, have fun and become one with the water (he is still a little scared of sinking).  I go with him as well, since parent/guardian needs to be with any child under the age of 7.

One thing that I notice is the B-I-G men/women, only because I’m big and it’s good to see that they are working on improving their health.  But one piece of advice – DON’T WEAR THOSE DAMN TIGHT SWIMMING OUTFITS!!!  Sorry to shout, but nobody wants to see every roll or bulge.  It’s just disgusting.  Yes, I know full well that we need to be happy with the body we have, but come on — some decorum, please? 

Regardless of your size, you should always wear clothing that complements your body shape.  Do you really want to see someone in skin tight clothing that weighs 350lbs?  It obviously looks better to see someone that’s at their ideal weight (or close to it) wearing some form fitting clothing, so long as it complements them.

Anyway back to swimming.  While splashing around in the pool is fun, and sitting in the hot tub is heaven, you should also think about watercize.

Watercize is basically exercise, but in the water.  For us big folks, this is a great alternative to heading to the gym.  I hated going to the gym, and haven’t gone for years.  You really stick out, since generally you’re the biggest of the bunch.  And head into the changerooms!!  I won’t even go into THAT discussion… I’m sure you can see the picture.

I’ve gone to a few watercize classes, and have really, really enjoyed them.  Most of the attendees were big folks trying to get into shape and loose weight.  There were a few skinny folks there, but they were there to support their significant others — cool!

Most major cities will have public pools that offer water exercise programs, you should look into what your local facility offers and attend a few classes to see if it is for you.  If you intend to follow your own exercise regiment, you can purchase your own equipment as well — though I would not recommend you go that route even if there are no programs in your area.  Basically what you do on land, in terms of aerobic type exercise can be done in the water – obviously sit-ups are out of the question.

Water exercises can be done in shallow, or deep pools.  When I attended, the instructor suggested to go into water that is at least chest deep so a few inches below the neck.  As I don’t swim, it was a bit scary for me and I had to pay special attention to balance — which is difficult in water.  But as I said, you can do many of the exercises in shallow pools as well.

As with any type of exercise you need to warm up.  This helps flex and extend your joints so that you don’t hurt yourself.  As you are warming up, you are also getting yourself ready to exercise as such through the process of the warm up you are:

• Increasing heart rate
• Increasing respiration (breathing)
• Mentally preparing you for a water workout
• Increasing blood flow to muscles
• Promoting body awareness

The primary session should last between 20 and 40 minutes.  The sessons I went to were 30 minute long, including the warm up.  The nice thing with these sessions is that once you pay to get in, you’re not kicked out at the end.  You can continue with your exercises (provided the pools are not booked for other programs).

The watercize program that I was in followed other exercise programs:

1. Endurance training Perform movements at a consistent pace. Incorporate long body movements, and keep breathing comfortably during your water workout.
   Objective: Increase cardiovascular endurance, improve body composition and burn fat.
2. Interval training Alternate between moderate speeds and faster sprints. Use smaller movements at a faster pace with rest intervals ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes in duration.
   Objective: Increase anaerobic capacity, muscular endurance, alleviate boredom and burn fat.

My instructor mixed things up to keep us actively involved.

Finally at the end you want to go through a cool down period.  For our group this was 3 to 5 minutes of easy fluid movements in the water.  Decrease speed and perform movements which emphasize those muscle groups worked out during the session.  The objective is to return heart rate to normal range, prepare the body to leave the water, complete the session, increase flexibility.

Most programs offered, will also provide some equipment for you to use and that’s why I do not suggest you buy the equipment right away.

Tomorrow, I’ll go over some leg and arm exercises you can use in the water.

I am also looking at purchasing several copies of an excellent water workout DVD and offering it either for sale here (at a HUGELY discounted price) or for a contest.

Why Water Exercise?

So now we’ve discussed what it is, and what you should be doing lets quickly go into WHY.  Well, we all know why – to get into shape, loose weight and to increase our level of health and well being.  But specifically why water exercise?

1. Effective and Safe for all Populations.
2. Less than Low Impact.
3. Buoyancy and Hydrostatic Pressure presents support and reduces the force of gravity.
4. Shallow Water Calesthenics or Deep Water Movements offer Strengthening and Cardio-Respiratory Fitness.
5. Flexibility Classes are supreme for people with arthritis or like disabilities.
6. Deep Water Aerobics Calories burned – 400-500 per hour or 9.8 calories a minute; that’s about the equivalent of calories burned during a 10-minute fitness walk. If you walk 3 miles an hour, you burn up to 300 calories an hour.
7. Advantages: No-impact workout. 12 times the resistance of air, evenly in all directions. Promotes muscle balance because you use more than one muscle group at a time.
8. Socialization – make new friends.

Additional Research on Water Exercise

Here is some research on water exercises – these are only from “trusted” sources, such as government websites or other authority sites.  I avoid providing information from commercial sites, unless I can find the information as back-up from another authority site.

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17719306 - Land versus water exercise in patients with coronary artery disease: effects on body composition, blood lipids, and physical fitness.
• http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/aqua.html - Water exercise is rapidly growing in popularity. Exercise enthusiasts, athletes, elderly, and the physically challenged are discovering aquatic exercise programs that suit their fitness desires. An advantage of aquatic exercise is that it can involve the upper and lower extremities through optimal ranges of motion while minimizing joint stress.
• http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/News/363?search_highlight=swimming

Some of the information is obviously aimed at medical professionals, as there are a lot of charts, numbers and equations — but you should be able to get the gist of the articles.

If you are looking for DVD and other information, here is a GREAT website that sells some products that may be beneficial to you – WaterWellnessWorkouts.com.

Enjoy!

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: diet, water exercise, watercize, Weight Loss

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