Tag Archive | "Workouts"

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Are You Getting Tired Of Cardio Workouts

Posted on 14 December 2009 by

Cardio is a very important aspect of any work out. There are numerous benefits to a good cardio routine. In the real world, there are many ways to get a good cardio workout. You can jog, play sports and get chased by the police. In the gym cardio usually revolves around a handful of machines. There are the stair climbers or steppers, the elliptical trainers, tread mills, and bicycles. That’s about it. A good cardio routine can last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and is really intensive. The problem is that when you are on a cardio machine, you do the same thing over and over. What I am trying to say is that for most of us cardio gets boring after about five minutes. Don’t lie, you know what I am talking about. The best I have every heard about cardio is ‘I don’t mind it.’ In other words, I get really bored, but I will keep doing it cause it works.

Being bored is horrible. Being Bored is even worse when you know you have another 25 min left and the seconds crawl by like eons. So what gives. Why does cardio have to be so boring? I think it’s a safety issue. In the real world if you go running or play soccer for example, you environment and all its inputs are constantly changing; you run by different scenery, you miss the shot on goal. These changing characteristics are what make the whole process fun. In the gym, however, since space is limited, you have to do your cardio rooted to one spot. Very little happens to your environment to elevate the boredom. Imagine though, if you could have all the excitement of a soccer game while sitting on a recumbent health cycle? At first you may think it’s a great and fun idea. No more boring cardio! Think about it and it becomes a little terrifying. The sheer amount of stimuli hitting you from all angles, your mind would exhaust quickly and you would run the risk of injury (not to mention getting overwhelmed). That is why cardio machines are so boring. They design them to be boring so you don’t hurt yourself. So when you climb up onto your favorite elliptical trainer, remember that its boring for a reason.

What can we do to make cardio more fun? Being new to the world of the gym I think I have some neat ideas to make cardio a more exciting activity. Ok that’s a lie. I don’t have any way to make cardio more exciting, but I do think there are some techniques to make the cardio experience pass more quickly, which, when you think about it, is the next best thing. I really try to distance my mind from my body. I try to unplug. I daydream, listen to loud music and think about my shopping list. For a whole week I designed a basement apartment for my house. It was quite the undertaking. Really focus on not thinking about time. Cover up the timer, know where the near by clocks are and avoid looking at them. Do what ever it takes to detach your self from the realm of the here and now. Remove yourself from our world governed by the second hand. Slip into recesses of your mind and tune out. While the cardio won’t go away at least you can distract yourself. Cardio machines make cardio boring and boring cardio is hard to stick with. Take comfort in knowing that your body loves the attention of a good cardio workout.

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Cardio Workouts While Watching TV

Posted on 06 November 2009 by

If your goal is to lose weight, you need to add some cardio to your TV watching. This next set of exercises will get your heart pumping.


Jog In Place


Jogging in place is about as simple as it gets. Make sure you have supportive shoes, and water nearby. If you’re a beginner, start with jogging for 2 or 3 minutes, and increase it gradually each week.


Jump Rope


Go raid a toy box and visit a childhood favorite! Jumping rope is not only a great cardio exercise, but it’s very fun. If you haven’t done it in a while, it’ll take some time to master, but once you do, you won’t be able to stop.


Jumping Jacks


Another classic, jumping jacks are a great way to get your heart pumping. It may take a while to get your rhythm going, but that’s okay. Start with 5 to 10 a day and work up from there.


Cross Leg Lifts


This exercise is much like marching in place, with a twist. Stand with your arms in front of you, elbows bent. Then, slowly at first, bring your right leg up while twisting your waist so that your left elbow touches your right knee. Alternate, and as you get the hang of it, pick up your speed.


Dance


Nothing good on TV? Turn it to your favorite music channel and dance! Not only is dancing a great way to get a cardio workout, but it does wonders for the soul.


Home fitness equipment is very popular these days. These next tips will list 4 popular exercise machines, and what areas they target.


Treadmills


Treadmills are very popular because of they’re so easy to use. Most people know how to walk or run, and a treadmill is a great way to bring this exercise indoors; and maybe in front of the TV. Treadmills target your legs while giving you a great cardio workout.


Stair Steppers


Stair steppers simulate the exercise of walking up stairs. This gives your lower body a great workout, while getting your heart pumping.


Stationary Bikes


Stationary and recumbent bikes are also popular fitness machines. All of them work your legs, and there are some that work your arms as well.


Rowers


Rowing machines simulate the exercise of rowing a boat. They’re great, because they work the arms, abs and back. In fact, if used regularly, rowers can provide a great whole body workout.


This last set of tips will give you some final ideas and pointers to think about as you start your exercise routine.


Commercials


If you’re still overwhelmed at the aspect of exercising during your favorite TV show, try exercising just during commercials. Most shows have 3 or 4 commercials, so pick 3 or 4 exercises and do one per commercial break.


Music Channels


We already mentioned music channels. You can go a bit further, and keep your favorite music channel on while cleaning or doing other activities. Upbeat music will undoubtedly get you dancing!


Stability Ball


A stability ball is an oversized inflated ball that’s sturdy enough to sit on. You can get them at any fitness store. Instead of sitting on the couch to do the exercises in this ebook, try sitting on a stability ball to do them. It will add an edge to the exercises, and help with your balance.


Stop if it Hurts


Exercising isn’t supposed to hurt. It’s very important that with any exercise, if it’s hurting, stop immediately. You could be hurting your body more than you know. If the pain persists, go see your doctor.


Breathe


With all exercises, don’t forget to breathe. Holding your breath makes it harder to exercise, and could even cause injury.


Relax


As you’re exercising one part of your body, don’t forget to keep the other parts of your body. For instance, when you’re doing sit ups, make sure to keep your neck and shoulders relaxed.

For more health information visit the authors site at: health tips or if you are looking for weight loss advice

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Good Workouts from Home Gyms

Posted on 27 September 2009 by admin

Creating a home gym is a great idea for getting into shape and doing so on your own terms, at your own pace and without having to deal with crowds or needing to “dress to go to the gym.” And while all of these things certainly make a case for a home gym, budgets can sometimes get in the way. If a lack of cash is making you put off from creating a home gym, don’t think cheap fitness equipment equates to a lack of quality. There are ways to attain the goal without breaking the bank.

Although cheap can in fact mean garbage, there are a number of machines of all types for working out that fall in the “reasonable” or “cheap” range that not only get the job done, they do it well.

The key to creating a good home gym without breaking the bank is to examine what it is you need first. Decide if a single piece of equipment will work or if you need several and then set a budget. Be realistic about what you can spend. While $10 isn’t likely to get you much more than a jump rope, a few hundred may net you a solid machine that can really work wonders in a home gym setting.

No matter the type of machine you want to buy – treadmill, elliptical, stair stepper, rower or even a smith – there are some things to watch for to help you separate affordable quality from “cheap,” which equals garbage. But before you look for these in different machines, choose the style you want and pick out some models within your preset price range.

Now, with some models picked out, be they treadmills or cycles, look for the following things:

Warranty. A good warranty on parts and labor (beyond a year) generally means the company that made the machine stands behind it. If the company that makes it thinks it will last and do its job, it likely will.

Programming options. Since most exercise equipment nowadays is computerized, look for those that offer some good options. Different courses, paces or challenge levels are important. Also look for machines that offer settings for prime cardio workouts.

Safety/comfort features. These are important. Instant off buttons, extra cushioning, safety locks and more are all signs of good machines.

Difficulty settings. Good machines grow with their users. If there are only two speeds – on and off – you’re not looking at a great machine unless there are manual settings for increasing difficulty.

Good reviews. This means from both past customers and industry pros. Even machines in the “cheap” range can have a number of good reviews from both sources. Do pay attention to both sources. A pro reviewer might not know how well a machine stands up over time, but past users will be able to say.

When it comes to home workout equipment the test of quality isn’t necessarily price. Even those that qualify as “cheap” can be great machines. The key to finding the best in any price range is to do some research, take care examine features and read the fine print on warranties. With smart research even a “cheap” piece of equipment can produce some great results.

Copyright (c) 2006

Jessica Deets writes for http://www.fitnessequipmentexpo.com

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The Benefits of Using an Elliptical Exercise Machine in Your Home Fitness Workouts

Posted on 02 September 2009 by admin

Elliptical trainers are fast catching on as one of the most popular home fitness equipment machines that you can buy. If you have been to a fitness gym in the last couple of years or so, you’ve probably noticed that these machines are becoming more and more widely accepted. And that is also true of the home fitness market as well.

First of all, let’s define what an elliptical trainer really is. It’s usually an odd looking machine, and that is because it’s more of a fusion of different machines put together. The best way to describe an elliptical exercise machine is to think of it as a cross between a stair-stepper and a ski machine. It actually takes the best benefits of both of those machines and combines them together into one package.

That means that perhaps the very best feature of elliptical trainers is the low impact exercise that you can get on it. This is because unlike treadmills you don’t actually walk or run on an elliptical trainer. Instead, your feet rest on movable steps that go in an elliptical circle, and that is why the machine is so named. You simply shift your weight from one step to another, and the faster you do this the faster the machine goes. The workout is created by the resistance to this motion within the machine.

So for all of you exercisers that have sensitive joints, this may just be the machine that you need. And that is a welcome relief for those with arthritis or who may have suffered injuries to their joints in the past.

Another benefit of elliptical trainers is that even though they are low impact exercisers, they still provide an excellent all-around body exercise. Especially those that have handles to help you work out your upper body as well. In fact, even though there is little impact during the exercise, they seem to be able to burn almost as many calories as treadmills do.

One of the only drawbacks regarding elliptical trainers is their size. They simply aren’t very small. In fact, they can take up as much space as a large piece of furniture in a room. So before you rush out and buy one of these machines make sure that you have measured out the room you plan to put it in and have made sure in advance that it’s going to fit in that spot. You certainly don’t want to get one of these big machines home and then suddenly find out that it just won’t fit in your room.

Even though size is a major factor to consider, there is still a lot to recommend the use of elliptical exercise machines in the home fitness workout of the average person. As with all fitness equipment, be sure that you shop around and try out any elliptical trainer before you decide to buy it. Nothing beats actually using one of these machines to help you decide if it will work for you. But if you are looking for an exercise machine that is easy to use and still gets great results, why not consider including an elliptical trainer in your fitness workouts?

You can find the best elliptical trainer and best elliptical machine by visiting our Home Fitness website.

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