I understand that buying gym memberships and large pieces of fitness equipment is downright unaffordable to much of the population – especially when that membership looses itself in the back of your wallet or that high-tech treadmill is being used as the most expensive clothes rack your basement has ever seen.

When I became a certified personal trainer I soon learned after talking to clients, and seeing them come to the gym for a while only to suddenly disappear, that the key to a successful fitness program is fun! That’s right exercise should be fun. I mean who ever said it should be a boring, tedious vacuum of your valuable time?

For some reason fitness has negative connotations for many new clients that I’ve met recently. I hear “exercise is just too boring” and “if I exercise I’ll have no social life” all the time when I meet new clients. The fact is that we all lead very busy lives and exercise is often figured into it as an afterthought behind work, family, social outings and even poker night. So let’s face it if exercise is just another leisure activity on your weekly schedule it has to be something you’ll look forward to or you simply won’t stick to it. That’s why I encourage everyone who visits my website, fitnessgear101.com, to switch up the word ‘exercise’ for ‘leisure activity’. After all, you would be certain to pen a social outing with your girlfriends into your daily planner, so why not get the girls together and go to a spin class or on a power walk?

In this day and age, fitness takes up on average an hour, 4-days a week of the average person’s time. So basically it has to be fun or people simply won’t put in that extra hour. The good news is that entertaining workouts have hit the fitness scene in a big way this year. Many are largely dance-inspired – including belly dancing, cardio strip, pole dancing and salsa dance workouts.

I tried a pole dancing-strip cardio workout with a few of my girlfriends a couple weeks ago, and trust me it had me laughing so hard, that alone gave my abdominal muscles a workout. We started with pole dancing – which is far more challenging than it looks. Believe me, it takes a large amount of upper body strength to keep yourself suspended from a pole, and swinging yourself around it is reasonably cardiovascular. The cardio strip was more like the sweaty high-intensity cardio workouts that I’m used to. The workout mimicked exotic dance movements, so the hip thrusts, kicks and abdominal twisting works parts of your body you didn’t know existed.

See, there’s absolutely no reason why fitness can’t be fun. Start by searching your local community centers and gyms for an activity that you really enjoy. Try tango lessons with your significant other, a bonding session of mother/baby yoga, a high-octane cardio kickboxing session with your best friend – all followed by a healthy lunch. By turning simple daily activities into something more rewarding, you get your fun social gathering and your workout in too!

There are lots of dieters, trying every sort of plan to lose weight and get healthier. But, rather than examine diet plans or the details of how and why low-carb diets work, here are some useful tips that can be used in any diet plan — and, really, in any sensible approach to eating.

Tip 1: Drink 8 to 10 Glasses of Water Every Day

You’ve heard this one over and over. But, it isn’t easy and too few people actually do it. Your body needs water to keep your system clean, to process food, to keep your skin in good shape and more. Sure, it’ll use any liquid, but pure water works best. But – there’s no taste, at least with pure water. This can be difficult since we’re conditioned to want sweetness and flavors. But, it gets easier the more you do it. It’s a matter of re-conditioning your taste buds, and yourself. Once started, you’ll begin to crave water.

Drink a glass, or even two, as soon as you wake up. Especially in the beginning, those are the easy two. And they’ll help you remember.

If you can’t stand the taste of water, try a purifying pitcher or filter, or add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water – but no sugar or sweetener. Check out the flavored waters, too. Just keep an eye out for additives.

Tip 2: Eat Breakfast

Don’t skip breakfast. If you need to go to bed earlier so that you can get up 20 minutes earlier each morning – do it! Breakfast is vitally important to good health and weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, “Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn’t rev back up until you eat again.”

Eating breakfast is good for overall weight loss and it helps you stay on track with your diet the rest of the day. Skip breakfast and you’re more likely to binge.

Short on time? Keep hard-boiled eggs and high-fiber, low starch fruit in the fridge. If you plan to eat fruit during the day, breakfast is a perfect time to do it.

Tip 3: Eat 3 Meals and 2 Snacks Every Day

This could be a hard adjustment to make. Hey, you’re busy! You already have a “full-plate”. When are you going to eat more?

But, exactly like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating more often. This also helps you curb bad-carb intake by making sure that your snacks are planned and occur regularly throughout the day.

Tips 4: Avoid White Foods

This is an easy way to remember what not to eat. If it’s made from sugar, flour, potatoes, rice or corn – just say no. Yes, those rice cakes are actually an unhealthy high-carb snack.

Look for color. Buy broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, green beans and peas, brown rice (in moderation), leafy greens like kale and spinach, apples, melons, oranges and grapes.

Not only colorful, they’re also high in fiber, nutrients and important antioxidants. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables will give your diet variety as well as give you added health benefits. Eat your veggies.

Tip 5: Prepare Your Own Food

While more restaurants offer so-called low-carb menu items, many of them are not ideal low-carb fare. There are many recipes for quick and easy meals that you can prepare yourself at home. Do this as often as possible.

Cooking your own foods, you know exactly what the contents are and you’ll be able to better control hidden sugar and other processed junk.

This tip saves you money too. Even if you end up going to the grocery store more often, you’ll save versus eating out.

Tip 6: Eat Some Protein At Every Meal And With The Snacks

In addition to everything that’s been discussed before, eating protein helps you burn more calories. Jeff Hample, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association says that, “Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to breakdown, so you burn more calories getting rid of them.”

Beautiful – eat a protein rich snack and lose weight. How about a few slices of turkey or ham or some string cheese?

Eating protein also helps you feel full so you’re less likely to crave unhealthy snacks.

Tip 7: Invest In Good Cookbooks

Can’t figure out what to eat? Need variety? Get a cookbook. Granted, not all recipes in a cookbook are low-carb, but you’ll be surprised at the number of low-carb and low-carb friendly recipes you can find in your standard Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Cookbooks are great reference tools that contain handy tips on purchasing cuts of meat and preparing meats, fruits and vegetables in new and exciting ways.

Plus, new low-carb cookbooks are hitting the shelves all the time. So be sure to take advantage of these resources to try something new, different and delicious.

So that’s the seven tips, but here’s an extra. Stay out of the center of the supermarket. It’ll be easier to stick with your low-carb lifestyle if you learn this common thread in most grocery store designs: the healthy foods are on the perimeter aisles.

Think about it, when you go into the grocery all the healthy stuff, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products, tend to be around the stores walls. You only rarely need to enter the center aisle areas if it’s a store that keeps butter and cheese in the center near the frozen foods. Usually all of the foods that you need for your low carb diet can be found on the perimeter of the grocery store.

Train yourself to start on one end of the outer aisle and work your way around. It will be much easier to avoid carb cravings and fill your basket with healthy items if you do so.

Just these few tips can make a significant difference in how successful you can be with your diet. Use them as part of your approach to dieting and a healthier lifestyle. You’ll love your new self.

You may retrieve this article by:

Autoresponder: bestwalking@getresponse.com Website: http://www.apluswriting.net/articles/bestwalking.txt

Words: 310 Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney

Please leave the resource box intact with an active link, and send a courtesy copy of the publication in which the article appears to: marilynp@nctc.net ————————————————— Running, jogging, weight lifting, calesthenics. These are all good for keeping in shape but walking is still the most simple, and effective, of all exercises to lose weight and stay in shape and maintain good health.

Approximately 67 million Americans of all ages walk for exercise regularly. Walking can be done with friends or alone. And it can be performed outside or inside.

Walking helps the metabolic system to control weight, regulate blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. A brisk walk burns up to 100 calories per mile.

Walking is an aerobic exercise meaning that it uses oxygen. A brisk walk increases oxygen intake to the blood, strengthens the heart, improves circulation and lowers blood pressure.

For people with poor circulation in the arms and legs, walking can help to increase the size and improve the efficiency of the tiny blood vessels that supply blood to the cells.

Walking slows development of all forms of arthritis, degenerative joint disease, stops loss of bone mass in osteoporosis, and tones the muscles.

Walking helps recovery from back pain.

For women walking reduces premenstrual and pain during periods.

Regular walking also relieves and prevents constipation.

Psychologically, walking generates an overall feeling of well-being because it produces endorphins, a natural tranquilizer. This aids in relief of depression, anxiety, and stress.

To get the most benefit from walking, 30 minutes of walking must be done at a brisk pace without stopping. Gradually increase time to 40 to 60 minutes for each session.

Always stretch muscles and warm up before walking.

Wear walking or running shoes that fit snugly but not too tight, support the arch and lift the heel slightly. Replace your walking shoes every 6 months or 600 miles, whichever comes first.

In hot, cold and inclement weather consider getting a treadmill for walking indoors.

For more information on walking and treadmills visit:

http://www.apluswriting.net/health/bestwalking.htm

They recently introduced three new models, the CE 2.1, CE 3.2 and CE 74, which are built at the same Taiwanese plant as their popular treadmills. The Smooth treadmills have a solid reputation, and received a “Best Buy” from Treadmill Doctor.

The Smooth CE elliptical can attribute its popularity to being a solid and reliable machine. It has a very good service record. It is build with a 40 lb. flywheel and an eddy brake system. Both contribute to a fluid and smooth motion, which is what you want in an elliptical trainer.

The new Smooth ellipticals utilize the best qualities of the CE elliptical. In addition, they have improved on several important features. For example, the new models are equipped with pivotal foot pedals. The major benefit of an elliptical trainer is the low impact. The pivotal foot pedal further reduces strain and impact by aligning your feet with the elliptical motion.

Each new model has an upgraded console and display over the older CE. The programs are a vast improvement, and provide challenging workouts. They include an “Interval” program that combines higher intensity routines with alternative cool downs.

Smooth offers the advantage of selling direct and only on the Internet. They are the only fitness equipment company that sells solely online. This offers two benefits. In general, you are getting a better value. You also are dealing with a company that specializes in online sales, fulfillment and service.

Regarding the discount value, obviously there is a savings when a company does not incur retail costs and the overhead from commissioned sales staff. But don’t get caught up with the exaggerated mark downs on their web site. Because you are buying direct you are probably saving about 5%-10%, not the 30+ percentage they suggest. But you also save money from not having to pay a state sales tax (Exc. PA). When compared to buying in a fitness specialty store, the savings can be substantial.

If you are considering purchasing an elliptical trainer we suggest you spend a minimum of $1,000. Anything less will potentially have some service issues if used on a regular basis. The Smooth ellipticals offer a good value at the $1,000 – $2,000 price range.

Fred Waters worked in the fitness equipment industry for a number of years. He is author of the Fitness Equipment Source where you can get his Best Buy recommendations for Elliptical Trainers.

The parts in a commercial elliptical are usually made of metal, and less overall plastic is used in the constructions of the elliptical trainer. This ensures less premature wear and a longer lasting piece of equipment.

Some of the most frequently asked questions about commercial ellipticals are answered below:

When should someone purchase a commercial elliptical for home use?

Very few people truely need a commercial elliptical trainer in their home. Usually a traditional elliptical recommended for home use will be more than enough.

If you have multiple family members consistently using the elliptical trainer you may want to consider a commercial elliptical as it will likely last significantly longer than the lower end machines.

Are commercial elliptical trainers worth the additional money?

Put quite simply yes they are worth the additional costs involved to purchase one. The higher quality parts and additional features are usually well worth the added cost.

What are some drawbacks to commercial ellipticals?

The first major drawback is the size of the unit. They are usually larger than the smaller “home models.”

Another drawback is if something does break on the machine the parts cost quite a bit more and you usually need a professional to come out and repair the unit.

What is your recommendation on the best commercial elliptical trainer?

One of the best elliptical trainers is the SportsArt Commercial Elliptical Trainer E82. This trainer has been given high ratings across the board with the only negative comments is the size of the trainer. People said it was fairly large and took up a lot of space(which is common with most commercial trainers).

For more information about elliptical trainers visit
http://www.OnlyEllipticalReviews.com

Free information about elliptical trainers ratings and more!

Still, there are a few pieces of fitness equipment that you may need in your home-based gym to supplement the workout you get from your Bowflex.

Health care professionals almost always say that walking an hour a day, combined with eating a healthy diet, is one of the best things a person can do for cardiovascular or heart health. A treadmill is helps with cardio fitness and compliments a Bowflex fitness machine if walking outside is not an option. Treadmills come in many different styles, but a simple treadmill can be used effectively with your regular Bowflex workouts and fitness routines.

Other Possible Items for Your Home Gym

Upright, stationary bikes are smaller pieces of gym equipment that take up much less room in a workout area than a treadmill. This is a great choice if your space is limited. Upright bikes are often used in place of treadmills for the cardiovascular fitness routines that are needed for a well-balanced workout.

Medicine balls help with endurance and joint integrity that may hinder and stop a full and complete workout on a Bowflex. Medicine balls are not really considered a necessity for the home gym setup, but in the long run they are very useful. They help with arthritis and other signs of aging.

Hand grippers are a handy little piece of gym equipment that works on improving hand strength while toning and building bigger forearms. They can help prevent any accidents on a Bowflex due to a weak grip.

Fitness balls help tone and shape the muscles that help make a body more flexible. Aerobic exercise equipment such as fitness bands and cords also help with flexibility and give the consumer a great alternative to using weights. They can also help intensify the muscle building exercises on the Bowflex.

A balance disc helps with core body development and training with balance. The balance disc can be adjusted by deflating it or giving it more air for a customized work out.

Most of the Bowflex fitness machines do not come with all the proper cardiovascular or fitness workout attachments to get a complete, well-rounded workout and fitness routine. They do cover almost all of the gym equipment that would be used for strength training and circuit training for muscle building and toning of the legs, arms, chest and abdominals.

The Bowflex fitness machine should not be the only piece of exercise equipment in the home, if there is room in the workout area. It lacks the cardiovascular aspect of a total workout that a well-rounded fitness routine needs. At the least, a treadmill or stationary bike should definitely accompany the Bowflex in your home gym.

Robert Henry is a successful Webmaster and publisher of justfitnessgym.com. He provides more fitness exercise articles and information on bowflex equipment that you can research at the above site.

Habit and feeling fitness test

1. Fold your arms and note the position of your hands and which arm is on the outside.

2. Now unfold them and fold them again but this time the opposite way. Note your reaction to how this feels.

Does it feel odd or even wrong? In the first step you used your habitual ‘folding the arms’ pattern. You did not have to think about how you did it because you have an existing pattern, its automatic and feels right.

Did you have to think for a moment before carrying out the second instruction? It may even have taken several attempts to achieve. This is because you do not have an existing pattern for this movement and it has to be consciously worked out. It will probably feel wrong because you will not have done it like this before so the sensations from the muscles and joints will be new.

The important lesson from this experiment is how the two positions feel. Your habitual pattern feels right and is easy to do, your n on-habitual opposite way feels wrong and is not quite so easy to perform. There is obviously nothing wrong with the opposite arm-fold but that is exactly how it will feel.

Would you normally choose to fold your arms in this manner? What feels right and wrong is therefore determined by habits that may be working for you but also against you. The actions you take are governed by this sense because you would not usually perform a move deliberately to feel wrong – certainly not in the heat of competition. So if all your training and practise is done because of the way it feels, your progress will be limited by the boundaries dictated by your existing habitual patterns.

The next time you want to fold your arms, see if you can change the pattern, go into the unknown, and fold them the opposite way. You will invariably find your arms are already folded before you have had chance to try the opposite, non-habitual way. This represents the challenge you are up against when you want to raise your performance. A standard fitness test will not test your reliance on habit.

Habit and effort fitness test

1. Sit on a chair and get ready to stand up.

2. Before you move, observe what preparations you want to make. Do you hold your breath? Do you push forward with the lower back and raise the chest? Do the muscles in your neck stiffen and pull back the head? Do you feel the need to push with your hands on your legs? Spend a little time to study this movement before attempting the next step.

3. Now try to stand up from the chair without doing what you have just noted (it may be necessary to ask someone to observe your actions to give you feedback). How far can you execute the move before one, or all of these patterns appear?

To successfully execute step 3 can be difficult because the usual preparations you make are a part of your habitual ‘getting out of a chair’ programme and are ready to go before you even begin to move. You would not attempt to start the move until the familiar conditions such as the sensation of muscle tension associated with the act are present.

>From a biomechanical point of view the common actions mentioned in step 2 actually reduce the efficiency of the movement. If your preparation and subsequent actions for this exercise are unnecessary, why do you do them? Why are you not aware that the amount of effort applied was inappropriate placing unnecessary stress on joints and ligaments?

This is because you do not have a reliable mechanism that rings an alarm bell when an appropriate limit with regard to effort is exceeded. You continue to do it like this because it is a habit.

The presence of one or more of those actions in step 2 of this experiment suggests inefficient preparatory patterns are likely to be present in others. Whilst they remain, attempts to improve performance will have limited results because the same patterns will be used as a basis for every technique.

My point is that conventional training and exercise systems do not recognise the role of the most fundamental aspect influencing performance and therefore do not adequately address it. This aspect is habit. It dominates life, is active in all actions, yet we are barely conscious of its presence. Does your fitness test check for these? Probably not, a conventional fitness test will only tell you what your current capacity is based on your existing habitual patterns. You may have discovered that these patterns may be limiting your progress towards peak fitness. So rather than work on your fitness, first experiment with different ways of performing your sporting techniques.

Causes:

1. Exerting excessive force on your back by lifting or moving heavy weights can cause back injury. 2. Repetitive tasks like bending or awkward posturing of your body will result in fatigue and injure your back muscles. 3. Posturing properly while standing, working or sitting will go a along way in avoiding back injuries. A posture should not be kept up for more than 20 minutes at a stretch. 4. Pressures of work and stress result in tensioning and tightening of muscles leading to back injury.

Prevention:

Proper and regular exercise would help prevent back injury in addition to using proper posture and lifting techniques. The following exercises may be performed if not advised against by your physician. They will strengthen the required muscles and eliminates the risk of back injury.

Stomach muscles:

Lie flat on the floor with knees bent. Put your hands on your chest and raise your head and shoulders off the floor. Repeat 30 times.

Lower back:

Lie flat on the floor with knees bent. Keep your arms at your sides, tighten the stomach and buttock muscles and life your hips off the floor. Stay in position for 5 seconds and lower your hips to the floor. Repeat 20 times.

Back and Leg:

Stand with your feet a foot apart and your back to the wall. Slide down to a sitting position as though you were sitting on a chair. Hold position for as long as you can and then slide back up. Repeat 5 times.

There are other exercises like aerobics that help strengthen your back muscles and your lower back. Combine these exercises with a healthy diet to maintain an ideal weight. This will greatly help easing pressure on your lower back due to obesity and reduces the risk of back injury.

Unfortunately society all over the world from the deepest, most remote areas of the planet to modern society will judge you by how you look. It is true! We all do it, some more than others. When you are walking through a mall or standing in line somewhere you are assessing people around you. When we are looking for a job we dress to impress. When we go out for an evening we dress to impress. Women usually pay more attention to detail then men.

But there is more to beauty then cosmetics and clothes. If you are very healthy looking then you are more likely to give a good impression. If you are a good listener, helpful or witty and cheerful, people are more likely to want to be around you. Cosmetics and clothing can definitely help but I suggest starting from the inside out.

1) Get plenty of sleep. This is a must. You cannot function properly when you are tired and it will show on your face. If you have a problem with getting enough sleep then you need to investigate the cause and handle it accordingly.

2) Drink plenty of water. Most people are semi dehydrated and don’t get enough water daily.

3) Eat healthy food. Give up the junk and sugar foods. Your metabolism will be working better if you eat regular healthy meals.

4) You may want to consider taking supplements to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

5) Exercise. Our bodies need to move. We have become somewhat of a couch potato society. Have you noticed that when you are lazy you are less likely to want to get up and do anything? Exercising 30 minutes three times a week should help you lose weight and keep healthy.

6) Manicures and pedicures and keeping your body clean will keep you healthy and will be appreciated by other.

7) Keep up with the times on fashion. You don’t want the outdated look.

Dress for your age. At 12 you don’t need to look 20, or if your 50, you don’t need to look 18. Be well dressed for your age.

9) If you need help with hair and makeup, find an expert to help you with that.

10) And finally, smile. No one really cares to be near Mr. or Mrs. Grumpy.

Some people naturally do all or most of these things, but if you aren’t one of them then look at what would motivate you to do this. Do you have a spouse you want to look good for? Are you single and want to attract someone? Do you have children or grandchildren you want to be healthier and be a good role model for?

There is an awesome motivational poster called Balance that states; I am one with my body and one with my mind, and it inspired me to write about this subject. Get healthy, and be happy.

* It acts as solvents for nutrients. * It aids in digestion and absorption. * It transports materials throughout the body. * It eliminates toxins and waste products. * It regulates body temperature. * It is used for energy production.

There is not one system in the entire body that does not depend on water and require hydration! It is recommended that the average individual take in at least 8 glasses of water a day…that figure is raised to 10 glasses during hot days or in hot climates.

Sports and Hydration

I witnessed a disturbing incident a few years ago when a friend of mine collapsed on a hockey rink and started shaking uncontrollably. When the EMS unit arrived on the scene, they told us he was dehydrated. This was the cause for his collapse. Apparently he drank four sodas right before the game. Caffeinated beverages, such as soft drinks, coffee, tea, act as diuretics and increase urination and this leads to dehydration. After four sodas, hard exercise, and ignoring the importance of hydration, his body just shut down. For best performance and for your safety, these beverages should be avoided.

What happens during exercise?

Heat is generated as a by-product of your working muscles. With intense, short duration events, the heat production can be greater than 100 times the production at rest. As body heat rises, body temperature and heart rate also rise. As the exercise continues, the body is limited in transferring heat from the muscles to the skin surface. The body will require hydration.

Exercising in hot, dry climates presents additional risks to dehydration. Body fluids will evaporate so rapidly so that you may not notice any symptoms. In humid climates, when your moisture increases, sweat decreases. When your sweating rate decreases, your body temperature rises and you will fatigue more easily and your risk of heat injury is greater.

What is heat injury?

Heat injuries include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Heat cramps are severe muscle spasms resulting from heavy sweating. Heat exhaustion is severe fatigue resulting from excessive exposure to heat that can lead to collapse. Heat stroke is a life threatening condition that develops rapidly and may not have any warning signs. It is the third leading cause of death among athletes. There are three factors that contribute to heat injuries. They are increased body temperature, loss of body fluids and loss of electrolytes. Symptoms to look for include weakness, chills, goose pimples on your chest and upper arms, nausea, headache, faintness, disorientation, muscle cramping and cessation of sweating.

General heat related injuries cause 240 deaths per year! That is an awful lot of deaths that can be prevented with simple knowledge. To reduce the risk of heat injuries, adequate fluid replacement is essential before, during and after exercise.

What fluid is best for rehydration?

Water is the appropriate drink before, during and after exercise. However, for exercise lasting longer than one hour and after exercise, it is important to replace electrolytes lost. Sodium replacement not only maintains blood concentration but also increases palatability, and therefore the desire to drink.

The addition of carbohydrates will delay the onset of fatigue and help to maintain blood glucose concentration. A sport drink with 4%-8% carbohydrate is recommended for replacement during exercise, especially with exercise bouts lasting longer than one hour. Gatorade, All Sport and PowerAde are all great choices.

So the next time you exercise, please be aware of the importance of hydration. It is a simple step that can save your life!

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