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Mike Morrical asked:


 As we begin a New Year, most all of us have some things that we would like to improve upon or not repeat this year.  The most popular New Year’s resolutions include achieving a stronger, healthier more youthful body through diet and exercise. 

This year do something different as you sit down to write your New Year’s resolutions and goals for 2010…”This year I am going to focus on just one or two goals and make those my New Year’s resolutions.” If you can do that and one of those is to lose weight or tone up your body for a new and healthier you…consider setting up a home gym or adding to your existing home gym using affordable but effective fitness products.   Make sure that the exercise equipment that you use targets the areas of your body that you wish to improve.  

Let’s face it…”It’s easier said than done!” But that should not discourage us if we set out a plan to succeed and not a plan to fail.  The basics are to incorporate a proper nutritious diet and exercise plan into your lifestyle!

But sometimes diet and exercise can be routine and boring!  So you may ask yourself: “How do I stick with this New Year’s resolution and make it work?”  First focus on changing your attitude and write down the positives of why you need to include diet and exercise in your life.  Note: These attitude changes should be written out and visual so that you refer to them often.  Such as:  “I am working out to do something good for me!  “Working out is time well spent on improving my overall health!”  “Getting physical, helps me reduce stress and puts my mind at rest”, well you get the idea.  Do your homework to identify a well balanced, work out plan that fits your schedule and write it out so that you follow it each day and check it off when completed or use a fitness diary.  These are available on line or at your local library. 

Second, change your routine!  Since we are all creatures of habit, change your lifestyle:  Find something physical that you enjoy doing and switch it up each day so that you get a variety of exercise by combining various fitness products with aerobic exercise.   This may include walking in a mall or along a scenic waterway or through a park if time is available or if the weather is poor for walking that day use your home gym aerobic exercise equipment such as an elliptical machine or a treadmill.  Include some weight training every other day working out with light weights at first and working different muscle groups to achieve optimum fitness.  (Remember building muscles will burn fat and calories.) 

Next follow a healthy eating plan, not a diet but a healthier fueling of your body and concentrate on portion control by using the suggested serving sizes.  Search out books on food and nutrition as there is a science to combining foods that will burn more efficiently in your body.  There are many of these plans on line for free or at your local library.  In your diet plan, include recipes, some energy foods and various filler foods that are not fattening like vegetables and some low fat proteins.

In summary in order to achieve your New Year’s resolutions for a healthier you, make it fun and part of a lifestyle that works for you by changing your attitudes about healthy eating and exercise.  If you can accomplish this by the time you sit down to write out your New Year’s resolutions for 2011…Look in a mirror and say I did it!  A balanced diet and exercise program is now part of your new healthy lifestyle!  Congratulations!

    **Please consult with your physician before beginning a fitness program**

angela asked:

Home Fitness Machines

Home Fitness Machines can be a good investment and a way to workout if your schedule prevent you from going to a gym or a fitness center. Walking for about 30 minutes is the best from of exercise. But some of us have a full schedule that makes it very hard to workout. To stay healthy and fit, we must exercise one way or another.

The benefits of using your home fitness machines are:

First – you can workout at anytime you want to whether it in the mornings or at night. You don’t have to worry about time and use of public equipment. But Fitness Equipment is not enough, although you might think about the goodness of having home fitness equipment, you must remember that the key to staying healthy and fit is to engage in a consistent and regular exercise. Not sticking to a regular exercise is not a good idea. If you want a sure way to getting slim and healthy, it is best to plan for a daily target. In addition, eating the right food and getting enough sleep will complete the need to accomplish your physical fitness goal.

Second – you can exercise for a desired amount of time that it takes for you to burn calories and fat. Home fitness machines gives you the flexibility to exercise daily, bi-weekly or tri-weekly. Don’t worry about what you’re going to the wear to the fitness center. Your dress attire is totally up to you. Schedule your time to make it convenient for you.

Third – Here’s everyone favorite, You get to save some money. In a fitness center or gym, you pay monthly, not only for the time you use the machines, but for the services of the trainers and staff depending on the facility you use. It is not necessary to spend hours and hours working out. A mere 30 minutes a day is enough to keep you fit and in shape. And remember that it doesn’t have to be with exercise equipment or machines. Also, you can buy exercise and yoga DVDs so you can use them at home.

There are many types of home fitness machines that are available on the market today. Some are stationary, and some are portable. Here’s a few you might want to take a look at. The treadmill, elliptical trainer, stationary bike, fitness ball, hand weights, abs machines, and a lot of others are typically ideal choices for home use.

Finally, whatever home fitness machines that you find ideal to your needs, it is advised that you look at the advantages, disadvantages, price, and most importantly the term and conditions from the manufacturer of the machine. If purchasing new equipment not in your budget, you can always purchase used equipment or machines. Just try it before you buy it.

Tom Mckenna asked:


You know how you spend your days. You have a fulltime job where you spend about forty hours per week. You go home and take over the responsibility of becoming dad or mom, or you are tied down with other responsibilities. Although fitness is important, you just can’t find time to take care of yourself, what more exercise. Nowadays you find it more and more difficult to find the time for a proper fitness routine. You just can’t find a whole hour to devote to exercise everyday. So read on to find out how you can fit in fitness into your busy everyday schedule.

Think Small

Don’t listen to what they tell you. You don’t need to devote a half hour or more to get results that you want. Studies have shown that doing exercises in small blocks of time over a day will achieve the same effect as going through a longer workout. So no more worries about finding a whole period of time just for exercise. What you can do is to plan you workout to be carried out at several ten minute intervals. Have three of those routines in a day and voila, you have a whole thirty minute workout, the minimum that is suggested by doctors. Now, once you have fallen comfortably into the three segments a day, you can easily challenge yourself and increase your daily exercise time until you have a total of an hour or more. Picture it like making deposits at a bank of health: these ten minute bursts will help improve your health, and you can do it easily anytime you want.



Equip Yourself

Do you know that you are more likely to exercise when you have the equipment with you? For example, if you have some exercise equipment at work, you will somehow find the time for at least ten minutes to workout. Of course having the equipment doesn’t mean that you should have a treadmill at work (though it wouldn’t hurt to do so). There are other smaller tools and equipment that can help you workout at the office. You can choose resistance bands to help strengthen your muscles. These bands come in various levels of tensions so that you can opt for one that’s right for you. These resistance bands are weightless so it’s easy for you the keep one in your briefcase. With a band, you can perform exercises that target your upper body, legs, and more. And they come with an affordable price tag, about $20 for a pack of five bands. Besides resistance bands, you could also invest in a set of dumbbells, which range from three to about ten pounds. Most of these dumbbells come with a storage rack that you can use to store the weights so that they are out of the way (and you don’t trip over them). These dumbbells can be incorporated into upper body work as well as lower body workout. Or how about getting a yoga mat? A mat can be used to cushion your body during workouts, yoga or when doing stretching routines. These yoga mats can be purchased for as low as $10. Do check the thickness though as the cheaper mats might not offer much in terms of padding and comfort. Once you have either (or all) of these equipment at work, you will be more likely to use it in your workouts. And the good news, you’ll see the results in a matter of weeks.

Make Your Health a Priority

More often than not, we get too caught up with work and our careers that we neglect our health. While trying to cope with our many everyday responsibilities we rarely have time for ourselves, which in the long run will be bad for not only our physical but also our emotional health. When we neglect our health we unconsciously send a message to our body that it is not as important as other things in life. Stop it! We should not ignore our body as when doing so, we may face some serious health issues that may have been avoided should we have paid more attention to our body. You have to realise that caring for your body should be your priority, and should be as important as other tings in your life. When you make a fitness schedule, stick with it. If you’ve always wanted to take yoga, try your level best to do so even if it means making some sacrifices on your part. Remember that you only have one body, so invest your time and effort in making sure that it is the best body possible.

Steve Johnson asked:


Are you thinking about starting a fitness program to improve your overall health and shed a few extra pounds? Good for you! Here are some excellent tips for getting started with your fitness program.

Starting a fitness program is the best thing you can do for your overall health and as soon as you have your Doctor’s okay you can get right into all that physical activity which can help reduce chronic disease as well as improve your balance and your coordination.

Start by assessing your current fitness level. You probably have at least a rough idea of just how fit you are. You need a baseline to start with so your fitness scores can be compared for gain. You should record your pulse rate before and after you complete your mile walk, how long it takes you to walk that mile, how many pushups you did at one time, your body’s mass index or BMI, and the circumference of your waist. Once you have this information recorded your fitness program is ready to go.

Next you need to design your own personal fitness program. Start by determining your fitness goals so what it is you want to accomplish – lose weight, improve your cardio function, or perhaps run a marathon. Think about what it is you like or dislike when it comes to exercise and activities. Plan to start light and then build as your ability gets better. That’s the best way to avoid injury and do remember to spice it up a bit so that your workouts have lot of variety so you won’t get bored.

Now you need to assemble any exercise equipment you have purchased for your fitness program. Perhaps you purchased one of those all in one machines, or maybe it was just a treadmill. At any rate you will want to get it all assembled so that you can start your workouts and be on your way to a healthier you.

Once you are ready to get started you will need to start slow and gradually be build up. Make sure your warm up is adequate so that everything becomes easy. Depending on where you are will depend on what type of exercises you incorporate into your workout and for how long you workout will be. That’s what your personal fitness program is all about.

It’s best to break things up if you need to. Remember shorter more frequent sessions also work very well and it is much easier to fit 10 minutes of exercise into your busy day than it is 30 minutes. That 10 minutes means 3 short and quick sessions. It’s that easy to get your fitness program into your busy day.

Try to be creative with your workouts because you are much more likely to stay at it when your program is interesting and not boring. It’s hard to stay enthusiastic about the same exercises in your fitness program when you have to do them day in and day out.

Make sure that you are listening to your body. Shortness of breath, dizziness, or nausea means you need to take a break from your fitness program immediately. If you have pain in an area reduce the amount of exercise for a bit to give it a change to heal.

It is very important to monitor your progress because otherwise you have no way of knowing if your fitness program is working for you. You also don’t know when you should make things easier or harder.

Now that you’ve created your own personal fitness program you have no excuse to get busy.

Shan Silva asked:


For many people, using a home fitness training system several times a week is the best way for them to stay in shape and increase their flexibility.  Exercising is considered to be a perfect way to lose weight and gain or tone the muscles in the body.  Using a home fitness system allows the person to exercise at a pace that is comfortable for the person that is doing the exercise and is convenient to use at any time of day because the equipment is located in the person’s home.  Finding the perfect home fitness system can be difficult for some people because of the number of choices that are out there, but with some careful consideration, anyone can find a home fitness system that is good for their workout.

There are many different sources that can be used for finding the perfect home fitness system and the route that is chosen will depend on the person’s comfort level and the amount of money that they will be willing to pay for the equipment.  Obtaining the equipment at some places can cost more than others and the old saying about you get what you pay for is typically true for these items.  Some people prefer a home fitness system that targets a specific portion of the body while some others prefer a machine that works different areas of the body at the same time, providing toning over the entire body each time the routine is completed.

Using A Home Fitness System

One of the most expensive, but most effective, ways to find the perfect home fitness system is to order one from a manufacturer that sells different types of exercise equipment.  These manufacturers have the ability to create a custom home fitness system to fit your needs completely and can take the time to teach you how to use the equipment properly to get the best effect out of your workout.  It is best to determine a price range and type of equipment that you would be comfortable with before shopping for the equipment so that you will be able find the best equipment to be able exercise comfortably each day.

People that like to use their home fitness system in the comfort of their own home may want to consider DVD’s that focus on proper techniques for using their equipment.  These DVD’s can be found almost anywhere that exercise equipment is sold or can be purchased from internet websites that is geared towards health and exercise.  In some cases, the DVD will be for the exact brand and type of exercise equipment that has been purchased while others will be more general and can be used with any type of home fitness system.  The techniques that are found on these DVD’s can be modified so that they are comfortable to do and combined to create the perfect home fitness system workout routine for your needs.

Bob Lachinet asked:


How do you find the best home fitness equipment in Scottsdale? The answer is easy for some, but for those of you who have recently made the decision to buy exercise equipment for your home may not have a clue as to where you should start! There are so many different brands, models and styles it can be next to impossible to choose what’s right for you and your family. This article will provide you with information on what to expect, where to go and what to buy. Whether you’re looking for a basic machine or one with the latest technology has to offer, the following information will be beneficial to you and will help you choose the exercise equipment that’s right for you.

Before you begin your quest to find the best home fitness equipment in Scottsdale you should think about the things that will have an impact on the type of equipment you buy. Here are some questions that will help you get started:

- What are your fitness goals?

- Is your main goal to develop strength?

- Is it to improve your cardio vascular health?

- Are you trying to lose weight?

- Where are you going to put the equipment?

- What do you have room for in your home?

- How much do you want to spend?

- What kinds of technology and features do you need? What can you do without?

- Where are you going to do your research? Where will you buy?

Hopefully, you already have the answers to most of the questions. If you don’t, having the answers will make trying to find the best home fitness equipment in Scottsdale a lot easier! For instance, if you know what your fitness goals are, you can focus on buying equipment that will help you reach them. If your goal is strength training, you might want to think about buying a multi-functional cross trainer or a home gym. However, if you don’t have a lot of room in your home, it might be best to focus on dumbbells or a weight bench.

Maybe your goals are to improve your cardiovascular health or to lose weight. A treadmill, elliptical or exercise bike will help you achieve either one or both of these goals. They don’t require an exorbitant amount of space and can usually be tucked away in the corner of a room. If you don’t know what you’d like to spend, however, you can get carried away pretty easily! Most fitness equipment in today’s industry features extra bells and whistles that can significantly increase the ticket price. Heart rate monitors, customized programming, audio players and built-in monitors for TV and DVD are just a few of the things you can choose from when you’re looking at new equipment. Just keep in mind that you get what you pay for – a decent piece of cardio equipment can start at $1000!

The most difficult thing about shopping for home fitness equipment in Scottsdale is knowing where to go. Although large “chain stores” may offer basic home exercise equipment, you might fare better if you go to a store that specializes in only home exercise equipment. Many specialty fitness equipment dealers will work with you to choose what’s right for you, your home, your goals and your budget. You can even try out the equipment before you buy it.

And remember – it doesn’t end there. Once you buy a piece of exercise equipment, you have to get it to your home! Make sure the place you buy from will deliver to your home (often free of charge). Also, get specific details about warranties, product guarantees and return policies – it could save you a lot of time and money in the long run!

Michelle Bery asked:


When it comes to exercise and achieving the individual fitness goals that we set for ourselves, often we need more fitness equipment than just our own body. Increasing fitness levels and achieving overall health, requires a commitment to a regimented eating and exercise program that will result in the shedding of fat and building of muscle. But in order to achieve these goals we must first identify the type of exercise that is likely to mean success for our particular body – and the type of fitness equipment that will help us do it.

For cardiovascular exercise – the fitness equipment depends on the type of exercise you choose. Runners – and walkers for that matter – require a good pair of shoes as their exercise equipment. Proper shoes can never been underestimated; they will further fitness goals and prevent injury. Whether running or walking, pounding on pavement can put an enormous amount of stress on knees, ankles, feet, and even back. High quality shoes can absorb the shock and make this fitness experience a much more pleasant one.

Other fitness equipment corresponds to other cardiovascular exercise – kickboxing often requires a punching bag; boot camp programs may require a medicine ball; and a high-energy step class will require a sturdy step on which to perform your exercises. For those who prefer to get their exercise by machine, fitness equipment may include the treadmill, stair climber, stationery bicycle, and elliptical machine.

But of course, fitness equipment extends to other forms of exercise as well. Weight training requires a variety of weights – both machine and free weights. Core training – such as yoga and Pilates – requires mats as a part of fitness equipment.

Fitness equipment does not have to be high-end expensive pieces of machinery. Optimum physical fitness can be achieved in the comfort of your home by simply utilizing every day objects around the house in order to supplement your exercise routine. Do dips on a kitchen chair, squats against a wall, or sprints on your stairs – exercise doesn’t have to be confined to a gym. As a matter of fact, many people consider their exercise videos to be the most important piece of fitness equipment that they have.

Fitness equipment can maximize your workout and go a long way towards helping you achieve your fitness goals. Keep your choices in fitness equipment creative – you’ll soon discover that exercise can be quiet enjoyable.

Joe Young asked:


There are a lot of health aids out there that can get your life moving back, going in a right direction, such as books, supplements, nutritionists, gyms, health food stores, clubs, and more. Health clubs are forms of health aids if you can afford them.

Elliptical Fitness Equipment, the wonders it can and will do for You. I know because I use it, at least 3 times a week! Elliptical fitness equipment is swarming the nation as more and more people are realizing the real health benefits of elliptical equipment.

Elliptical Fitness equipment, also called Elliptical trainers have become one of the most notable cardiovascular workout machines in the world. They provide low impact for every muscle in the body because it uses arm and leg movements at the same time.

And, if you’ve ever used a Gazelle, you’ll see the benefits of hand placement on the moveable bars increases arm reach,creating more movement. Most home fitness trainers strengthen upper and lower body, although some offer just lower body exercise. Elliptical fitness equipment works all the muscles at the same time.

Elliptical Fitness Advice

For many years, medical professionals and fitness experts have been advising clients to use exercise equipment, whether at the gym, or home, to improve overall physical health well-being. Elliptical fitness equipment(at the gym or health club) and those used for home fitness, imitates walking, running, while producing almost no consequences to your joints.

Fitness equipment training included in your workout can go a long way towards achieving your fitness goals. Elliptical fitness is hugely popular, and with it a flow of elliptical equipment to buy. I have noticed for myself, more calories are burned than using a treadmill. Elliptical Fitness equipment does not have to fancy and super expensive.

While some types of exercise equipment or aerobic fitness equipment (cardiovascular equipment that is), aren’t seen as for muscle building,they remain identified as aerobic fitness equipment or cardiovascular equipment. Fitness equipment reviews will help you do your homework and find the best one for you. Elliptical Fitness equipment is a low impact choice that also provides a full body workout.

The following is suggested in health articles noted by health experts, and remember also, consistency and a developed routine. You should exercise at least three times a week, and it is better if you to exercise daily on a cardiovascular machine. Elliptical machines are growing as a popular home fitness answer to a need for a more convenient way to exercise. Hey, use them too during your workday, I do! Lunch time is a great way to up and away from the complacent desk and out to the blood pumping atmosphere of exercise and motivation.

Elliptical fitness equipment is available in a wide price range, from a couple of hundred dollars up to several thousand. If you’re going to go out and invest in elliptical fitness equipment, then you ought to at least know what it is. Elliptical fitness equipment is manufactured by many companies like Nordic, Eclipse, Life, ProForm, Precor, and are available for prices ranging from as much as $500 and up to $10,000 or more.

Invest in a few pieces of trusty elliptical fitness equipment and you’ll never have to go to the gym again. Well, that’s what someone said, anyway. I like to hit the gym as well, just in case you lack fitness weight training equipment at home. Good luck and happy workout!

Ken Ericsson asked:

Health and fitness go together, just like milk and cookie, cake and tea, coffee and cream. They make a great team – one that can help us live a longer and better life. Thus, it is essential that we find out as much as we can about how to stay healthy and fit, a task that many people should not but take for granted.

These days, you can notice a number of negative changes in the world we live in. The air isn’t is as clean and clear as it once was centuries ago, the water contaminated in many parts of the globe, the forests destroyed and nearly bare. Our way of living isn’t as pure as we need it to be, and technological advancements, many though they may be, cannot save us from the consequences of our own actions. As the earth continues to deteriorate, so do the threats to our health and fitness keep on growing. It is up to us to do something about it, and it is our responsibility to ensure the well being not only of our own selves but also that of future generations.

And so we should pay attention and patronize activities that promote health and fitness. When it comes to staying healthy and fit, one of the most common concepts involved is proper diet. The number of obesity cases continue to rise every year, particularly in North America, and contrary to what products marketed as weight loss solutions claim, pills or supplements cannot put an end to obesity and other weight-related problems. Instead of relying on advertising baloney, we should create a plan made of tried and tested methods and do everything we can to achieve our goals. One of the best ways to go about this is to make a personalized menu. Every human anatomy is different; your body’s needs are different from mine. Consulting a nutritionist is a good idea; he or she can tell us which foods to avoid (excessive eating of oily and fatty foods is always a no-no) and which to stock up on (good carbs, lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and grains, to name a few). Commitment is necessary, as well as patience; it can take weeks before our bodies adjust.

Proper diet alone cannot assure our health and fitness. We also need regular exercise. There are different kinds of exercise, but one type of training that is considered all-encompassing by health experts is cardiovascular training. Exercises that fall under this category can be used not only to lose weight but also to build muscles, in addition to its primary purpose of strengthening one’s cardiovascular functions. With or without exercise equipment, we can perform cardiovascular training exercises. Simple activities and sports such as walking, sprinting, jogging, running, cycling or biking, swimming, and many others are common forms of cardiovascular training.

Some people tend to overdo things. This is why many of us feel incredibly tired at the end of the day. This is where adequate rest and sleep enter the picture. It is equally important that, while we stay active, we also give our body ample time to recharge and rejuvenate. This way, we can enjoy all our activities better, stay focused for longer periods of time, and feel young and vibrant always. Aside from this, we should also try to maintain a sunny disposition, something that seems so simple yet can do so much. By being happy, we can fight off stress – a known cause of a number of diseases and disorders – and live life beautifully.