There are increasing problems associated with lack of exercise including heart and circulation problems as well as those caused by obesity. Our lifestyle nowadays tends to be too sedentary so anything we can do to easily increase our exercise levels can be a big help. Many people start an exercise program with good intentions only to fall by the wayside through boredom and lack of enthusiasm. One simple way to achieve a healthier lifestyle without having to vigorously workout at the gym is to slowly increase the distance you walk every day and a pedometer can help you to do this.
How to Use a Pedometer
Pedometers keep track of the number of steps you walk. After using the pedometer for a few days you will have a good idea of your usual distance walked and can then set goals to increase this. A good number of steps to aim for is 10,000 a day but it may take some time to reach this level. Set some shorter term goals such as increasing your step over time. If you increase the number of steps by only 2000, that is the equivalent to walking a mile more every day and will definitely have some long term health benefits. Once you have achieved this aim for the next 2000 until you are easily walking 10,000 steps every day.
Research Into Pedometer Use for Health Benefits
Research has shown that this is indeed a good way to achieve better health and fitness and also to help in weight loss. The Journal of American Medicine recently reviewed 26 studies on the use of pedometers in increasing exercise levels and concluded that they are indeed useful in this area when compared by those not using one. Steps were increased by around 2000 in one study by those using a pedometer and monitoring the number of steps taken daily. This is a 25% increase in the exercise rate of the participants and a significant improvement in their level of activity.
Setting Daily Step Goals
It is important, if you decide to use a pedometer to help in your exercise regime, to set realistic goals. Find out your base level of steps by using the pedometer for a few days then set a goal that is realistic for you. As we said earlier you should try to achieve a daily step rate of 10,000 steps but work up to this gradually by setting yourself targets. In the studies quoted above participants achieving their targets had an increased level of activity and benefits included reduced blood pressure and weight loss. However blood sugar levels and cholesterol however did not appear to be affected.
Conclusion
The use of a simple device such as a pedometer has been shown to be very effective in achieving higher levels of activity without the need to go to a gym or buy exercise equipment for the home. Walking is an activity that everyone can benefit from and increasing the daily step rate can have a dramatic benefit in both your health and weight. Pedometers monitor this activity in an easy way, are simple to use and unobtrusive to wear. You can buy a basic pedometer for under $20 although more sophisticated ones are available incorporating heart monitors or the ability to interact directly with your computer. Overall these simple devices can be a great benefit in your goal to achieve fitness and an acceptable, healthy weight.
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Exercise bikes are popular pieces of equipment for people to use at home and are third in popularity after elliptical trainers and treadmills. Many people prefer a form of exercise where they are sitting down and they are also great for exercising while reading to stave off boredom! They give a good cardio workout while also toning the lower body without putting strain on the knee or ankle joints. Exercise bikes come in four different types including upright bikes, recumbent bikes, dual action bikes and spin bikes. We've described them here so that you can decide which type would be best for you.
Upright Exercise Bikes
These are stationary bikes that look very similar to a regular road bike with a control console in the area between the handlebars. Sitting on the bike the angle of your hips will be about 45 degrees with the pedals slightly forward of the seat. While pedalling the core muscles are exercised very effectively but they can put strain on the back and knees so may not be suitable for anyone with back or joint problems. The seats also tend to be somewhat uncomfortable.
Recumbent Exercise Bikes
This type of stationary bike is becoming increasingly popular as it offers many of the advantages of an upright stationary bike but is much more comfortable and puts less strain on the joints. The seat is comfortable with a back rest and the recumbent position is preferred by many people. The pedals are located to the front of the user and the hip angle is close to 90 degrees. However if you are tall, with long legs, it might be wise to try out the model you are thinking of buying to ensure there is sufficient clearance between your knees and the console.
Dual Action Exercise Bikes
These are modifications of upright stationary bikes with movable handlebars that exercise your upper body int he same way as an elliptical trainer. They do not offer many options and are the least popular of the exercise bikes. They are good for a beginner but do not give a vigorous enough exercise for a more advanced user.
Spin Exercise Bikes
Spin bikes are usually high quality and similar to road bikes in design. They have few features found in the other types of bike but give a vigorous workout. if you are not looking for fancy features but a basic exercise bike for a good, intense workout this may be the type to choose.
Some Things to Consider When Buying an Exercise Bike
Whichever type of exercise bike you decide to buy there are some common things to look out for. Stability of the bike is important and some cheap bikes are too light to be stable especially when you progress to more vigorous workouts. Choose a bike with a good range of resistances and programmes so that it will adapt to your needs as your fitness improves. You should also make sure you are within the recommended weight limit of the bike and that it can be adjusted to fit your height. A good warranty is also important.
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Recumbent Exercise Bikes - How to Choose
Written by janet
If you are looking for an exercise bike have you considered a recumbent exercise bike in preference to the usual upright bike? Recumbent exercise bikes are gaining in popularity as they are more comfortable than upright bikes and give an excellent workout. They are highly recommended by physicians and fitness experts and are suitable for beginners as well as those who demand a more vigorous workout. However there is a great deal of difference between models which vary in both price and features. What are the advantages and what should you look for when you are thinking of purchasing a recumbent exercise bike?
Stability
An exercise bike needs to be stable so it needs to be well constructed and heavy enough to prevent it from moving around as you pedal. A light bike that moves too much will prevent you from pedalling faster and increasing the level of your workout. It will also be more likely to have problems with loose parts and breakages. Cheap exercise bikes are often too light so look for a well made bike that is heavy enough to prevent these problems.
Noise
The magnetic drive used by most recumbent bikes makes them very quiet in use. This is a big advantage as you can read, listen to music or watch TV while exercising which will prevent you getting bored and giving up!
Varied Resistance Levels and Programs
Recumbent exercise bikes are great for those who have not exercised in a while. The resistance is highly variable and can be adjusted from very easy to extremely hard, making them suitable for people of all fitness levels. They also usually come with a range of programs which also help to prevent boredom. Most programs will incorporate hill climbs and sprints and can be challenging enough for athletes at the higher resistance levels. You can also incorporate weights to give an upper body workout. Try to find a bike with a good range of programs as this will make your workouts more interesting and you can vary your exercising depending on your mood.
Warranty
Look for a good warranty with an exercise bike. This is particularly important as most exercise bikes rely heavily on the electronics and if this becomes faulty the bike will be unusable. This is not something that can be easily fixed yourself and although it is rare for this to be a problem if it does happen you will need to return the bike to the manufacturer for repair.
Some Advantages of Recumbent Exercise Bikes
Safety
Upright exercise bikes can be uncomfortable and put strain on the lower back and knee joints. A recumbent bike is safer as you sit in a more comfortable position that is less likely to cause back problems. They also put less strain on the knees so are suitable for anyone with joint problems. You cannot stand up in the pedals as you can on an upright bike which, as well as cheating on your exercising puts too much strain on knee joints.
Great Cardio Exercise
Recumbent bikes offer a great cardio workout in a comfortable position as well as exercising your lower body. With the addition of weights and reps as you pedal you can achieve a whole body workout easily. Boredom is one of the major reasons that people stop exercising but with a good bike with a range of programs this shouldn't be a problem. You can also read or listen to music while you exercise with this type of bike.
Conclusion
Recumbent exercise bikes are becoming increasingly popular but you should take care when purchasing one that it is well made and has the range of features you need. It is false economy to buy a cheap bike that will not encourage a good workout and will probably end up being unused. Recumbent exercise bikes range in price from less than $300 to over $3000 so can be a major investment. Check out the many online reviews by actual owners of any model you are thinking of buying rather than relying on the manufacturers blurbs. In this way you will get a truer picture of the models good and bad features. A good recumbent exercise bike will encourage a sustainable exercise program that will help you to become fitter and lose weight.
Image by Michael @ NW Lens
If you are in the market for some new or used weight equipment for your home gym then you should check out what is available both locally and online.
If you have a specialist store located in your area then you should first go to them and see what they can recommend or what kind of specials they have going on. Choosing a specialist store over your basic mass production store is going to get you a guaranteed quality product at a reasonable price. Now if you don't have a specialist store in your local area then you do have a couple alternative. You can go with one of those mass production stores such as Wal-mart, or you can buy thorough pawn shops and local ads in the paper. It all depends on the availability in your area and your personal needs. So if you are looking for a great deal on a weight set, but you are not necessarily concerned with brand names or top notch quality than you can definitely check out what your local Wal-mart has to offer. You can be surprised what kind of equipment Wal-marts carries, from your basic dumbbell sets to punching bags. Pretty much everything you need for an affordable mid-quality home gym is going to be located at a Wal-mart or Wal-mart brand store such as Sams Club. Now if you were unable to find any weight equipment for your home gym by looking at a speciality store or through Wal-mart then you should check out what is available through classified ads and pawn shops.
Pawn shops are a treasure trove of items where you can find almost anything if you look hard enough. If you are lucky you may be able to find some weight equipment for your home gym at a low pawn shop price, but most likely you are going to be better off with other methods of searching. Classified ads on the other hand are run through your paper every day that detail buying and selling opportunities. If you don't have a local paper subscription than you can check out a website like Craigslist that has online listings.
Other than checking Craigslist there are several online opportunities for you to purchase weight equipment for your home gym. Depending on the quality you are looking for and your budget you can find nearly every exercise machine and weight equipment you could ever want by doing a little searching. Buying equipment through manufacturers websites is going to be the most reliable method to buy weight equipment of a high quality, but if you are looking to get a good deal you can check out an auctioneer site such as eBay. eBay will have a large variety of equipment but whenever you purchase from a site like that you run the risk of fraud and purchasing outdated or low quality equipment. So it is best to stick with known online sellers.
So overall if you are looking for weight equipment for your home gym then check out what is available locally and online.
In an ideal world we would all exercise for the minimum recommended 45 minutes a day to ensure we stay fit and have a healthy weight. However most of us don't manage to achieve this in our busy lives. Is there an easy way to increase the amount of exercise we take by fitting it into our lives? We don't have to exercise for 45 minutes all at once. We can incorporate easy exercise into our daily lives for added benefit. With some ingenuity we can increase the amount of exercise we take in many small ways that add up to a significant increase overall.
You need to be resourceful and think about how you can achieve this and what will work for you and your lifestyle. Use a cordless phone and walk around while you talk instead of sitting down. Leave the car an extra half mile away from your office or the shops and walk there. Always use the stairs instead of the elevator. All these can help to get you exercising more every day.
Studies have shown that people who exercise for ten minutes at a time consistently were more likely to keep it up and to lose weight than others who exercised for longer. One study at the Baltimore Johns Hopkins School of Medicine showed that people who were previously sedentary and began exercising for short periods of time the improvement in their health and level of fitness was equal to that of those who exercised for longer. Many people still believe that exercising for less than thirty minutes is not effective but this, and many other studies, have proven this idea to be mistaken.
Exercising for shorter periods can be more motivating and you may be less inclined to avoid it than if you are trying to do longer workouts. it is much easier to keep up this way than to schedule longer sessions then find that you haven't the time or motivation to continue. It takes much less will power to embark on a ten minute workout than a forty five minute workout and many people find this motivates them enough to continue.
Of course, having said that, longer workout periods interspersed with shorter ones is the ideal but don't despair if you can't achieve this all the time. The point is that you do exercise as much as you can fit in and keep your general fitness and health at a much better level than if you don't exercise at all.
One way to ensure that you increase your exercising through small changes in your daily routine is to wear a pedometer. Start by finding out the average number of steps you normally take during the day by wearing it for a few days without trying to increase the amount of steps you take. Once you have a good baseline start increasing your daily steps by walking more. A good number of steps to aim for is 10,000 but this may take you some time to achieve. Wearing a pedometer has been shown to be very effective in increasing the amount of exercise people do. Keep a journal of your achievements and you will be surprised how easy it is to increase the amount of exercise without having to go to the gym! Don't think you have to knock yourself out at the gym to stay fit, you can incorporate these easy exercise ideas into your life and be healthier, less stressed and fit.
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Elliptical exercise trainers are a very popular type of exercise machine as they are easy to use and are low impact so they won't cause any damage to the joints. They provide 'weight bearing' exercise so are very good for maintaining bone density as we age. They are very efficient in burning calories so can help you to lose weight when combined with a good diet. They also provide both aerobic and resistance training so they are also called 'cross trainers' and work both the lower and upper body for a full workout.
In most machines you can adjust the resistance easily so that you can increase the effort needed, and the benefit to your muscles, as you increase in fitness. Elliptical exercise trainers are smaller than treadmills so are often more convenient to have at home as many people do not have sufficient space for a full sized treadmill or other type of exercise equipment. Maintenance of these machines is minimal and running costs are therefore very low.
Different Types of Elliptical Exercise Trainers
You can buy these machines in two types depending on whether the drive operates on the front or the rear. In a rear driven machine the motion feels more like stepping while the motion in a front drive machine will feel more like that of a treadmill. Motorised inclines are included in some of the more expensive models to increase the resistance. All of these machines can be used in forward or backward motion which will give some variety to your workout and help to tone leg muscles. Some models include a pivotting foot plate to give a more comfortable position for your feet.
Some Benefits of Using Elliptical Exercise Trainers
Using an elliptical exercise trainer gives you a low impact workout that tones both the upper and lower body. if you have any joint problems, especially with the knees, these machines won't put any extra strain on them. They give a very good aerobic workout so are very good for help with stress, heart problems and high blood pressure. If you use them to give a vigorous workout they can help to reduce body fat.
What to Look for When Buying an Elliptical Exercise Trainer
- The weight of the fly wheel. A heavier fly wheel will give you a much smoother motion but some cheap models have very light fly wheels which can stick and cause a jerky motion as you apply pressure to overcome the resistance when they stick.
- The number of resistance levels. You will want a good number of resistance levels so that you can increase the intensity of your workout as your fitness level increases.
- Built in programs. The more built in programs the better if you get bored easily!
- Built in heart rate monitor. This is very useful for keeping your heart in the correct zone so that you ensure your workout is effective. Programs can include adjusting the incline, hill runs, interval training etc
- Price. Of course all the above features depend on the price you are willing to pay. It is not really economical to go for the cheapest machine you can find as it won't last very long or give you a satisfactory workout.
Elliptical exercise trainers are rightly popular for the good all round workout they give, which will tone up your muscles, help to keep your hear healthy and help to control your weight. With a little thought before you buy your machine you can make the right choice and be confident you have the right machine for your needs.
Elliptical machine image by teach42
