All entries for December 2010
How to shop for fitness equipment
With the New Year close and resolutions just around the corner it is time to review how to buy equipment. The first thing to do is discuss the goals of all the people in the family using the equipment. Chose the type of equipment based on what is most likely to be used. Pick a room that you frequent regularly, try not to hide your equipment. Out of site out of mind is not an option for achieving goals. You should have a good television straight ahead of your equipment and slightly above head level. You do not want to get a neck ache while you exercise and head slightly up and straight is the best neck position for exercise. If you do online research look at only quality points and features you think are important. Most equipment review sites are paid or commissioned affiliate sites. Even some of the magazines who take advertising dollars are forced to review the product favorably. The major consumer magazine does not take advertising but the product they review is not always current and sometimes can be wrong. It is a good baseline for brands to look for and points to consider. Now get on some comfortable cloths and go and try some equipment. Your body will tell you what works best for you. Remember if they are pushing an extended warrantee they don’t have faith in the machine or they are getting paid well for selling extended warrantees. Most times they do not cover wear and tear. Good luck in your quest. 
Let cross-training help you run injury-free!
Cross-training is a great way to keep you injury-free to help ensure a good year of running. Elliptical training, bike riding, resistance training, and vibration training are all ways to add cross-training to your program. Elliptical training uses all the large muscles of the lower body like running, but hits them at different angles. If you train at 70% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age), you get the cardiovascular benefits of running. It’s a great workout without the risk of causing an overuse injury. Using an elliptical with a ramp gives you even more cross-training benefits because it gives you more workout options. Some incline elliptical trainers can have as many as 20 different elliptical paths. These different paths recruit different muscles, again helping to prevent muscle imbalances. Bike riding strengthens your quadriceps to help prevent runner’s knee issues. Training on a bike at 70% of your maximum heart rate will, like an elliptical, keep your cardiovascular system strong for running. Strength training will keep your core strong and help you maintain good running form. A twenty- minute, three-times-a-week strength program will also help strengthen any muscle imbalances that running can add to. Strength training can be done in many different ways: Stability balls, stretch tubes, dumbbells, home gyms, or functional trainers are all excellent choices. Vibration training has hit the running world by storm. It’s one of those things you have to try to believe. Some people use it to warm their muscles before a run, while some use it to relieve soreness afterwards. This machine works by vibrating at up to 50 Hz, causing up to 90% of your muscles to fire (fast and slow twitch). The vibration causes large amounts of blood to flow to the muscle which also helps remove lactic acid. Whatever form of cross-training you choose, the experts at Chicago Home Fitness can listen to your individual needs and set you up with the right home exercise program. They can help you add cross-training to your running no matter what your budget. Just go to chicagohomefitness.com to find a location near you. It’s a “touch and feel” type of place so bring some comfortable clothes!
Are meal replacements as good as they say they are?
You've probably seen shakes and bars designed to be drunk or eaten in place of a regular meal. You may wonder, Are they a good choice for weight loss? In general, it's better to learn how to choose healthy foods and eat them in reasonable portions than rely on a shake or bar to do it for you. However, meal replacements can be a good choice if you use them to replace a meal, such as breakfast, that you would normally skip. They can also be a healthy choice if you're caught in a pinch or need to eat on the go.While meal replacements can be a convenient way to cut calories, it's important to keep in mind that not all products are created equal. Check the Nutrition Facts panel and make sure that the number of calories and other nutrient values fit in with your meal plan. At Deerpath Primary Care, we often recommend Metagenics' Meal replacements or Bars . Also keep in mind that drinking a shake or eating a bar may not be as emotionally or physically satisfying as eating a well-balanced meal containing the same amount of calories. For example, compare drinking a 220-calorie meal replacement shake with eating a breakfast of one cup of fresh strawberries, four ounces of full-fat greek yogurt, and an egg or two The second meal would probably leave you feeling much more satisfied.So make time for "real" food whenever you can, and use meal replacements as a backup plan. Remember, a meal replacement may be a better choice than a burger and fries, but there's no substitute for learning to make healthy food choices for life. Ignore the hype of advertising of the slick, packaged energy bars. These bars are not health food. Only REAL food will build up your body and enhance your health. Stick to food that is unprocessed, unpackaged and has few ingredients. Your body will thank you.
Use Your Unique Equipment - Your BodyThe reason it's wise to add yoga to your fitness regime is that every person who stays active, no matter what activity they choose, must first understand how to work with their own original... More »
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