The Fitness Fad

Gina and her husband Norman live down the street. This couple appears to be the epitome of fitness. There is a NordicTrack on their porch. Their two-car garage has been converted into a home gym equipped with dumbbells, Swiss balls, treadmills, stair steppers, rowing machines, easy shaper, stationary bicycles and spri ultra toners. Daily these two fitness fanatics work up a sweat in their private gym. However, when you speak to the two of them about the functions of these machines, they are clueless as to what each machine accomplishes. They say that it “ just feels good to work-out.”

So let’s take a look at these machines and how they impact the body:

Treadmills
Treadmills are designed for a whole body work-out. Many physicians use treadmills to test a patient’s heart rate and lung capacity. Working on these low- impact exercise machines allows the legs to strengthen, and the heart to accelerate. You lose body fat gradually while adding muscle tone.

Many people who purchase treadmills do so with the best intentions. But treadmills can become boring. Walking or running in place can get monotonous. Models are available with wide screen displays, bottle holders, a small basket to hold a radio and a book stand.  There are clips that attach to your earlobe that will monitor your heart rate. Be advised that chest-wraps are more accurate.

Paying more for treadmills will give you more whistles and bells. Manufacturers are now looking toward the future. Treadmills are on the drawing board, that come equipped with virtual reality helmets.

If space is an issue, look for a treadmill that can be folded down and stored out-of-sight when not in use.

Dumbbells
Dumbbells are used for light, resistance weight training. Decreasing l fat rolls under your arms (which occur as you get older) adding tone to your arms muscles and chest, dumbbells are a practical way to start a weight training program. Simple, inexpensive and effective to use, dumbbells are sold in pairs.

They vary in weight. You can purchase adjustable dumbbells or fixed weight dumbbells.

The most popular way to use dumbbells is the bench press system. This is where you lie flat on your back or on your stomach and do arm lifts, holding one dumbbell in each hand.

Swiss Balls
This large, flexible and versatile exercise ball can be a daily part of the routine for a family who wishes to get fit. The Swiss balls are used to strengthen the back and chest. You can do sit-ups and leg-lifts, or straddle the balls and hop around the room.

Also called Therapy Balls, theys are used to help people recovering from physical injuries. Swiss Balls come in many different styles, colors and sizes.  Your posture will improve and you will notice ve more endurance once you start a daily exercise program.

Stair Steppers
Stair Steppers help you increase your endurance and promote a healthy heart. For women who have just had a baby, the stair stepper or the stair master is one of the quickest ways to get back into shape. Depending on how much you wish to spend will depend on what your stair stepper is equipped with.

The more expensive models can have up to four different work-out programs, 20 resistance levels, and an easy-to-use brake system.

Handlebars are provided to help you maintain proper control and posture. Some of the machines are self-powered by small generators. Other stair steppers run on electricity.

There are so many different brands available on the market today. Always check the warranty on the machine prior to purchasing one.

Rowing Machines
Rowing Machines are all the rage because they are a complete body workout. Working both the lower and the upper body, rowing machines give you an opportunity to design a custom-workout even when you don’t have access to a body of water.

Using a rowing machine you will find more upper and lower body strength, you will possess more endurance and be conscious of your body’s position at all times.

As with using any exercise machine, always consult your doctor prior to starting a home or gym exercise program.

Women only can use the easy shaper. The easy shaper was designed specifically by a woman to be used by other women. The easy shaper adds tone to your arms and back, helps to trim down your hips and thighs, buttocks and tighten your abs. The machine is designed for the curves in a woman’s body and therefore is easy to use. Small and compact it can store easily away when not in use.

Stationary bikes
Stationary bikes are an easy way to exercise if you desire a low to moderate- impact workout.  Many of the models on the market are equipped with a display screen so that you can experience a virtual landscape while you are cycling. Exercise fanatics call this workout “spinning.”  The stationary bike should fit your comfortably both in the seat area and the handlebar placement.

The ride should be smooth and quiet, and the handlebars shouldn’t feel harsh on your grip. The stationary bike comes with a resistance knob allowing you to change speeds of your spinning in order to bump up your work-out up to a higher level. The stationary bike gives you a fairly inexpensive way to better overall health and fitness.

Spri- Ultra Toner
Spri- Ultra Toner is a small compact apparatus that works on the upper body’s strength and tone. Designed as a figure eight, the device allows you to pull and tug your way to upper body health.

For those who are physically fit and want more of a workout than the basic device allows, there is an ultra-heavy resistance toner. Free exercise charts are available over the internet in a downloadable format.

What exercise equipment is right for me?

When you decide on what machine(s) fit your life, keep with the program. To many times exercise machines end up collecting dust or becoming a place to hang your houseplants on. Just like the NordicTrack that Norman and Gina bought. These days, the spider plants hanging off the front just doesn’t do this fine machine justice.