Exercise Guide

Finding Time in Your Schedule

Many people find summer exercise easy, because there are so many fun activities available when it’s warm outside. But if you live in the North, you might find exercise during the winter much more difficult. I refuse to run outdoors when it’s very cold, the road is icy, or the snow banks have narrowed the road significantly. But I also refuse to hibernate, since exercise helps improve your immune system to help you fight off winter colds and flu, and also gives you energy and a positive outlook. So, here are a few tips to get you thinking about staying active all year long!

Find exercise videos you love, and carve out a space indoors with the equipment you need. I exercise in my basement all year long, and add outdoor activities when weather permits. The great thing about having an exercise video collection, and the right space, is that you have absolutely no excuses! Weather, time of day, long lines for equipment, etc. will not stop you from burning calories! My personal favorites come from The Firm, and my favorite place to shop is Collage Video. Visit my website, www.slimdale.com and click on Links to get there.

The new fall television lineup will be here soon. Use TV commercial breaks! Many people ignore strength training because they feel cardio burns more calories. But adding muscle to your body will raise your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories all day long. Resistance training also strengthens your bones, and just getting stronger can help you with a multitude of daily activities. So find a book, magazine article, wall chart or other resource showing exercises to work all major muscle groups, and do a set of repetitions during each commercial. You’ll get a 20-minute workout during one 60-minute show!

Join a walking club at a local school, or walk inside a shopping mall. You can window-shop before the stores open so you go right to the store that has the best sales or the styles you love when they are open.

Park farther away from the door and walk. At work, at the grocery store, at the mall; any place where you’re stuck walking outside anyway, just bundle up and get a few extra steps. When indoors, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. You’ll burn lots more calories. You can even try using restrooms, copy machines, etc. on a different floor just to get more exercise. Consider wearing a pedometer and challenging yourself to keep increasing your steps per day.

Use your lunch break if you work in an office. If your company has a gym, use it. Walk outside when the weather permits. If it’s raining or snowing, walk laps around the parking garage or laps around each floor perimeter plus the steps between floors.

Be less efficient! If you live in a multi-story house, take as many trips up and down the stairs as you can instead of saving things to go up or down. At the office, take a walk to see your coworkers instead of always using email. Face-to-face conversation is often better anyway, as it avoids misunderstandings and leads to better bonding and teamwork.

Consider winter sports. Skiing (downhill or cross-country), ice skating, and snow-shoeing can all burn lots of calories. Also, just play in the snow! Go sledding or build a snowman, and make some snow angels!

I hope these tips help you to stay active this winter! Remember, the key to weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume (and weight maintenance is balancing the intake and the burn equally over time.) If you don’t burn calories with exercise, you’ll need to cut your food intake, and that will be especially difficult during the holidays. I personally would rather exercise more and enjoy a few holiday cookies! So get in the habit of exercising consistently now!

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Considering the purchase of a treadmill? If you are thinking about getting the benefits of a little running with the use of a treadmill, think again. There are several reasons why you should not use them. The fact is that you have several other opportunities out there for you. If you plan to exercise, you can purchase whatever exercise equipment you need to do so. But, don’t waste your money. Here are some facts that you should consider.

Why Not To Buy It

1. The pain- If you have used a treadmill in the past, you are probably well aware of the pain they can cause. The surface you are running on is hard and the impact can do some real damage to your body. Not only are you likely to feel it in shin splints but you’ll feel it in your knees as well as in your lower back. The fact is that you are doing well for your body but you are also doing bad for your body. Trading weight loss or muscle gain for back aches and sprained knees in return may not be the best way to go.

2. Outdoors is better- If you are the running type and can’t live without it then do it outside. Not only is the clean air good for you physically, but the fact is that the changes in the incline is better running than any treadmill can provide. When you run around your neighborhood, you’re more likely to have varying slopes, and the running path is likely to change course. This helps to push your heart just that much more. This is especially true when you use a different route each time you head out. You’ll get a better workout and best of all - it’s free!

3. Choose an Elliptical- Okay, so you know why you shouldn’t go with a treadmill but what do you use for indoor training then? If you are going to run, use an elliptical. Sure, it’s not the same as running outdoors but it offers a much healthier way of exercising because of its lower impact on your body.

Leave the treadmill at the store. Get out, or buy an elliptical instead and reap the rewards.

Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.elliptical-trainers-reviews.com/ On his website he provides a schwinn 418 elliptical trainer review and proform elliptical reviews.

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Elliptical trainers seem to be all the rage these days with almost every gym having banks of them and many being used at home as well. An elliptical trainer is really a cross between a treadmill and a stair climber allowing you to efficiently get the best of both worlds in one machine. Although, if you were thinking that you could get in twice as much exercise for the same amount of effort then you may be a bit disappointed. The whole idea is to combine the two exercises into a highly effective exercise system that really makes you work hard. But just how effective are elliptical trainers and are they just another fad or are they really as innovative as their makers claim?

When considering the question how effective are elliptical trainers you have to look at them in the context of the equipment that they are replacing. Stair exercisers although good for what they were designed to do are very restricted in their ability to work different areas of the body and can be of limited value to anyone looking for a single machine solution. Of course, you have the same problem with a standard treadmill but there is also the added complication for some people that you also have constant impact when you are running on a treadmill.

But how effective are elliptical trainers in burning those extra calories? For all the talk of getting fit this is the real reason that most people want an exercise machine and in this area of specialization the elliptical trainers excel. The combination of aerobic and weight bearing exercise is great for burning up the calories and for toning up almost every part of your body and most of the major muscle groups. And they also have the added bonus that there is virtually no impact involved so they really do look to have all the benefits with very few drawbacks.

The real answer to the question of how effective are elliptical trainers is contained in their clever use of technology. The central axis moves in an elliptical motion so that all the major lower muscle groups get a thorough workout while the hands and arms get an upper body workout from the movable handlebars. Many of the machines can also be programmed to work at different speeds for varying amounts of time so that there is an element of variety and you don’t get too bored. Although this may sound like a small point it is very important to maintain interest so that you are encouraged to keep going. Elliptical trainers are an excellent way to get an all body workout with the added advantage of having minimal impact to your joints and also are an excellent way to stay fit and healthy.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Elliptical-Trainer-Solutions.com. He provides more elliptical trainer ratings, recommendations and information on how effective are elliptical trainers that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

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