Weight Watchers recipes and Success Stories: Workout At Home

Showing posts with label Workout At Home. Show all posts

Using your Wii for fitness

I know lots of people have talked in the last year about using a Wii for getting exercise but I sat on the sidelines, sad because I had no Nintendo Wii.

Well this has all changed now since I got a Nintendo Wii yesterday for the kids for Christmas. I am not sure if the Wii is really going to be a fitness machine but I am really excited about Christmas morning and trying this thing out.

I just ran across a site for a Wii workout called Wii Healthy. The site has a workout program that i will have to try and see how well it works.

Really the Wii looks like more fun than exercise but if you are moving then you are getting exercise right? Well I am sure we will soon se a bunch more Wii related “get in shape” type articles so it will again be fun to see since I can actually take part.

Now in response to everything that Nintendo has heard and seen about response to the Wii. Nintendo has come out with an actual fitness program called Wii Fit. The idea behind Wii Fit is that you get a board around 18 inches or so wide and do certain exercises on this and see yourself (or a reasonable facsimile of yourself) on the screen. You can also track your results as can everyone else in the family. I can imagine this whole idea scaling out where you can have fitness contests with other people online. Very exciting to be sure.

If you and your family are looking for a Wii and live in Canada I posted a few tips on my Tech Blog on how to get a Wii. If you are living in the US there are a few great articles here otherwise follow my other suggestion and just watch the stores and network with the managers of the games department at the WalMart and Target stores.

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How to do crunches to strengthen your core

One thing that seems to confuse a lot of people is the fact that the media shows us slim people with great six pack abs. This would lead most people to believe that if you want to reduce your stomach then you should just do sit-ups and you will lose the stomach. Sadly this is called spot reduction and it is not really possible to lose a bot belly by just doing sit-ups.

What your really need to know is how to do crunches

So to lose your pot belly you really need to do more to lose your overall fat and this can be done using two changes to your body.

To do that, you need to burn more calories than you eat. Abdominal muscles are not large muscles, so working them isn’t going to burn many calories. Walking and jogging are better calorie-burning activities.

The muscles in your abdomen, pelvis, lower back and hips are part of what is known as the core – The area of the body where your center of gravity is located. Developing a strong solid core gives you increased balance, stability and controlled movement that will help you improve performance. You use core muscles when you reach up to get a glass off the top shelf, bend down to tie your shoes, or swing a golf club. Strong core muscles also improve posture and protect you against back injuries.

What are the best abdominal exercises? For the beginner, nothing seems to beat crunches.

How to do Crunches

1. Lie with your back on a padded floor.
2. Prop your feet against the wall or on a chair at a 90-degree angle to help you keep a neutral spine position in which your back is not too arched or too flat. As your abs get stronger, try putting your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent.
3. Cross your arms over your chest or hold them straight up.
4. Cough to engage your ab muscles.
5. Using these muscles, lift your upper body off the floor, raising yourself about 6 to 12 inches. Exhale as you go up. This will help maintain a space between your chin and chest.
6. Hold this position briefly.
7. Slowly lower yourself while inhaling. But don’t relax all the way down — keep your shoulders slightly off the floor.
8. Repeat until your ab muscles are fatigued. Stop immediately if you experience pain in your lower back.
9. Do this every other day, as you would any strengthening exercise.

As your abs strengthen, add more challenging exercises. You can increase resistance by holding a dumbbell across your chest. And, while most ab machines don’t offer benefits over the crunch, using a fitness ball can increase the challenge by putting you on an unstable surface.

The next step of course will be strengthening the other side. Your lower back

Have you thought that maybe you have the whole picture wrong about how to get six pack abs? There is this fantastic diet and exercise system that will teach you everything you need to know about how to get a firm and trim midsection and that allows your ab muscles to show through.Check out The Truth About Six Pack Abs now.

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Home Fitness Equipment

I have written quite a bit over the last week about what you need as far as home fitness equipment goes but thought I would just round out this week with an overview of what you should have for equipment. So here is what I think that you should try to accumulate over the next while.

Weightlifting Home Fitness Equipment

Home Fitness Equipment

Mats– The most basic piece of fitness equipment is an exercise mat. You need an exercise mat for doing stretching as well as for doing abs and an exercise mat is always good for lying on when you are tired from a tough set or some cardio

Dumbells – Dumbells are those short bars with the weights on them. Who cares about them all matching but you want to probably have pairs of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 pounds and sometimes even a pair of 3 pound weights are good to carry while you are running or doing other cardio. These all come in handy for lots of your exercises

Barbell – This is just a big long bar. The barbell bar weighs I believe 20 pounds although ones at the gym will 45 pounds. Then of course you need weights to put on this bar. Remember that anytime that you are using a barbell you are lifting more and in the case of bench presses or even military presses you can get yourself into real trouble if you do not have a spotter.

Weight Bench – This is the staple of home fitness equipment. There are thousands of benches both good and bad gathering dust in garages and basements across the country, it should be pretty easy to find a cheap bench and you will use this for flyes, bench press, seated curls, tricep extensions, crunches, one armed rows. I think you get the picture this is a great thing to have around.

Cardio Home Fitness Equipment

This is definitely a personal decision as I have written before. A piece of cardio equipment or two is expensive and so there is a lot of thought that goes into whether you are going to buy one or not. Here are the choices though.

Elliptical Trainer – This is the newest most popular type of home fitness equipment. An elliptical trainer will allow you to work out your arms an legs and is very low impact. I know that Paul Plakas on the TV show X-Weighted though is not a fan of the elliptical trainer though, he says that using it just makes you get at the elliptical trainer. I will have to find out what he means by that.

Exercise Bike – These are great in that you can read a book or watch TV comfortably while beating up on your legs.

Treadmill – This will replace running or walking in the Winter and can be changed up by having weights in your hands that allow you to work your upper body somewhat while getting your leg workout in.

Rowing machine – I have never owned a rowing machine but I know that people swear by them. Rowing machines are a great piece of home fitness equipment in that they work almost all of your muscle groups and the equipment is also really easy to store in a closet or under a bed, very out of sight so you do not feel guilty about not working out today.

This about covers home fitness equipment. Anything that I missed? I know that the first article that I wrote talked about using soup cans and stuff but if you really are motivated to get in better shape this Winter then you can either join a gym or get the stuff that you need at home. One way or another I think that home fitness equipment is a key decision in your quest for a healthier future.

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Cardio equipment buyers guides

I am trying to get a jump start on the winter for everyone by finding some great articles on how best to look for and buy exercise equipment for your home. Most people will just join a gym to use expensive exercise equipment but really there are many reasons to instead buy fitness equipment. I have a few pros and cons on this.

Buying Exercise Equipment

Buying exercise equipment is not for everyone and can be expensive. First things first, I do own some exercise equipment. I have written about this before but I have a exercise bike and a elliptical trainer and these are trade in used exercise equipment that we got from trading in our older, other equipment that we bought years ago. It seems to be a great way to me to buy high quality equipment and then trade it in for other equipment when you are bored of it.

OK, so how much will it cost? I think that a good piece of exercise equipment costs between 500 and 1,000 dollars so this really is a big expense for most people. I remember getting crappy stair climbers in the 80s and they just ended up being good clothes hangers just as my elliptical trainer is but at least the elliptical trainer gets used for working out as well.

Priority of buying cardio equipment

The key to buying and using cardio exercise equipment is the schedule and commitment to use the equipment. I hate to say it but if you pay a bundle of money for exercise equipment it will be a motivator to use the equipment, not only that but the equipment will be smooth and comfortable to use. Find a daily time that you will use the treadmill or bike. I think that if you do not use the equipment in the morning then try to use it in the evening while you are watching TV. It is good exercise and the scheduling will force you to commit.

One last thing. Using cardio equipment over time can become really boring for most people. The best way to use cardio equipment is to get a distance goal to hit. Pull out a map and look at some distances that would be fun to drive to that you can simulate with your new or old exercise equipment. Maybe a roadtrip of 100 miles this month or a great roadtrip trip over the course of a year.

So for the rest of the week I am going to scour the internet for some great buying guide type articles, stuff that I will learn from as well as you so that the next time that we go out looking for exercise equipment we will be able to make better decisions.

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Weight workouts at home part 2

Now that you have decided that you are going to start doing weights and doing them at home I am sure that you are starting to think of all of your options and when and how and how oftern. Well I can answer those for you.

The best way to get started lifting weights is to setup a schedule. For most people starting to lift weights the best time to start lifting is Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings or mornings. Mornings have to be the best bet because as we all know the day seems to have it’s own way of breaking up our plans for the evening and consistency in lifting weights is the key.

I find in getting started lifting weights you should do a bit of circuit training. The turbulence training program talks about how to do this but in essence this is what you do. Make sure that you stretch and warm-up and get yourself nice and loose and then do 10 reps of each of the following as one long set.

1. Bench press (for chest)

2. One armed rows (back)

3. Military dumbbell presses (shoulders)

4. Lunges (legs)

5. Curls (biceps)

6. Tricep extensions (triceps)

7. Situps or crunches (abs)

That should take you about 5 to 7 minutes and after that you deserve a bit of a rest. After you have done them all like this once you will be winded but after a 2 or 3 or even 4 minute rest you will be able to go again and do the same thing.

Try to do three sets of this routine. It should not take you more than 20 minutes to half an hour. If you do not know how to do each exercise then go to youtube and find the exercises.

After you have done this I hope that you feel a great sense of accomplishment. Doing weights like this is a great way to get yourself into better shape and after doing this three times a week for a couple of months you are going to feel stronger then you have ever felt in your whole life and your metabolism with be moving faster therefore helping you lose more . Another thing to remember about lifting weights is that any muscle that you gain will force your body to burn a lot more calories just for maintenance so you will have a bit of a double whammy to aid you in your loss.

One last thing. The day after your first few workouts like this your muscles may be sore. If they are very sore then you can take some aspirin to take away the pain but as the day progresses the muscle pain will go away. This is natural but if it is really bad soreness that you are feeling then it is important not to push yourself quite as hard as you did last time.

If this workout causes more then just soreness. There is a chance if you are not warmed up properly that you can pull a muscle. If this is the case I really urge you to go to a doctor and make sure that you are not hurting yourself. Doing weights is about making your self healthier not hurting yourself.

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Starting to lift weights – Part 1

Now that fall is in full swing and the baseball playoffs are winding down most of our exercise is going to need to take place indoors instead of the outdoors that it is so easy to do in the summertime. There are of course two kinds of exercise, weights and cardio.

First I want to apologize in advance to any hardcore lifters here. Most of this stuff is a bit of a review for you.

Sometimes I think that everyone of course lifts weights on at least a weekly basis. Of course this is not fair as most people, although well meaning, have never lifted weights in their life and are not about to join a gym to start lifting weights this week.

The simple fact is that the more muscle that you have the more calories that you body will need to burn in order to maintain your . This fact alone should make any person looking to lose to start looking at the gyms that they drive by.

The simple fact is that if you have never lifted weights just think of this time between now and the beginning of the New Year as the best time to start warming up to the idea of lifting weights. If you start lifting some kinds of weights at home then you can get stronger, build muscle mass and when the new year comes with all of the gyms giving great deals to join you will have a better idea if you want to join a real gym or not.

First of all I think that it is easy enough to get some light weights that you can start lifting with at home. Either look in the classifieds in your local paper or go to the local pawn shop or used sporting goods place and get some 5, 10, and 15 pounds dumbbells, women can probably get away with 2.5, 3, and 5 pound weights to start with.

So what if you have no weights at home? First of all are all of the regular calisthenics that we all know. You can do things like push-ups for your chest, shoulders and triceps, lunges for your legs, and sit-ups for your abs.

If you would like to start doing weights proper then you have many options. Look around the kitchen and you probably have some heavy bottles or cans that you can do bicep curls with, you have kitchen chairs that you can do front laterals with. There are many options and if you look around I am sure that you can improvise with what you already have.

I will write another article this week about what kind of workouts to do exactly but this week why not just try to find a few kinds of exercises that you can do around the house if you have no weights and if you can beg, borrow, or steal some weights it will make things a lot easier

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Walking Exercise

Walking Exercise is one of the most popular and effective ways to start a fitness program so I have a few tips as well as a plan to get you started. I found this program on my wanderings around the internet tucked away where no one was able to use it so I hope it will do good fore anyone wanting to get started exercising but not sure where to start.

Is It Okay for Me To Walk?

Answer the following questions before you begin a walking program:
Has your doctor ever told you that you have heart trouble?
When you exercise, do you have pains in your chest or on your left side (neck, shoulder or arm)?

Do you often feel faint or have dizzy spells?
Do you feel extremely breathless after mild activity?
Has your doctor told you that you have high blood pressure?
Has your doctor told you that you have bone or joint problems, like arthritis, that could get worse if you exercise?
Are you over 50 years old and not use to a lot of exercise?
Do you have a condition or physical reason not mentioned here that might interfere with an exercise program?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please check with your doctor before starting a walking program or other form of exercise.

How Do I Start a Walking Program?

It is important to design a program that will work for you. In planning your walking program, keep the following points in mind:

Choose a safe place to walk. Find a partner or group of people to walk with you. Your walking partner(s) should be able to walk with you on the same schedule and at the same speed.
Wear shoes with thick flexible soles that will cushion your feet and absorb shock.
Wear clothes that are right for the season. Cotton clothes for the summer help to keep you cool by absorbing sweat and allowing it to evaporate. Layer your clothing in the winter, and as you warm up, you can take off some layers.
Stretch before you walk. See the warm up exercises here.
Think of your walk in three parts. Walk slowly for 5 minutes. Increase your speed for the next 5 minutes. Finally, to cool down, walk slowly again for 5 minutes.
Try to walk at least three times per week. Add 2 to 3 minutes per week to the fast walk. If you walk less than three times per week, increase the fast walk more slowly.
To avoid stiff or sore muscles or joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going further, and walking for longer periods of time.
The more you walk, the better you will feel. You also use more calories.

Safety Tips

Keep safety in mind when you plan your route and the time of your walk.

Walk in the daytime or at night in well-lighted areas.
Walk in a group at all times.
Notify your local police station of your group’s walking time and route.
Do not wear jewelry.
Do not wear headphones.
Be aware of your surroundings.

How Do I Warm Up?
Before you start to walk, do the stretching exercises shown here. Remember not to bounce when you stretch. Perform slow movements and stretch only as far as you feel comfortable.

Side Reaches
Reach one arm over your head and to the side. Keep your hips steady and your shoulders straight to the side. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Wall Push
Lean your hands on a wall with your feet about 3-4 feet away from the wall. Bend one knee and point it toward the wall. Keep your back leg straight with your foot flat and your toes pointed straight ahead. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

Knee Pull
Lean your back against a wall. Keep your head, hips, and feet in a straight line. Pull one knee to your chest, hold for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other leg

Leg Curl
Pull your foot to your buttocks with your opposite hand. Keep your knee pointing straight to the ground. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the other foot.

Taking the First Step

Walking right is very important.

Walk with your chin up and your shoulders held slightly back.
Walk so that the heel of your foot touches the ground first. Roll your forward.
Walk with your toes pointed forward.
Swing your arms as you walk.

Walking Program

Week	Warm Up Time	Fast Walk Time	Cool Down Time	Total Time
Week 1	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 5 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	15 minutes
Week 2	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 8 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	18 minutes
Week 3	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 11 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	21 minutes
Week 4	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 14 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	24 minutes
Week 5	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 17 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	27 minutes
Week 6	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 20 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	30 minutes
Week 7	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 23 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	33 minutes
Week 8	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 26 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	36 minutes
Week 9 or more	Walk slowly 5 minutes	Walk faster 30 minutes	Walk slowly 5 minutes	40 minutes

*If you walk less than three times per week, increase the fast walk time more slowly.

I have really changed my idea of walking over the years as a form of exercise as I used to make fun of my wife saying “let’s fo for a walk it is good exercise” and I would counter with yes so are a lot of things but most stuff is better.

Now I really have a more mature attitude about walking. Not oly can it increase your metabolism but most importantly walking gives you a way to make your body move, get you into the outdoors, gives you a chance to clear your mind, and many other health advantages that really make me enjoy my exercise of walking.

Try going out today for a walk and see how much better you feel for it.

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Home workouts

This is the start of a series of articles celebrating home workouts. I have over the years worked out at home as well as at a gym and have usually had much better workouts at a gym. This series will try to change that.

As we all know it is cheaper and way more convenient in the long run to work out at home but there is always costs that we will have to deal with at some point.

Why Do Home Workouts?

Home workouts

Home exercise programs are a great way to keep fit and lose weight. Along with proper diet and nutrition, an exercise program can help speed your metabolism and burn calories faster.

There are a number of home exercise videos that will give you the direction and motivation you need to burn fat and lose quickly. But, why are exercise videos a great option in your home exercise program?

The Convenience Factor of home workouts:
Exercise at your convenience. By performing regular exercises you will place a greater demand on your body’s stores of fat and you will cause your metabolism to increase dramatically.

Your body will burn fat as a source of energy at an accelerated rate and the end result will be a slimmer, more toned you. Your level of fitness will improve with each workout routine you perform. Exercise videos are a great way to learn the best exercises to burn fat and build lean muscle and you will be able to exercise in your very own home at your convenience.

Inexpensiveness of home workouts:
There is no need for expensive gym memberships or extravagant exercise equipment. Fun, fast-paced exercise videos featuring well-know fitness experts and celebrities will give you the inspiration and direction you need to create your very own, highly effective home workout routine.

How much would you have to pay to have Denise Austin as your personal trainer? With home exercise videos, she’ll be available to you 24 hours a day for pennies a day.

All levels of fitness for home workouts:
Home exercise videos are available for any fitness level from beginner to advanced. As your level of fitness increases you can move on to more advanced exercise routines to keep your body healthy and make loss much easier than with dieting alone.

Variety in home workouts:
It is a good idea to change your exercise routine on a regular basis to keep your body challenged and make continued loss possible. After performing the same exercises over and over your body will require more advanced workouts to continue to burn excess fat and calories.

Exercise videos will allow you to make progress at your own pace and give your metabolism the boost it needs to burn fat for energy. From Ballet to Hip Hop, there are exercise videos for every interest. Different types of exercises will cause your body to respond in different ways.

You will be able to find a variety of exercise videos that will give you the types of workouts you need to gain muscle tone and lose fast.

Regular exercise is critical to your health and well being. Find the exercise videos that suit your lifestyle and your goals and you can begin exercising in your very own home immediately. Your body will thank you for your efforts and you will look and feel better than you have in years.

Weight loss is drastically easier when dieting is combined with exercise. Home exercise programs and fun videos you can do in your home are a great way to get in shape and experience fast weight loss.

Author : Tina Titas
Tina Titas is a columnist for http://www.FunExerciseVideos.com — where you’ll find the best exercise videos as a great price.

Now it is time for you to get in the game. Are you doing home workouts now?

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P90x – What is this?

Have you seen the beach body infomercials on TV? They have been running for at least a couple of years and are now rebranded as P90x. P90x is a workout system that is supposed to help you lose weight and gain muscle using a series of 12 different workouts that are tough, really tough and are constantly changing to lead your body to muscle confusion.

Muscle confusion os a good thing. What happens is that you body after lifting weights for even a short period of time will get use to the workouts and you will eventually stop making gains.

You need to change your weights, sets, exercises and anything else on a constant basis to confuse your muscles into making change. This is the basis of the no nonsense muscle building program that I reviewed a while ago.

How to Start P90X

To do P90x you need to order the package online or over the phone and it costs about $150 for the core system although there are a bunch of upgrades that you can buy.

The upgrades are mainly equipment for $100 or so and then of course they recommend their own supplements.

There is only a little bit of equipment which is nice so that you can do these workouts at home and not need to join a gym.

This means that you need to have motivation to continue after the first week is done and excuses start popping up.

There is a diet and nutrition component of P90x although I have not been able to find too much about this aspect of the P90x.

The P90X fitness package includes 12 workouts on video, plus a video presenting an overview of this system and a fitness guide to answer any further questions consumers may have.

The P90x product is advertised as helping people get ‘absolutely ripped in just 90 days’ and is essentially a system consisting of 12 different workouts available on either DVD or VHS that work different muscle groups and offer different types of exercises.

As mentioned, users of this program are also advised to incorporate supplements into their daily routines.

These include the Peak Recovery Formula, an after-workout drink that provides the ‘precise nutrients’ that the body demands for optimal results, and the Peak Health Formula, a multi-vitamin supplement that is intended to provide full support.

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Losing Weight While Watching TV

Losing weight while watching TV seems like one of those nirvana type situations that would be great but very tough to figure out. For all of the couch potatoes that watch lots of TV everyday there has to be a way to watch TV every night and still lose weight.

I laughed out loud, really out loud when I thought of this idea but it was a challenge to think of so here I am coming up with a training plan to lose while watching TV. So here are my ideas for how you could successfully lose while watching TV

Losing Weight While Watching TV

Losing Weight while watching TV

1. Eat right – This is the toughest part of losing for many people. Night time is the time to snack and it is hard to measure how much you are eating when you are not looking at your food but are instead just grabbing food and putting it in your pie hole.

Make sure that what you are eating is low cal by picking fruit like grapes which you can eat one at a time or fruit salad with all of the different tastes that make you notice that you are eating.

Also, make sure that you are drinking lots of water as it will fill you up more than anything when you are always distracted by the show you are watching.

2. Exercise during commercials – First of all there are a few ways that you can exercise during the shows you watch but you will never do that anyway so be realistic and wait until the commercials. Have a pair of

Have a pair of 5-pound weights dumbells that you can have sitting next to the couch. During commercial breaks you have about a two-minute break and during this break you can do a couple sets of weights.

The weights that you will do are called supersets. First, do 8-12 reps of shoulder presses and then 8-12 reps of alternating curls per arm. This is it for this commercial break but during the next commercial break, you can do another couple of exercises maybe tricep kickbacks and one armed rows.

The reasons that you are doing weights is not because the weights will directly make you lose but the additional muscle that you will have will help you lose over time.

3. The missing cardio requirement – The real need that you have to lose weight, as well as eating and weights, are the need for cardio.

Cardio exercise is critical and you cannot do it to help you lose while watching TV so my best recommendation is to decide that right before dinner or a half hour after dinner you should go for a bike, run or even a brisk walk so that you have a bit of time before sitting on the couch to have a shower.

This bit of exercise time can help you be confident that you did everything that you needed to get yourself in just a little bit better shape then you were in the day before.

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Treadmill Buying Tips – Use This Treadmill Checklist

A treadmill is a great piece of equipment to have around the house because it simulates walking or running and can be supplemented with handweights to try get a bit more of a workout out of the equipment.

Be careful of your coordination though.

If you are going to buy a treadmill it is indeed a very good investment as exercising in the open or going to a gym might not be equally possible at all times. The climatic conditions are the main hurdle along with the availability of time for a professional person to go for a fitness program at a certain time daily.

Having your own treadmill at home can solve this problem, making it possible to exercise daily according to your own schedule.

As there are to be seen various varieties and styles of treadmills available in the market, choosing one to fit you and your home best becomes quite difficult. Making a checklist to narrow down your search would be a good option that will help you in selecting a good equipment for you.

Treadmill Buying Checklist

By making a treadmill buying checklist and researching for the different makes, you may be able to buy a good treadmill for you.

Add Various Guarantees Offered To Your Checklist
There are different assurances provided by various treadmill manufacturers, ranging from 2-5 years or may be of 10years. While checking the warranty, you must get it clarified whether it includes the motor only or other parts of the mechanism are also guaranteed .

Add Length Of The Deck To Your Checklist
Due to varied lengths and widths of the walking area of a treadmill, a test walk becomes necessary before buying a unit, to make sure of any uneasiness afterwards.

Add Weight Limit to your Checklist
Because of different limits of a the treadmills, it must be checked that for a heavy person a light duty motor treadmill would not be a smart choice.

Add To Your Checklist All The Features Advertised
Catchy advertisements in which different features are highlighted are the most popular mean of advertising to attract the buyers. Having a lot of choices, a buyer gets confused, but it is advisable to confirm that the model you are going to buy has actually all the features mentioned in the advertisement you have seen. So don’t forget to add this to your checklist.

Checklist The Safety And Add-On Features
Sometimes a person might feel exhausted or due to some problem the treadmill has to be stopped. You must confirm this feature of emergency stoppage for your safety and also that of your treadmill.

Also some treadmills have an extra feature of add-on gadgets, e.g, a small television screen or headphones etc. if you would like to have one with such added benefit, make sure that the unit you are getting has the required things.

You can buy from a store or you can check out these Treadmills at Amazon and see if any of them are interesting to you as you shop around

Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill

Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill

LifeSpan TR 1200i Folding Treadmill

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Stretching in the morning

Stretching in the morning for many people, exercising the first thing in the morning is convenient. It may or may not be the most welcome time, but it is convenient.

Some people are morning people like me, ready to dash out into daily living with oomph. Many more people are very slow getting going in the morning and need a few minutes to really wake up.

Nothing can or should be done about the way we wake up.

The thought of indulging in a few exercises upon awaking is enough to discourage almost anyone. But try them a few times and perhaps you will see a difference. stretching exercises can be a fantastic way to start the morning

stretching-muscles

Why Stretch In The Morning?

When we sleep and, therefore, let our muscles sleep, blood tends to collect in the internal organs, or “splanchnic circulation.” Very little blood is needed in the muscles, or “peripheral circulation.”

If after waking up there is no noticeable muscular activity, blood very slowly leaves the splanchnic pool, resulting in sluggish circulation to the brain and muscles. The person wakes up groggy, listless, and without energy.

However, three to four minutes of easy exercises, stretching in the morning, while in bed can redistribute the blood, clear away the cobwebs, and bring back over-all tone. Energy comes surging in and the person feels as alert and as full of energy as he might normally experience only well into midday.

How to stretch in the morning

1. Stretch hard 5 times, maintaining “stretch” for 3 seconds and relaxing for 2 seconds

2. With elbows tucked in beside body and legs together, arch back 3 times

3. Tense all leg muscles hard and relax. Do this 12 times

4. Do 2 sit-ups touching your toes.

5. Raise bent legs over your head and touch ears with knees 3 times

6. With palms pressing each other, hands close to the front of chest, push hard to one side and then the other, resisting with the other arm. Do this 10 times.

7. With fingers flexed, grasp hands and pull apart, first to one side and then the other. Do 10 times.

8. Place hands on the abdomen and push vigorously while resisting by tensing abdominal muscles. Do this for 3 seconds and then relax for 2 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

Time required for these stretching in the morning exercises, once you get the hang of them, should only be two to three minutes.

When you really become proficient and can breeze through this series in less time, then do it twice. At most, five minutes is sufficient to get you started in the morning.

No Hard Stretching Before A Warm Up

Flexibility exercises, as with all other workouts, should not be attempted when you are “cold.” Warm up for a few minutes. If you are doing morning exercises when you wake up, do flexibility exercises first, but start them gradually. You have three goals:

To increase range
To increase forcefulness
To increase speed of motion

So start stretching in the morning slowly, take it easy, and do not work against the clock. As mentioned earlier, one month should be devoted entirely to flexibility exercises. During the second and third months, progressive resistance can be added but keep up the flexibility exercises, too. Over time, and a very short amount of time at that, you will find that your flexibility and core strength have increased significantly.

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Best Triceps Exercises

One overlooked muscle group is the triceps so I thought I would write a bit on the best triceps exercises. The triceps muscles are the muscles at the top of the back of your arm and are called triceps as they are muscles that have three heads.

There are many ways that you use your triceps but most of all it is important to remember that even though everyone is working their biceps to have big arms in actual fact your triceps will make your arms bigger a lot fast than working your biceps do. So it is important to do the correct and best triceps exercises to make the most of all three heads of your triceps.

Here are the Three Best Triceps Exercises

Best Triceps Exercises

Triceps kickbacks – This exercise is fantastic, I think it is one of the best triceps exercises and is done by keeping your body parallel to a bench with your hand and knee resting on the bench.

In this position with your free arm bring your elbow up to your side and then bring your arm up straight.

This exercise is the opposite of a bicep curl and at the top you will have a great peak contraction of your triceps.

Triceps pushdowns – You need a gym to do this exercise. All you do is pull the bar of the machine down to your sides and you will feel the contraction when your arms reach the bottom. When doing this exercise try to tighten at the bottom of the rep and you will get a great burn.

Close grip bench press – this is just like a regular bench press except you are keeping your hands less than shoulder height apart. As you let the down keep your elbows into your body and you will be able to feel the push up as being very difficult.

Out of all of these tricep exercises, I believe that the triceps kickbacks are the best.

When doing triceps exercises try to make sure that you do not work triceps more than twice a week as the triceps are used a lot in doing chest and shoulder exercises as well and can be easily overtrained.

Each set for triceps should be about 6-10 reps and actually my method of doing triceps is to just do two sets of each exercise and each of these sets is to failure.

Many compound exercises also work your triceps. A couple of examples of exercises that also work your triceps are the bench presses and military presses.

Triceps can be worked twice a week with a couple of days between workouts and you should do about 4-6 good heavy sets total between these exercises to work your triceps well.

So are these the best triceps exercises to you or are there others that you like better?

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