Lose Weight

Over the years, there have been people making up plenty of excuses to avoid exercising. Some of these excuses are creative, some are ridicules, but most are in a group of common excuses used everyday to justify not having to make the effort to improve their health and well being.

How many people do you know who were going to start exercising and start getting in shape and they were going to start this coming week, but that was two weeks ago and they still haven’t started yet? What excuse did they have this time? Maybe this has happened so many times, you stopped counting. Maybe this has even happened to you more times than you can remember. Well, what’s stopping you?

Here are some of the most common excuses used by people to not exercise, and the ways that you can get around those excuses if they have plagued you and are stopping you from partaking in a healthier lifestyle.

By far and away, the most common excuse used today is; “I don’t have the time to exercise”. The old perception that you have to exercise for 1 to 2 hours a day is just nonsense. A good, solid exercise routine doesn’t have to last for more than 20 to 30 minutes a day to be very effective. If you can’t find up to 30 minutes a day to exercise, then how do you manage to find up to 2 hours or more a day to watch TV?

Another popular excuse used often is; “I can’t afford to pay for a gym membership or for home equipment”. The fact is, you can get in better shape and lose weight without ever setting foot in a gym. Walking and or jogging around your neighborhood or in the local park don’t cost a dime and will give you all of the benefits of a cardio workout at the gym. Doing callisthenic exercises such as crunches and pushups and so on at home also cost nothing. Home fitness equipment can also be purchased that will give you a good resistance workout for under $50.00 such as resistance tubing bands and an exercise ball.

“I don’t know how to exercise or what exercises to do” is an excuse that gets used from time to time, but there are several ways to learn how to exercise right and what exercises to do. Using the services of a qualified, certified personal trainer is the best way to get you going in the fight direction. If affordability is an issue with a trainer, there are workout videos and books that you can buy to help you out, you can even find loads of exercise books at your local library that you can check out free of charge.

Another excuse that seems to be fairly common is; “I’m too old and/or out of shape to start exercising”. This excuse is really only valid if your doctor has told you that you should not exercise for some medical reason. If you are very out of shape or you are a senior citizen, then you may just have to start out slowly. Even starting out with only 5 minutes a day of exercise and slowly increasing as you go is much better than doing no exercise at all.

Last but not least and by far my favorite excuse is; “I hate anything to do with exercise”. This one always gives me a laugh. Most people who really think they hate exercise do so because they are stuck with the image that exercise is a series of boring, grunt and groan exercises involving heavy weights, or jogging far enough to complete the Boston marathon. The old adage of “no pain, no gain” is still embedded in the minds of many people, and who wants to have to go through pain every day to get in better shape? Exercise is really all about getting active and getting your body moving. Even playing in a softball league or hiking on a trail or bicycle riding is good exercise. Just find activities that you like to do and you will find that exercise can be fun.

Ok, no more excuses. The time is now. Making the time to spend even 30 minutes a day to get active, get in some exercise, and get yourself more healthy and fit will by far be the best thing you can do for yourself and your family. Think of how much more you can enjoy doing the things you like to do when you are in better condition and better yet, think about how much more you can enjoy your children as they grow up and how much more you can enjoy your grandchildren later in life.

Jim O’Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com

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Unfortunately, there are many of us out there who suffer silently with these worries and find it difficult to face our fears. The added pressure of the media promoting wafer thin stick models as the ideal shape, just makes it even worse. However, there is a solution and we can benefit from the comforts of our own homes!

Imagine being able to go for a 10 mile in your own home, getting fit has never been easier. Some studies have resulted in showing that people get more out of a treadmill than other fitness equipment.

When it comes to a treadmill, you generally get what you pay for and there are many different brands available. From proform to true treadmills; both very respectable companies, you are looking to get yourself a very good piece of machinery.

“According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, over 40 million people purchase treadmills each year and the numbers are continuing to grow. Treadmills make up for over 1/3 of all home fitness equipment sales.”
It just goes to show how popular they really are and the statistics speak for themselves, unless 40 million people each year got it wrong!?
You Don’t Have To Be A Fitness King To Jump On A Treadmill!

A lot of people like treadmills because there is nothing to it. You can jump straight on without a great deal of preparation and even if you don’t work up a drenching sweat, the results can still be seen.

Treadmills nowadays make it easy to program in routines that simulate hills or vary speeds to increase the effectiveness of your workout and challenge you to reach and surpass your personal limits. The control panels are user friendly and many machines have built in heart rate monitors.

Spending A Little Extra Time And Money Can Guarantee You A Machine That Will Survive Even The Toughest Workouts!

If you are looking to purchase a treadmill, you could be paying anything from $500 - $3,000 - price really does matter, and it is not wise to go for a cheap model, rather you should look for a discount treadmill or sale item because the cheaper the model, the less likely it is to withstand the daily routine of your workout. A few things that may help you in your decision are:

The motor and horsepower of your treadmill, this gets the heaviest workout.

The figure you want to look for is the - continuous duty rating - and try to go for a treadmill with 1.5 to 2.5 HP continuous duty. Look for the longest warranty on the motor, at least 1 year and the dc motors are normally quieter.

You are going to want a treadmill with stability and a smooth ride. A treadmill that shakes and jerks is not acceptable and is probably a indication of its price. The hand rail to your treadmill should be sturdy and be positioned for ease of grip. And the belt must be wide enough and long enough to match your stride.

Going for a treadmill with the most pre set and programmable workouts. The incline and speed should be easily adjustable from the console, other added extras are a pulse monitor and water bottle holder, which can help when you are planning on running a marathon.

Many people are tempted to go for a manual treadmill as opposed to a motorized treadmill to save themselves money, but saving money is the only benefit of having a manual treadmill.

The Treadmill Vs The Elliptical Machine?

Amongst the equipment available out there, these two have to be up at the top of the list. A quality elliptical machine that works the upper and lower body provides a workout that compares to that of a treadmill, with regards to the muscles used and heart rate issues.

The main difference between these two types of equipment is that an elliptical operates more smoothly and creates less of an impact on bones and joints. Which would be good for those with recent injuries or chronic conditions, but for those that do not have these conditions, it is the impact that helps to maintain and can even improve bone density, which strengthens bones and prevents the loss of calcium.

Most experts will agree that an average healthy person requires the bouncing and jarring usually connected with walking or running to keep bones, muscles and joints working in good order.

A treadmill is one of the few pieces of equipment that provide this type of workout. You should find most come with a cushioned platform to lower impact levels and keep it at an acceptable level.

Before doing any physical activity, it is a good idea to check with your doctor first, just in case you have health conditions that may make it difficult to perform that particular exercise.

Tests Find That Treadmills Burn More Calories Than Leading Other Leading Exercise Equipment.

A study conducted by an American Medical College and Medical Center, found a person using a treadmill for 60 minutes burns an average of 865-705 calories. Here are a few of they most common items that compared with these results:

stair machine burned 746-637 calories
rowing machine burned 739-606 calories
cross-country ski machine burned 678-595 calories
stationary cycle burned 604-595 calories

As you can see the results faired quite well against other popular items commonly used. This short article was written in order show you, the consumer, the benefits of owning and using a treadmill. I am sure that you will agree, the benefits of working out on a treadmill is second to none. All you need now is to know what treadmill to go for. I have prepared a top five list of the best treadmills available:

Landice L8 Treadmill - The Landice L8 LTD Series Treadmill gives you a larger belt for even more movement. It has a powerful 3 horsepower motor driving a 4-ply belt over a 63 in x 20 in running surface, letting you hit speeds up to 11 miles per hour and inclines of 15 percent. Computer animated workouts and info screens guide you through manual, fatburn, intermediate, advanced and interval workouts.

Landice L7 Treadmill - The Landice L7 Executive Trainer and the L7 Cardio Trainer both score highly with Monster Ratings and with Treadmilldoctor.com. The Baldor 3 HP continuous duty motor is very powerful. The computer animated display and other features on it are unique.

Smooth 9.25X Treadmill - Extra long 20″ x 62″ treadbelt, with 6″ straddle pads. Motor 3 HP continuous duty. This heavyweight treadmill, weighing 304 pounds, gives superb stability. User weight is limited to 400 pounds. Also has 12 preset workouts, three custom and comes with free heart rate monitor. Speaker system plugs into TV or audio and directs it to your ears.

Nordic Track 8600 - Scores high with Runners World magazine. The drawback - it requires a 20-amp electrical circuit. The i-Fit feature lets you run interactive workouts from CDs and videos. Powerful 3.2 HP continuous duty motor. 10 preset workouts, three heart-rate controlled.

True 540 Treadmill - Top rating by Runners World magazine. Respectable 3 HP continuous duty motor. Top speed 10 mph. Workouts: Four preset, three custom, seven heart-rate control and it is Very quiet

Kalwant Rana is A Freelance Writer For 1st-For-Exercise-Equipment.com. You Can Find Lots Of Useful Information About All Kinds Of Exercise Equipment, Including Treadmills And Elliptical Machines.

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Ask most people what their New Year’s Resolutions were and you’ll likely find the answer- lose weight. With so many of us wanting to shed the pounds, why is the obesity pandemic reaching new heights?

Weight loss tends to conjure up images of near starvation and tons of cardio. Most of us do not even start on our New Year’s Resolution simply because the thought of it stops us dead in our tracks.

What if we had some tools for weight loss? 4 simple ideas that are practically guaranteed to shed fat, drop the weight, and slim us down? That would be a major first step towards a weight loss program.

Tool 1- Strength Training

We have to recognize this as a viable fat-loss method. Every pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories per day. Adding lean muscle mass is the best way to jump start and sustain fat reduction.

Tool 2- Cardio

Cardio is good, but it’s not the only tool we should use. Cardio should be done as a partner to the other ideas. Anything that gets your heart pumping will do: walking, jogging, running, dancing, swimming, biking, or house cleaning.

Tool 3- Nutrition

Nutrition is often the hardest part of the weight loss process. We simply forgot how to eat well in our culture. We need to eat protein, carbs, and fat to sustain our way of life. Cut one of the three out and imbalances will occur.

Tool 4- Rest

Rest is not a luxury. It is a necessity. We should eat well every day and we should workout 5-6 times per week. The leftover 1-2 days are meant for rest. Our muscles need time to rebuild and repair themselves.

Using strength training, cardio, nutrition and rest to our advantage will result in fat loss. There is no magic bullet. Just simple and effective tools to create the body we want. Make a promise to yourself right now. Try using the above tools consistently and to the best of your ability for 4 weeks. You’ll look great and feel amazing.

Copyright 2005 http://www.strength-training-woman.com

Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of http://www.strength-training-woman.com. She is a personal fitness professional, yoga instructor and nutritionist. Her site is quickly becoming the authority for all things strength training.

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