Ask the Fitness Equipment Expert

New Year’s Resolutions

The most common New Year’s Resolution is related to fitness. Every year people choose to lose weight, start exercising, or recommit to some fitness plan. Following are some tips to help you succeed with your fitness goals for the New Year.

Tip 1: Select quality equipment. Selecting the right equipment goes a long way towards reaching your fitness goals. Although the price is important all too often people choose fitness equipment based solely on price. Unfortunately, many times people make their choice from misleading ads like the one we had a customer bring in a few days ago. The box stores ad claimed that a particular elliptical had a regular price of $2499.00 and was on sale for $999.00. Researching the manufactures web site we showed the customer that in fact the MSRP was $999.00 and not the $2499.00 as stated in the flyer. Don’t be deceived by miss leading discounts. Some of the most important things to check out when determining the true value of fitness equipment are the warranty, specifications and construction. The length of the parts warranty quite often is a good indication of the quality. Selecting inferior equipment many times will cause people to give up prematurely. All too often people give up on their workouts because they find them difficult and frustrating blaming themselves when in fact it is the inferior equipment’s fault. They take their new purchase home just to discover that it’s not what they expected. Treadmills put together with plastic clips, ellipticals with short uncomfortable strides, and home gyms that are stiff and noisy. Spending a little more money and choosing a quality product will help you achieve your fitness goals.

Tip 2: Decide when you will work out. Once you have chosen your quality product, sit down and decide when you will use it. Add it to your daily routine. Many people choose first thing in the morning, or shortly after arriving home from work. What works best for you will be different for each person, but you must be deliberate. Make a plan. It only takes 30 days to instill a new habit.

Tip 3: Just get started. Getting started each day is often the hardest part. When you just don’t feel like working out, tell yourself that you only have to work out for 10 minutes and then you can quit if you want to. Once you get started, you’ll find it easy to keep going. The ten minutes will fly by and those feel good hormones will have kicked in, motivating you to continue for your full routine.

At FITNESS EXPERTS we understand that our customers desire to be active and healthy. That’s why we carefully pick quality equipment that is solid, smooth, quiet and built to last. This New Year let our knowledgeable and professional staff assist you in choosing the right equipment to help you reach your fitness resolution goals.

 

December 2011 Article

The Gift of Health

This Christmas, consider a gift for yourself …the gift of health.  Most people today spend the majority of their day sitting down. We work at desks and relax by playing computer games or watching t.v. Our bodies were designed to be active, and inactivity causes major problems with our health.  That is why regular exercise is so crucial. Take a look at the following partial list of benefits for the body when you exercise.

Weight Loss. Exercise helps to burn calories which will keep extra weight off. When exercise is mixed with healthy eating, weight loss is experienced. If you include strength training in your routine, you will build lean muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, helping you lose even more weight.

Increased Energy. Exercise is a sure way to help increase energy and stamina, keeping you more alert. As you exercise, you increase your heart rate causing more blood to flow around your body and through your brain. Your brain absorbs the oxygen in the blood making you feel more energetic and mentally alert for hours after your workout.

Improved Strength and Bone Health. Muscle strength and endurance are directly linked to your activity level. Strength training (or resistance training) is ideal for significantly increasing muscle strength. Everyday activities, like carrying groceries, become easier. Strength training also improves bone health, which helps prevent/improve osteoporosis.

Feel Good. When you exercise your brain releases endorphins which make you feel good. Studies have also shown that those endorphins play an important part in reducing stress and helping us to relax.

Strong Immune System. Exercise has the capacity to protect and even enhance the immune response.

Experimental studies have shown that a regular exercise program can bolster many defenses of the immune system, including the antibody response and the natural killer (T cell) response. Relatively low levels of aerobic exercise can protect your immune system. Twenty to 30 minutes of brisk walking five days per week is an ideal training program for maintaining a healthy immune response.

Heart Health. Your heart is a muscle, a very important muscle. Continuous and sustained exercise can help to condition the heart and lungs. When you exercise you breath faster and the heart pumps more blood throughout your body. Your blood provides your body with oxygen and important nutrients, while at the same time carrying harmful waste products out of your body. Regular physical activity can help to reduce the risk of heart disease.

While we have discussed only a few of the benefits of regular exercise, it’s easy to see that being active has a major influence on your health. Want to get moving more but not sure how to get started? Many people choose to walk/run on a treadmill or elliptical, cycle on an exercise bike, or workout with some weights. Others choose to start yoga or pick up some stretch cords or kettlebells. The ways to get exercising are endless. Need more ideas, come into FITNESS EXPERTS and let our professional and knowledgeable staff help you take back your health.

 

 

November 2011 Article

Many people are surprised to find that Fitness Experts carries hot tubs, but they are an important part of helping you look good and feel great.  When researching possible hot tubs to carry, Hot Spring was clearly the only manufacturer that stood above all others when it came to quality, energy efficiency and hydromassage.

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, people have found natural healing powers in bubbling pools of hot water. Whether it’s to soothe sore muscles and joints caused by exercise and sports or to unwind from the complexities of everyday life, here’s how hydromassage can help you feel better – naturally.

Soothes Aches and Pains. Hydromassage eases muscle pain, fatigue, stiffness and soreness due to exercise, sports activities, or life in general. The warm water raises body temperature and causes blood vessels to dilate, resulting in increased circulation and blood flow which accelerates the body’s natural healing process. It also speeds the elimination of lactic acids and other toxins, which are replaced by oxygen and the body’s natural nutrients. The body releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, helping you feel good. And, used on a regular basis, hot tubs help increase flexibility and range of motion preventing exercise-related injuries.

Relaxation and Stress

Reduction. Stress has an adverse effect on health- the heart works harder, breathing becomes more rapid and shallow, and digestion slows. Nearly every process of the body is degraded. Researchers have estimated that 80% of disease is stress related. Relaxing in a spa stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel good” chemical, giving you the same sense of well being and rejuvenation that exercise provides. Plus, warm water and soothing massage relieves anxiety and relaxes tense muscles.

A Better Night’s Sleep.  Hydromassage is a natural remedy for sleeplessness, which won’t make you feel groggy or have other adverse side effects that can be caused by other sleep aids. Relaxing in a hot tub for 15 minutes approximately 90 minutes before bedtime causes the body’s internal thermostat to pull your temperature down, enabling you to drift into a deeper, more relaxing sleep.

Arthritis Pain Relief. The Arthritis Foundation recognizes the benefits of hydromassage and warm water exercise to help relieve arthritis pain. A morning soak can provide temporary relief from arthritis pain and help you feel better throughout the day. Buoyancy reduces body weight by approximately 90%, relieving pressure on joints and muscles and making it a safe and gentle environment for exercise. The warm water increases circulation and helps move inflammatory substances away from the joints. It also decreases swelling and stiffness and restores strength and flexibility.

As you can see, hydromassage can make you feel great- naturally. Patented jets like the Moto Massage and Soothing Seven are just a couple of reasons to come in and check out FITNESS EXPERTS selection of Hot Spring Hot Tubs- the world’s number one selling hot tub.

 

September 2011 Article

By now you have likely heard about the rise of the vibration machine in today’s fitness world. Whole body vibration (WBV) was explored by Russian scientist Vladimir Nazarov in an effort to decrease the loss of muscle and bone mass in space. As there is minimal gravitational force in space, muscles and bones are not loaded as they normally are on earth, causing a loss in muscle strength and bone density. The decrease in bone density increases the risk of bone fractures. The aerospace industry in the former Soviet Union worked with vibration training. Before their departure cosmonauts were subjected to special training sessions so that the density of their bones would increase and their muscular strength would rise. This allowed them to stay in space for longer periods of time than those who did not use WBV.

More recently, whole body vibration has become increasingly popular with the general public. Like many people you may be thinking, “There’s no way a machine can just shake off the fat.” You are right. The fitness industry has realized the benefits of using the vibration machine in vibration training. The speed and intensity of muscle activation is a great way to warm up before, or cool down after, exercise and body building. Vibration training also speeds up the recovery time from exercise, or even injury. It does this in two ways. The first is that it aids in raising the amount of Human Growth Hormone ( HGH) released from the pituitary gland by as much as 350%. HGH is a naturally produced anabolic that aids in muscle toning, weight loss and a decrease in recovery time. Increased circulation is the second major benefit from Whole Body Vibration. Increased blood flow equates to increased oxygen intake, and use of that oxygen in your body’s daily activity and muscle recovery. This also helps to keep you more alert, focused, and to get the nutrients you intake to all the muscles and organs in your body.

The use of vibration equipment is expanding quickly in other areas as well. It is now widely used in physical therapy, rehabilitation, professional sports, and even for beauty and wellness applications. Seniors have found vibration therapy to be of great benefit in the relief of pain from arthritis and sore joints. Those with Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and similar disorders use vibration training because it is a non-aerobic form of exercise that doesn’t leave them breathless and wanting to abandon their routine. People with fibromyalgia often find relief when they regularly use whole body vibration. And diabetics benefit from the increased blood circulation, especially to the feet.

At Fitness Experts we carry a number of different models of vibration machines. For those who are still sceptical, ask about our exclusive try-before-you-buy rental option. One fibromyalgia customer, who previously was awakened four to five times a week, found that during the first month of using WBV only woke a total of two times. After using our machine for a few minutes she was able to go right back to a restful sleep. What have you got to lose?