Friday, February 27th, 2009 at
5:07 am
Are you a road runner? Love the sweat, the burn and release from a good run but tired of breathing in exhaust and running near traffic? Take the road less traveled by becoming a trail runner. Hit the off-road dirt paths, 4×4 backcountry roads and experience the tranquility, beauty and fresh air of moving through nature. Trail running offers better views, air and cushion for your stride and the same physical demands and even more benefits than running on pavement.
There are outstanding physical benefits from making the switch from road runner to trail runner. The trail runner experiences a whole body workout. The unpredictability of terrain on trails improves your sense of balance, awareness and forces your all of your body to respond. Trail runners build balance by having to run continuously on uneven rocky terrain, over water, tree roots and whatever else nature presents itself. Therefore, running on trails requires you to use more muscles which ultimately burns more calories than running on pavement or a treadmill. A trail runners ankles and knees become stronger due to the uneven terrain. Dirt trails absorb the impact for your joints, yet maximize the workouts for your muscles.
Running in sunshine, away from crowds and the mundane responsibilities of life, can help you reconnect to nature and your senses. Become a trail runner and experience the mental benefits: diversity of visual stimulation; what nature has to offer: varied terrain, wildlife, floral, fauna and new and old life;
great concentration: “zone out” and you’ll trip over a root or stumble over rocks; vitamin D and increased serotonin production from natural sunshine.
Mental stress is reduced by running through nature.
HOT TIP: Be sure to practice safe trail running by knowing your route, telling someone when you’ll return, carrying plenty of water (see hydration packs) and an ID.
Get off the pavement and into nature with the ultimate physical running workout as a trail runner.
Thursday, February 26th, 2009 at
3:15 pm
A person doesn’t need a fancy gym membership to be sound or stay fit. With some creativity and some effort, you can shift earthly everyday burdens into swift bursts of exercise. With our present-day delicate economy, we must do everything to put each and every hard-earned buck to ample use.
Fiscal standings are a typical excuse for people who don’t want to enhance their weight and wellness. The fact is they are just too indolent to come up with a resolution. They are just looking for excuses to rationalize their inadequacy of momentum to be slim. If you honestly want something done, you’ll definitely find a way to realize it no matter what, and getting fit is no exception.
Below are a number of tips where you can merge work out into your day-to-day lives. Please remember to check with your doctor first before carrying on any physical exercise. Having a decent pair of running shoes would be helpful as well.
Walk to school if you live just a few blocks away. Stretch your legs and put them to ample use rather than driving your car or taking a taxicab. Not only will you rid of calories, you will conserve on petrol as well. Park several blocks away from your office and walk the rest of the way if it is too a long way to walk from your house.
Take advantage of the stairs by getting out a few levels below yours. Better yet, climb the stairs all the way!
Parks and jogging tracks are your friends. Parks are commonly free of cost to use and a great way to network with other fitness fans as well. Pay attention and you may pick up a number of advice that they may be willing to part with. An all natural treadmill for you to use as long as you have ambition and running shoes.
Do basic stretches during work. Long hours of sitting and brooding over work may cramp your muscles. An effective way to keep pace with your fitness is by taking a quick breather and doing basic leg, arm, neck, and back stretches.
In place of commissioning help, do your own loft cleaning. 5 minutes of sweeping, vacuuming, and polishing will do so many wonders to your entire body and house as well.
Find a sport that you enjoy and play it like an ace. Your intention is not to win so do not sweat it if you do not play good. You want to work a sweat and trim off those unpleasant undesirable fats. Also, it would be choice if you can have your pals join you.
Change night-outs into a work out. Instead of catching a film or spending the night drinking, go to clubs or attend concerts and dance to your heart’s desire. Again, this is a fusion of fun and exercise!
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 at
11:55 pm
If you’re buying a treadmill, chances are you’ve done lots of research already. You probably know exactly what makes up a high quality treadmill and have an idea of which features you want in your unit.
But even with this knowledge many people still fall prey to slick treadmill deals that end up costing them in the long run.
In order to keep that from happening to you, here are 3 essential buying tips to make sure you choose the very best treadmill for you.
#1) Not All Treadmill Brands Are Created Equal
I recently had a gentleman e-mail me asking for advice on which treadmill he should buy. He had narrowed it down to 3 choices:
Brand A: 2.5 HP motor $999
Brand B: 1.75 HP motor $899
Brand C: 2.0 HP motor $1099
He asked me which treadmill I would buy. He was clearly leaning towards Brand A.
This was the natural choice for most people and it makes sense: get the most for the least. Or get the most motor power for the least amount of money.
However, my answer surprised him. I told him if it were my choice, I would go with Brand C for $1099. Here’s why:
Although the motor power is lower than Brand A and the price is higher, Brand C makes an overall better treadmill. Why?
Brand C has a reputation for making high quality treadmills and backing them up with extensive warranties, including a lifetime warranty on the motor. It can afford to give such lengthy warranties because it knows that it makes a quality product that probably WON’T break down – even over a lifetime.
Brand A on the other hand offers a 90-day motor warranty. What does that tell you about the quality of parts?
Although motor power is a good feature to consider when buying a treadmill – you have to be careful. Look at it in the context of the whole treadmill – including the brand.
Not all treadmill brands are created equal. Some treadmill brands use extremely high quality materials. Others well, don’t.
Make sure to look beyond just the bare numbers when choosing a treadmill. Look at the whole picture to find the best treadmill for you.
#2) Don’t Always Believe What The Salesperson Tells You
Get it in writing. This isn’t to put down any salesperson – but they are human. They do make mistakes, and sometimes this can end up costing you.
I had another lady e-mail me asking for advice on choosing a treadmill. She’d narrowed it down to several and was leaning towards one in particular (let’s call it Treadmill X).
She had been told by a salesperson in the store that this Treadmill X (for $899) came with a lifetime warranty on the motor.
This lady was smart. She was looking at the whole treadmill picture. The price was excellent. The motor power was average (1.75 HP). And who can pass up a lifetime motor warranty?
But wait a minute.
I was fairly familiar with this treadmill brand and knew something was off.
This particular treadmill brand never gives lifetime motor warranties – ever. Not even on their commercial treadmills. So why would they offer a lifetime motor warranty on one of their economy treadmills?
I voiced my concerns to her and wasn’t surprised to hear back a couple of days later that the salesperson had actually been mistaken about the lifetime warranty.
If she had bought this treadmill simply based on what the salesperson said, she might have gotten a nasty surprise – especially since this particular treadmill brand is known for being extremely costly to repair.
Don’t always trust what the salesperson says. Make sure to get it in writing before you buy!
#3 Forget the Price Tag – Look at the REAL Price Of The Treadmill
Price is probably one of the most important factors when buying a treadmill. But sometimes the price of the treadmill can be misleading.
For example, let’s say you’re looking at Brand A in a store with a price of $799. Pretty good price right?
A much better deal than Brand B – sold online – at $999.
But look closer at Brand A. Brand A only comes with a 90 day parts and labor warranty so you need to buy added coverage. You pay $50 for a 2 year extended motor warranty.
So Brand A’s total cost is now $849 (with a 2 year motor warranty)
Brand B is still $999 (with a 10 year motor warranty already included)
Overall, you figure that Brand A is still the better deal since it’s cheaper.
But look closer. You need to pay shipping costs for Brand A. Shipping costs from most stores usually run you about $150.
Brand B, since it is sold online offers free shipping (most online treadmill sellers do).
So Brand A’s total cost is now $998 (with a 2 year motor warranty)
Brand B is still $999 (with a 10 year motor warranty)
With Brand A, $799 has gone to buy the treadmill, $50 has gone to buy the warranty and $150 has gone into shipping.
With Brand B, $999 has gone to buy the treadmill (warranty included).
So which treadmill do you think actually gives you the most value for your money?
And don’t forget that many online treadmill stores don’t charge sales tax. The store that sells Brand A does. That technically makes Brand A MORE expensive than Brand B.
So when comparing treadmills, make sure to consider the TOTAL COST of each treadmill before you buy.
By keeping these 3 tips in mind when purchasing a treadmill:
- Not all treadmill brands are created equal
- Don’t believe what the salesperson tells you – get it in writing
and
- Look at the REAL price of the treadmill
you’ll be well on your way to choosing the best treadmill investment for you.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at
7:06 pm
Recreational running as the name suggests is leisure or fun running. Though running has been around for as long as the humans have existed, recreational running has become more common in today’s world. Where as some people have made recreational running part of their lifestyles most of them have still yet to get started. Knowing the benefits of recreational running is a vital part in making the decision whether to pursue it or not. Before we look at how to get started with recreational running, here are some of the main benefits:
•Promotes healthy lifestyle, helps in losing extra body weight
•Reduces life related stresses and brain fatigue
•Refreshes and relaxes the mind hence the whole body
•Improves the general body strength, endurance, power and stamina by building muscle
•Can lead to competitive running sometimes
•Boosts the immunity of the body (most people who engage in recreational running rarely get sick)
•Great form of entertainment
These are just a few of the benefits, but the next question is how can someone with no prior experience start recreational running? Here are some of the helpful tips to help you get started and continue to make it part of your lifestyle:
1.Do your physicals: – Seek medical advice from your physician to make sure that your health status can allow you to pursue recreational running. It is especially important for people who are overweight to consult with their physician to ensure that they are physically able to run or jog without over stressing their body systems.
2.Find a trainer or coach: – Once you have been cleared by your physician, you need to sit down with your trainer or personal instructor who will advise you accordingly. With the help of your trainer or coach, set some realistic goals. Your trainer can help you decide on the right training shoe and tracksuit. Remember to start slow, it is really tempting to put too much on your plate the first time and not be able to get started. Most people get discouraged early in the process as a result of taking too many steps at one time. One step at a time is all you need and before you know, one step becomes a mile and a mile eventually becomes a couple of miles each day. Your goals should not become an obsession; but rather they should just be motivating factors. Remember recreational running should be fun and entertaining not a job.
3.Join recreational running friends, groups or clubs: Unlike other recreational sports such as indoor games, recreational running is more challenging physically and mentally. Having other people with similar or same interests around is significant for progress. This is especially important for support when the going becomes more challenging. It is also easier to achieve your goals if you treat recreational running as a social activity, after all you are having fun with friends. If for some reason you can’t find others to run or jog with, you can always take your dog for company, he/she will really enjoy doing that and it is great for his/her health too.
4.Participate in fun competitive races: One good goal to include in recreational running is to compete on fun road running. This is a great motivator for both beginners and experienced recreational runners alike. Running or jogging and finishing a 5 K, 10K, half marathon fun race is a wonderful experience that only the competitor is able to explain. There is something special about running with hundreds or thousands of other runners. By this point, recreational running will have become part of your live.
5.Take breaks to recover: I am sure you trainer or coach is knowledgeable enough to include breaks in your training program. The body needs to recover in order for it to make any progress. The principle behind improving your performance in any sport whether recreational or professional is “recovery and adaptation”. The simple explanation of this principle is, training stresses the body, but recovery enables it to recover and adapt to the new level of stress. So the more you train the better you become as long as you recover and do everything else right. Ideally, you can rest 1 – 3 days every week depending on your level of training and your goals. It is also significant to take a complete rest once every few months and do something else like swimming, playing tennis or anything else you enjoy doing other than recreational running.
Other key points to take into account for successful recreational running include:
•Eating healthy: always stay on top of healthy balance diet. It will only help your progress if you eat right, you don’t have to worry about counting calories.
•Hydrate always: Remember almost 75 percent of our bodies are made up of fluids. It is always healthy to drink as much water as possible. This can be supplemented with sports drinks or 100 percent juices. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks if you can, they only help to dehydrate your body.
•Supplements are vital: Mineral and vitamin supplements are crucial for your body’s well being especially when you are involved in recreational sport of any kind.
This is not an exhaustive guide to recreational running but it is a good starting place. There are numerous resources to find more information online. Start recreational running today and enjoy a new fulfilling healthy lifestyle.
