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Elliptical Exercise Machines Provide Low Impact, Total Body
Workouts While Improving Cardiovascular Health

Ever since their introduction on the fitness scene several
years ago, elliptical exercise machines have become increasing more popular and
sophisticated. Estimates indicate that over six million people now prefer
elliptical machines as their choice for home exercise equipment. The main
reason elliptical exercise machines have become so popular is that they provide
a low impact, total body workout that is challenging enough for serious athletes
but safe enough for beginners and even expectant mothers. And when it
comes to cardiovascular workouts, elliptical machines are tough to beat.

Low Impact Workout

Over time, research has shown that in order to maintain
healthy bone density, it is necessary to engage in weight-bearing activities
such as running, racquetball, aerobics, and other forms of exercise where you
remain on your feet. But many of these activities involve jarring the
bones and muscles and can aggravate old injuries and even cause new ones.
The joints that can be injured or irritated with an impact form of exercise are
usually the knees, ankles, hips and back. Pregnant women, people with
arthritis, and those who are recovering from an accident often require a low
impact exercise routine, and that is exactly what the elliptical exercise
machines provide.

With an elliptical machine, you stand with your feet on
small, movable platforms, so you are bearing weight, which is good for bone
density. But the oval pedaling movement of the machine, which is caused by
you stepping up and down on the platforms or pedals, is smooth and flowing.
This is the same type of elliptical pattern that the human foot follows when we
walk or run. Although the movement is similar to these activities, there
is none of the jarring that usually takes place when outdoors or on a treadmill.
With an elliptical exercise machine, your feet never leave the footpads.
Not only does this make for a safer workout, it reduces the stress on your
joints.

Many people have compared elliptical exercise equipment to
pedaling a bike while standing up. Others have said they are like a cross
between stair climbers and cross country skiing. But unlike a stair
stepper, which comes to a halt before reversing direction between up and down
strokes, an elliptical machine provides continuous flow. By using
different inclines and stepping speeds, you vary the amount of flexion at the
ankle and knees and further reduce the amount of repetitive impact on your feet,
legs, and back.

An elliptical machine provides the benefits of weight
bearing exercise but without the harmful stress and impact on your joints and
muscles. There are few home exercise machines out there that give the same
quality low impact workout.

Total Body Workout

Elliptical exercise machines also provide a total body
workout. Because you are standing and walking or running in place, you use
your leg muscles as well as those in your buttocks, back, and abdomen.
Most elliptical machines have a setting to reverse the direction of motion,
allowing you to “go backwards” and work additional muscles that very few
other exercise workouts target.

In addition, you can swing your arms, carry small hand
weights, or use elliptical machines that come with handles and arms to enhance
your upper body workout as well, sculpting your biceps, triceps and other upper
body muscles while increasing your calorie burn and cardiovascular impact.
Exercise experts caution that resting your arms on the frame of the machine or
the upper body handles decreases the overall impact of the workout. They
stress the importance of letting your legs and torso carry all of your weight so
that you get the highest level of total body workout.

Many elliptical machines allow you to adjust the resistance
setting and change the incline. These adjustments increase the challenge
level of your workout and also target different sets of muscles. The
standing position and motion used to operate the machine provide for excellent
hip extension and flexion as well as outstanding knee range of motion. For
an all over body workout, few home gyms compare to an elliptical machine.

Cardiovascular Workout

Research has found that elliptical exercise machines also
provide some of the best cardiovascular workouts of any home fitness equipment.
The cardio benefits come from the fact that you are getting a total body workout
and using many muscle groups. Since you can adjust incline, speed and
other factors, you can maximize cardio impact, making elliptical trainers more
effective than weight lifting, leg presses, or other less comprehensive types of
exercise. Some elliptical machines come with built in, programmable
computers and heart rate monitors to help ensure that you are getting the most
out of your exercise routine. The better machines have five to seven
different workouts that can be programmed.

In addition, many people feel that the elliptical motion
feels natural and is easy to sustain. They find that elliptical machines
compliment and enhance normal body movements, making it feel as though this type
of workout requires less exertion than other types of exercise. But in
fact, studies have shown that elliptical exercise works the cardio muscles and
burns calories on a level equal or greater than treadmills, stair steppers and
other similar equipment. It only feels easier to use an elliptical
machine.

Because most people find elliptical exercise equipment easy
and fun to use, they are more likely to workout on a regular basis.
Ongoing, consistent exercise is a key aspect of attaining good overall
cardiovascular health.

Something For Everyone

Elliptical machine workouts have become one of the most
popular forms of exercise, both in the gym and at home. The ease of use
for all fitness levels, along with the low impact benefits, cardiovascular
features, and total body capabilities make elliptical trainers an ideal choice
for nearly anyone looking to get in shape, lose some weight, or even train for
athletic events.

The increasing popularity of elliptical technology has led
to many different brands and models of equipment as well as numerous variations
on the technology. Those seeking to purchase elliptical exercise equipment
have many choices in a variety of price ranges, from a few hundred dollars to
several thousand. Look for machines that have a sturdy frame, adequately
sized foot platforms, upper body handles, and adjustable inclines and
directions. With these features on an elliptical home gym, you will be
assured of getting a low impact, cardio-friendly, total body workout.

About the Author:

C.J. Gustafson is a successful writer for http://www.elliptical-machines-n-trainers.com
She has researched a variety of different exercise equipment and believes that elliptical
trainers and elliptical
machines provide some of the most user-friendly workouts available.

Copyright 2005 Elliptical-Machines-N-Trainers.com

Permission is granted to publish this article on your site only if the
author’s byline is included and all 3 links are hyperlinked.

Benefits do exist for your exercise program with the use of treadmills. Your heart, lungs, and circulation will get a wonderful cardiovascular workout from the use of a treadmill. It is easier and less painful to workout when there is low impact on your joints while you exercise.

It is a great workout for women who are pregnant. It builds endurance which will likely help during labor because it is low impact and cardiovascular in nature. Treadmills especially the lower end models, are not expensive and they are easy to use. If you want to lose weight and body fat try using a treadmill.

Treadmills have a non-physical benefit, they don’t take up a lot of space. Some treadmills could take up a whole room but you can find some that fold and are powered by your movement only, if space is the issue. If you want to find the one that is appropriate for you, do some research and talk to professionals.

The best thing to do is to compare various models. What kind of features do you want on your treadmill? When comparing different models you should look at a number of things. This can all be overwhelming because all you want to do is workout.

The motor type can affect the size of your machine. One of the most important things to look at are the belt trackers. It’s the running belt placement and the type of movement of the belt as you work out. The belt should move smoothly over the rollers as opposed to jerky movement.

Have you seen the checkout belts in the market that move then stop and move again and stop again? If your treadmill works like that there can be more impact on your joints than necessary and injury could result. The width of the belt and its length is something else to look at.

You could end up “running-off” the end of the belt if it is too short. Your stance will not necessarily be supported if the belt is too narrow. You can try a machine that is similar to the one you want or try the one you do want if possible. The impact on your joints as well as your workout will be affected by the type and percentage of incline.

You can increase the slope to be as if you were climbing a steep hill on most treadmills as you make progress. You should be able to adjust the speed-how fast the belt moves also. There is a minimum and maximum speed, do you know what it is? You can make your workout more effective with this knowledge and plan it better.

Check your treadmill console for the heart monitor which should be a key feature. Knowing your resting heart rate and the target heart rate (the highest number you can safely reach to get maximum benefits) will help make your workout more beneficial.

Also on your console there should be displayed your speed, your time, and the distance you’ve covered. Learning how to properly use your treadmill is essential before attempting to use it. The control panel should be very easy to read.

In order to use the control panel, do you need the software program? Something you don’t want is a noisy treadmill. You don’t want the noise to be overpowering but know there will be some noise. The noise level should be tolerable, is it?

Is the belt’s thickness acceptable? You want a belt thick enough to last for a long time, a thin belt could wear over time. Some belts will stretch out. If you want your treadmill to last, be sure to check the belt for stretching or cracking.

The weight of the machine is something you should consider. Some companies will deliver it to the door but it’s your job to get it into the house and set it up. If you don’t like the looks of your machine you will be less likely to use it.

When not in use, will it be easy to store? Since it will likely occupy the same space it does when not in use, you will have to decide if this is practical for you. Treadmills should not be place near walls to prevent injury. Set it up at about 8 feet from any wall, ledge, or window.

In order to prevent someone from falling while getting off the treadmill all of the wires and the power supply should be out of the way of walking areas or taped down. Listed below are a few tips on using your new treadmill.

Straddle the belt before you get on it, and make sure it’s set at the proper speed. Keep your eyes straight ahead because your feet will follow your eyes. Preventing slips and falls can be done by staying in the center of the belt.

If your looking for tips and advice on treadmills or fitness equipment in general, Martin Smith had a resource of information available. From Treadmills to Home Fitness Equipment you’ll find something.

The Proform XP 590s Treadmill – Storage Is XPedient

The Proform XP 590s treadmill is one of the XP series treadmills produced exclusively by Proform for Sears.

Proform XP 590s treadmills, along with the 542e, 542s and XP 800VF, are designed for use in the home gym and are suitable for use in fitness, training and weight loss programs.

Proform is one of several brands offered at Sears, but nearly all,Healthrider, Weslo, and Nordic Track included, are manufactured by Icon Health and Fitness, the largest producer of exercise and training equipment worldwide.

Pro Form is known to place greater attention on design and extra features at the expense of quality, but in the economy class of treadmills they are often rated Best Buys.

Proform And Sears – Big Boys Like To Stick Together

The XP 590s treadmill is a larger model in the XP series with a running deck of 19×55″.

That should be especially appealing to larger individuals and those who restrict their fitness training to running.

Otherwise, it largely shares the specifications of the 542s and 542e treadmills: a 2.75HP motor for speeds up to 10MPH with power incline up to 10% and cushioned running surface using the ProShox system.

The Pro- Form 590s, like the XP542e, includes a Carb Counter among all sorts of readouts in case you’re fitness regimen follows a low-carb weight loss program.

Preset workouts and iFit® interactive technology are also featured along with ePort for playing MP3’s.

A nice feature is the lift assist for fold-away storage.

The Pro Form XP 590s sells for less than $900, most treadmills suitable for running start at a couple hundred more, but is sometimes discounted or rebates may apply.

Sears also offers a nice service in that the XP590s can be ordered online but picked up at your local Sears retail store, sparing you the delivery time.

Sears offers Service Agreements and provides service on many of its own products.

More information and reviews on the full range of pro form treadmills can be found at Best Treadmill Guide

Lose 30 pounds in 30 days! Lose the weight without the effort! Eat anything you want, and still lose weight!

Everywhere you look – magazine covers, print ads, radio, TV infomercials, the internet – headlines like those above, promoting the latest weight loss sensation, abound. They are impossible to avoid. Whether it is for the latest diet craze, magic pill, or infomercial gadget, we are inundated with a large daily dose of weight-loss-made-easy promises. And these ads obviously work, as the American Obesity Association estimates that American consumers spend over $30 billion per year trying to lose weight. Some estimates even put the figure higher, at over $50 billion.

Every day, in the quest to achieve the results claimed in the ads, people question which of these diets, supplements, or gadgets really work the best. It is a question that can best be answered with another question: If any of these products or diets really worked, why is it that, according to the Center for Disease Control, currently 65% of adults in this country are overweight? The truth is, while the ads work wonderfully, the products do not. Let’s face it, if any of them did what the ads claim, nobody would be fat! We would all just pop a pill, or stop eating bagels, or use Suzanne Somers’ latest gizmo for just 7 minutes a day, then run out and buy smaller clothes. Have you ever stopped to wonder why all of the “After” pictures in those ads have “Results not typical” stamped on them in really small print?

If these products do not work, why do we spend billions of dollars on them every year? There are a number of reasons, and some of the main reasons combine to create a very compelling force which drives people to make emotional spending decisions, when logic would dictate that they should know better.

* Overweight people have often tried dozens of different weight loss programs and some become desperate for a solution. * People want to hear that there is hope. * Very clever marketing, often disguised as science, reaches these people with the offer of that hope. * Given that most people do not understand the science behind how the body works, they are willing to believe that this deceptive marketing actually is based in science, and the hope they desire can be theirs for just 3 easy payments of $39.95.

We are a society that wants instant gratification, and with a simple phone call and our credit card number, that weight loss is just a new, exciting miracle pill or best-selling diet book away.

Sadly, the only thing consumers are losing is money. Let’s focus on the myriad of fad diets out there. Many of you will think I am crazy for saying this, but for the vast majority of people looking for long term fat loss, health, and fitness, diets simply do not work. Regardless of which book you run out and buy, in most cases calorie restricted diets, while showing short term weight loss on the bathroom scale, in the long term will lead to a slower metabolism and greater body fat than the dieter started with.

Think about it. We all know someone on a diet. How many of those people are dieting for the first time? Probably very few. Who doesn’t know a dieter who can list all of the ‘great’ diets he has been on? “Oh, in ‘89 I lost 23 pounds on the Cambridge Diet, then in ‘92 I lost 27 pounds on the Scarsdale Diet, in ‘95 I lost 30 pounds on that grapefruit diet, I did The Zone in 2000 and lost 16 pounds, then in ‘02 I did great and lost 24 pounds on Atkins, but now I think I’m going to do the South Beach Diet because I need to lose some weight.”

One more diet and this person should weigh about 34 pounds. The unfortunate truth is that just about every time someone attempts weight loss with a diet based on calorie deprivation, they will end up gaining back the weight they lost, and then some. Low carb, low fat, nothing but grapefruit…. It does not matter what kind of diet you choose, because behind the marketing hype, they generally all have one thing in common: The dieter is restricting calorie intake. A quick science lesson is needed to understand how our bodies react to a calorie restricted diet. First, when a dieter severely cuts back on their caloric intake, especially by cutting out carbs, they will quickly deplete their glycogen stores. What is glycogen? Well, when carbohydrates are ingested, they break down into sugars that are transported by the bloodstream and stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen is one of the main energy sources used by our bodies. An important fact to know is that every gram of glycogen stored in our muscles stores approximately 2.4 grams of water with it. So, by restricting carbs and depleting muscle glycogen, the dieter also releases a lot of water. This is one of the main reasons the scale will show a large loss of weight when one initially goes on a diet. Unfortunately, the goal should be to lose fat, not water which the body needs.

Next, the body does not know why it is suddenly getting less food, so a million years or so of evolution kick in and direct it to go into famine survival mode. Fat is the body’s long term survival energy source, so it decides that it must conserve fat to survive. That is probably not what you were hoping to hear, but unfortunately that is the way it works. In order to make up the deficit in available energy sources brought on by the diet, the body begins to break down muscle to use as an energy source. Another important science nugget to know is that muscle is metabolically active tissue and fat is not. In other words, muscle burns calories throughout the day, while fat just sits there. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even if you are just sitting on the couch. Of course, as we just discovered, the dieter is losing muscle due to the calorie restricted diet, so he is now actually burning fewer calories throughout the day. Again, looking to survive the perceived famine, the body becomes more efficient at storing fat and slowing down its metabolism to adjust to the lack of food coming in. Haven’t we all heard someone complain that no matter how much they diet, they cannot lose weight because they are the victim of a slow metabolism? The reality is that, for the vast majority of people, we are the CREATORS of our metabolism, NOT the victims of it. Now the body has slowed down it’s metabolism to the point where the dieter stops losing weight. The usual reaction is to cut calories back even further. Of course, as we now understand, this only compounds the problem as more muscle will be broken down, further hindering the body’s ability to burn calories throughout the day. Diets based on calorie deprivation usually are not sustainable for the long term, and eventually the dieter becomes discouraged and returns to their pre-diet eating routine. Unfortunately, this person has slowed down their metabolism significantly and is burning fewer calories than they were pre-diet. So, when they go back to their old eating habits, the weight comes right back on and it comes back as fat, not as the muscle that they lost. If they started out at 200 lbs with 25% body fat and lost 15 lbs during the diet, when they gain the weight back and hit 200 lbs again, their body fat percentage will now probably be closer to 30%! This is an illustration of a term most people are familiar with, yo-yo dieting, and it is why surveys show that over 80% of people who lose weight by dieting alone say that they gained back all of the weight they lost, if not more, within a year. Does this mean that people should just give up trying to lose weight? Not at all. It just means people need to stop looking for the next quick fix diet that comes down the road. Nobody wants to hear that it takes actual effort to lose weight, but I am sorry to say that it does. It should say something that the obesity rate in this country continues to climb while all of the diet gurus out there rake in millions from innocent people looking for a solution. Obviously, reasons for being overweight vary, and every individual responds in a unique way to a weight loss program. But, for true long term fat loss and improved overall health and fitness, there are some common sense truths: * A need to eat a balanced diet containing complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and essential fats. Avoid highly processed carbohydrates, excess sugars, and excess saturated fats. * Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is better than eating 2 or 3 larger meals. You will have more energy throughout the day, and your body will burn calories more efficiently. * Performing moderate aerobic activity provides many benefits including improved cardiorespiratory function, improved endurance, lower blood pressure, and improved cholesterol to name a few. * In addition to aerobic activity, people should perform resistance training to maintain or increase lean muscle mass. As we have learned, maintaining our muscles mass is critical in driving our metabolism and the key to losing not just body weight, but body fat. Keep these points in mind the next time you hear about the latest ‘miracle’ or ‘breakthrough’ diet and you will be on your way to losing pounds, and not just your money.

Dave Soucy, Fitness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, is the owner of Perfect Fit, LLC.

Dave can be reached at (603) 641-8297, via email at dave@perfectfitonline.com, or through www.perfectfitonline.com Copyright © 2004 Perfect Fit, LLC. All rights reserved.