An important questions to ask yourself are whether you enjoy exercising at home. If your already own and use workout video, floor mats, and free weights – then yes you probably do enjoy exercising at home. Also before buying high end home exercise equipment decide whether or not you can make due with less expensive exercise solutions. For example changing a mountain bike into a stationary bike with bike mount, or using free weights instead of weight machine. Then decide on where the exercise equipment you planned to buy should live. Measure the space and take those measurements when looking for home exercise equipment. Make sure the location you choose has all the amenities you need for exercise like a tv or radio. Make sure there is a window available for air flow.

A great solution to knowing which home exercise equipment works best for your is to go to the gym and try the equipment. Most gyms offer a monthly memberships which means you do not have to pay for more than a month. Make sure you go when the gym is not busy and try working out on various machines. If you have a gym attendant available ask him for advice. These people work with clients day in and out and may be able to help you flesh out what your needs are and what are the best home exercise solutions are. Remember buying home exercise equipment is a big investment and if you want to spend your hard earned money efficiently you must first do the necessary research to know what you need and if you will use it. Exercise is great for your health and a correct investment in exercise equipment can add years to your life.

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GARDENING All the gardening activities such as squatting, bending, stretching, trimming, and sweeping are good exercise if done regularly. If possible, try not to use the water hose for watering plants. Instead, fetch a pail of water from the water source to the plants, alternately using your right and left hand in carrying the pail.

SWEEPING THE STREET Do a little favor for your neighbors. Sweep not only your yard, but also the portion of the street in front of your house as well. All that body swaying, bending, and carrying trash to the garbage can are good exercise.

CAR WASHING Wash not only your car, but volunteer to wash other people's cars as well. Again, don't use the water hose but use a pail to get the water. The fetching of the water, the hard arm scrubs, and the stretching and bending are all good exercise. These build good relations too.

CLEANING YOUR LIBRARY If you are a book lover and have piles of them in your home library, clean that room at least once a week. Bring out the books from the shelves and clean everything spotlessly. Place the books on the floor while you wipe the shelves. It would be better if you're climbing up and down a ladder. After cleaning, replace the books. Now, imagine all that bending, going up and down, and carrying from the floor up to the shelves! This is good exercise that can be a mighty workout! Try alternating the cleaning of the library, the kitchen, and the basement, week after week.

BIKING Hop onto a bike, instead of into your car when you need to go to the grocery store for small orders, school, or even work. Forget about shortcuts. Biking can promote good cardiovascular health. Just make sure to ride safely always.

HIKING AND TAKING PICTURES If your hobby is photography or filmmaking, take hikes as you look for things to film or take pictures of. Appreciating the beauty of nature can give you an inner sense of peace and hiking is good exercise too.

REARRANGING YOUR ROOMS Do major clean-ups and rearrangements of your rooms often. Rearrange your living room, bedroom, and dining room. Rearrange the furniture. Don't just drag them as you move them; lift them as much as possible. Choose manual tools for cleaning whenever possible.

Note: It is important for you to enjoy doing a household chore to take out the pressure and tension when using it as an exercise session. It is wearily doing a chore that makes it stressful.

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There are some obvious reasons for this comparative neglect. The principal muscles involved in hip flexion are the psoas and the iliacus, collectively known as the iliopsoas. Because they are relatively deep-seated rather than surface muscles they may have been overlooked by bodybuilders who have traditionally been the major innovators in strength training. Secondly, there are no obvious ways to adequately exercise them with free weights. Finally, these muscles do not have the obvious functional importance of their extensor counterparts. Yet, as antagonists, both hip and knee flexors perform a vital role in controlling the rate of descent and ascent in leg extension exercises such as the squat.

There is no corresponding problem of underdevelopment with the muscles responsible for knee joint flexion, the hamstring group. Because they cross two joints they are active in both leg extension and leg flexion. They act to flex the knee joint and also to extend the hip joint. Therefore they tend to be strengthened by complex leg extension exercises. Also hamstrings can be developed and strengthened through the use of the leg curl apparatus.

Strong hip flexors provide an advantage in a wide range of sports and athletic activities. In sprinting high knee lift is associated with increased stride length and therefore considerable attention is given to exercising the hip flexors. However, they are usually not exercised against resistance and consequently there is unlikely to be any appreciable strength increase.

Hip flexor strength is directly relevant to a range of activities in football. Kicking a ball is a complex coordinated action involving simultaneous knee extension and hip flexion, so developing a more powerful kick requires exercises applicable to these muscle groups. Strong hip flexors can also be very advantageous in the tackle situation in American football and both rugby union and rugby league where a player is attempting to take further steps forward with an opposing player clinging to his legs.

In addition those players in American football and rugby who have massively developed quadriceps and gluteus muscles are often unable to generate rapid knee lift and hence tend to shuffle around the field. Having stronger flexors would significantly improve their mobility.

It is commonly asserted that marked strength disparity between hip extensors and hip flexors may be a contributing factor in hamstring injuries in footballers. It is interesting to speculate on whether hip extensor/flexor imbalance might also be associated with the relatively high incidence of groin injuries.

Other sports where increased iliopsoas strength would appear to offer benefits include cycling, rowing and mountain climbing, in particular when scaling rock faces.

The problem in developing hip flexor strength has been the lack of appropriate exercises. Two that have traditionally been used for this muscle group are incline sit-ups and hanging leg raises, but in both cases the resistance is basically provided by the exerciser's own body weight. As a consequence these exercises can make only a very limited contribution to actually strengthening the flexors.

Until now the only weighted resistance equipment employed for this purpose has been the multi-hip type machine. When using this multi-function apparatus for hip flexion the exerciser pushes with the lower thigh against a padded roller which swings in an arc. One difficulty with this apparatus is that the position of the hip joint is not fixed and thus it is difficult to maintain correct form when using heavy weights or lifting the thigh above the horizontal.

With the release of the MyoQuip HipneeFlex there is now a machine specifically designed to develop and strengthen the leg flexors. It exercises both hip and knee flexors simultaneously from full extension to full flexion. Because the biomechanical efficiency of these joints decreases in moving from extension to flexion, the mechanism is configured to provide decreasing resistance throughout the exercise movement and thus appropriate loading to both sets of flexors.

The absence until now of effective techniques for developing the hip flexors means that we do not really know what benefits would flow from their full development. However, given that in elite sport comparatively minor performance improvements can translate into contest supremacy, it is an area that offers great potential.

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What is a Heart Monitor Also known as a cardiac monitor, a heart monitor is a piece of electronic equipment that can be used to track or observe heart functions continuously. It allows people to place a numerical value on their healthiness based on their heart rate and have a target heart rate to work for. The more complex versions of the heart monitor allow physicians to see any signs of deterioration or improvement and make the necessary adjustments immediately.

Types of Heart Monitors Today, heart monitors are produced by the millions and designed to cater specific types of individuals. Some heart monitors are primarily designed for weight loss programs while others are meant for the use of athletes or fitness programs. Some are wireless or come as a built-in feature of exercise equipment like a treadmill or an exercise bike. It can be strapped to your wrist or of considerable size. It may or may not emit any electromagnetic waves, depending on its purpose. A fetal heart monitor, for instance, must not produce any waves at all as this may affect the health of the baby.

Factors on Selecting the Best Heart Monitor for You

ECG-Accurate Monitors with Chest Straps – Heart monitors that come with chest straps are more often not the most accurate of heart monitors. The chest strap is strapped around your chest, a few centimeters below your breast. It contains a device that's able to detect electrical activity of your heart and transmit it to the brain of the machine – just like an ECG. The results are shown on the display monitor, which most of the times is attached to your wrist like a watch. Others however prefer results to be transmitted through audio messages via earphones.

Upon choosing heart monitors with chest straps, you need to remember to keep the strap constantly connected to your body lest you want the heart monitor to produce inaccurate readings.

Lastly, the only alternative against buying heart monitors with chest straps are the ones that rely on pulses on your fingertips. These however do not provide readings as accurate as those with chest straps.

Heart Monitor Features – Basic and lower end models tend to display only your heart rate and maybe the elapsed exercise time as well. This of course does not provide sufficient information if you want to know exactly how much you need to improve before you can be qualified as a completely healthy individual. Higher end models will naturally offer a wider range of features – for a price. Examples of such features are – but not limited to – heart rate zone alarms, timers and number of calories burned. It may also allow users to set pre-programmed workouts along with a targeted heart rate.

Ease of Use – Lastly, you must purchase a heart rate monitor that you will have no problems of using. What good would a high end heart monitor do if it takes you an hour to operate it? Are the numbers and words appearing in the heart rate monitor readable? Can it be used in no-light situations? Are buttons well-labeled and ergonomically positioned?

To Buy or Not to Buy a Heart Monitor Heart monitors can be especially costly, more so if you are intent on purchasing higher-end models. If you have a limited budget, you should ask yourself whether or not you truly need to buy a heart monitor. You can of course purchase one of the lower-end models but low quality heart monitors can lead to inaccurate results and that sort of defeats the purpose of buying one.

If you are intent on purchasing a heart monitor, you need to ask yourself another question: do you need to make a solo purchase or is it alright with you to use the heart monitor that comes as a built-in feature of a treadmill? Lastly, you should remember as well that you can always pay your doctor regular visits and have him monitor your heart rate for you.

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Pilates was a sickly child with asthma. To help fight his illness and build his strength, he experimented with various mind-body disciplines and later became an accomplished skier, diver, gymnast, and boxer. While in internment during WWI in England, he taught fellow interns his concepts and exercises that he developed over 20 years of self-study and apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman physical regimens. During this time, Pilates began devising the system of original floor exercises known today as "Pilates matwork". Within a few years, he became a nurse to the many internees under care with wartime disease and physical injury. Here, he began devising exercise apparatuses to rehabilitate the patients by taking springs from the beds and rigging them to create spring resistance and "movement" for the bedridden. This "system" formed the foundation for his style of body conditioning used today.

In many ways, Pilates equipment today is not much different than it was back then. The use of spring tension, straps, supports for back, neck and shoulders are the same uses for the equipment today. The nature of the equipment is to both challenge and support the body as it learns to move more efficiently.

With the determination to help others achieve better health, Pilates opened his first studio in New York in 1926 where he used his exercise apparatuses and more than 500 movement therapy exercises to help rehabilitate athletes and dancers. For over 60 years this form of exercise was a well kept secret – but dancers, athletes, physical therapy patients and fitness enthusiasts have relied on this Pilates method to attain and stay in top physical form.

The benefit of Pilates' movement therapy exercises for women thru pregnancy and post-partum is mostly misunderstood. Simply put, Pilates is a safe and effective approach to exercise for pregnant women to assist with breathing, body alignment and to recover body shape and tone after birth.

Pilates focuses on breathing, which promotes relaxation and helps activate the transversus abdominus. The transversus abdominus is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and is responsible for supporting the lumbar spine and pelvic area at a time when ligaments are lax due to the natural hormone relaxin excreted by the body during the pregnancy and nursing stages. Lateral breathing also inherent in Pilates fitness, which improves rib cage mobility when the range of motion in the diaphragm is limited due to the high position of the baby in the third trimester.

Back pain is a common side effect of pregnancy. Unless the abdominal muscles, pelvis and spine are strengthened, problems with the back can occur. Strengthening the transversus abdominus ("abs) through guided Pilates movements will not only improve back pain and postural alignment, but will aid women during labor for a much quicker & safer delivery. Research has shown that activation of the transverses abdominus also activates the pelvic floor, keeping these muscles strong and supple for the birthing process. This can also help with any incontinence that you may experience during and after pregnancy.

The nature of movement in Pilates exercise is low impact and allows pregnant women to exercise effectively without experiencing any undue stress on the now lax joints, or an increased heart rate. Pilates also involves many stretching and toning exercises that helps to maintain hip flexibility and stamina, which is essential for well-being and preparation for childbirth. These exercises are aided and supported by Pilates apparatuses such as the reformer: a moving carriage on a bed; the wunda chair with springs to create resistance and the trapeze table to hang from. Pilates exercises also can be performed on a mat with small props such as pillows or cushions which supports the head, the magic circle, foam rollers and therabands for extra resistance.

Most exercise modifications happen during the second and third trimester due to the ever-increasing belly. All Pilates movements, at this point are best done seated up right or side lying. However, you can work supine as long as the head is elevated with pillows at 30 degrees above the heart for no longer than 5 minutes, turning to the side for a break. This ensures natural blood flow and oxygen to the A popular exercise among pregnant Pilates enthusiasts is legwork on the wunda chair. It involves sitting on a small stool with springs attached to a lever and pushing the lever down with your feet. This Pilates movement provides conditioning for the legs and activation of the abdominal muscles, which stabilize the pelvis.

Remember it's very important that your Pilates instructor is certified and has experience in working with pregnant women.

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Aside from these, exercise also works for strengthening the bones and keeps people looking good and feeling good about themselves. Exercise also gives people the stamina to enable them to keep up with the pace of their lifestyles. Unfortunately, not many people chose to do what is good for them. Most people could not decide exactly what to do when waking up in the morning; whether to exercise or to press the snooze button one more time.

The following tips are very helpful in reaching and maintaining the ideal body weight. This is especially great for women since they get through a lot of things going on in their bodies and are more susceptible to osteoporosis. Not to mention that many women are under the pressure of keeping themselves beautiful. It is recommended that one or two of these tips at a time are incorporated to the work out routine.

Worry not that the exercise routine is not enough. It is important to keep the commitments one makes. Ideally, it is advised to exercise three to five times a week for 20-60 minutes. However, this is not exactly the case in the real world. One should not frustrate herself by aiming for the ideal when she knows for herself that it is utterly impossible. If she an manage it two times a week for twenty minutes per session, that will do just great.

It is best to focus on doing what one knows she can do than to reproach herself for having not done enough. She can start from this point and then progress on afterwards. This should make her feel successful for having kept her commitment to herself.

Weight lifting should always come first. Many women always do cardio exercises first before weight lifting. A disadvantage of this is that it is possible to miss a critical component of the routine and spend all of it on cardio training. A women may notice this by not being able to see results even after devoting long hours at the gym. This can be avoided by reversing the order. This will guarantee visible positive outcome.

Remember to monitor heart rate. It is recommended to exercise at 75-85% of the maximum heart rate. Many people stick with just pumping up only 50% of their maximum heart rate. To ensure that one is working out at the prescribed target heart rate, she should use a heart rate monitor or any exercise equipment with this feature.

Work out for only an hour or less. Doing this will keep one from dreading the gym. Focusing on the exercise and the aim to be accomplished will make each work out session more and more efficient.

Have some sort of fitness social support. Being in a fitness community maybe the important element lacking in your training program. A social support can do amazing wonders and therefore should not be underestimated. It would be helpful to work out in a gym once in while if one customarily does her work outs at home. One can also try classes in activities that have always been interesting such as yoga, pilates or sailing perhaps. One can also join clubs such as a walking club or a running club for instance.

Pep talk yourself. One should not pressure herself too much; rather, it is best to congratulate one's self and give out words of encouragement in between exercises. One should never forget to say some positive feedback for herself.

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There is a lot a person can do such jog or walk every morning, play basketball or any other sport with friends but if a person wants to have muscles and look lean, then one can sign up and workout in a gym.

People workout for 3 reasons;

The first is that the person is overweight and the only way to lose those extra pounds will be to reduce ones calorie intake and at the same time workout in the gym.

The second is that the person is underweight and the only way to add extra pounds is to have more calories in ones diet and workout.

The third is just for fun and to keep that person in shape.

The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and gain or lose weight.

Just like taking any medicine, one should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.

Here are some benefits of exercising;

1. It is the easiest way to maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death.

2. Studies have shown that it makes a person feels happier and increases ones self esteem preventing one from falling into depression or anxiety.

3. An active lifestyle makes a person live longer than a person who doesn't.

Working out for someone who has not done it before should be done gradually. Endurance will not be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will surely be beneficial to the person.

It is advisable to workout regularly with a reasonable diet.

A person can consult with a dietitian or a health professional to really help plan a good diet program. It starts by evaluating the lifestyle and the health of the patient before any program can be made.

Afterwards, this is thoroughly discussed and recommended to the person which usually consists of an eating plan and an exercise program that does not require the use of supplements or one to purchase any expensive fitness equipment.

A good diet should have food from all the food groups.

This is made up by 2 things. The first is carbohydrates. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and fiber. A lot of this can come from oats, rice, potatoes and cereals. The best still come from vegetables and fruits since these have phytochemicals, enzymes and micronutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.

The second is fat which can come from mono and poly saturated food sources rather than animal fats. Since fat contains more than double the number of calories in food, this should be taken in small quantities to gain or lose weight.

Another way to stay healthy is to give up some vices. Most people smoke and drink. Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer and other diseases as well complications for women giving birth. Excessive drinking has also shown to do the same.

For people who don't smoke, it is best to stay away from people who do since studies have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk of developing cancer due to secondary smoke inhalation.

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To help get kids off the couch and into better shape this summer, USA Gymnastics and Tyson Foods have joined forces to create a fitness initiative designed to encourage physical fitness through fun activities that emphasize four fundamentals of fitness: cardiovascular exercise, strength training, flexibility and nutrition.

To underscore this initiative's importance, USA Gymnastics has expanded its annual National Gymnastics Day from focusing just on gymnastics to "A Celebration of Fitness." Gym clubs and their members across the country use National Gymnastics Day in August as a way to give back to their communities by raising funds for the Children's Miracle Network. The Tyson Fitness Challenge is the main vehicle for raising funds. Participants may gather pledges for specified activities that range from the traditional cartwheels and backflips to fitness-related skills or elements.

Each of the four fitness fundamentals in the Tyson Fitness Challenge helps kids get physically fit through participation in fun activities geared toward their level and age.

• Cardiovascular conditioning, which is important for the heart and lungs

• Strength training, which builds strong, healthy muscles

• Flexibility exercises, which help muscles move through a normal range of motion

• Nutrition, because a well-balanced diet is an important key to any fitness effort. Protein, like that found in Tyson chicken, beef and pork products, is an important part of any well-balanced diet because it delivers the necessary nutrition for strength and endurance.

In addition to focusing on four fundamentals of fitness, each participant will learn how to set fitness goals (e.g., being able to do five more sit-ups, three more push-ups, etc.) that may be achieved through the Tyson Fitness Challenge and continued as a part of his/her weekly routine.

"The basics of gymnastics are a solid foundation for building fitness at any level," said Bela Karolyi, the legendary gymnastics coach who is a longtime proponent of the importance of fitness. "I have always stressed that flexibility, strength and cardiovascular exercise are important components to being fit or a good athlete, along with eating a well-balanced diet. The Tyson Fitness Challenge is designed to help young people learn how to exercise properly and eat right."

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1. Where is it located?

The location is the first thing that you should consider when finding a fitness club. If the club is far from your home, you will just another excuse not to work out. It is best to find a facility that is near your home.

2. Are the employees friendly and nice? Will they be able to help you reach your goals?

Make sure that the instructor has the necessary experience to work with you. The instructor should be a certified professional that can work with you safely and effectively. Your instructor should also know if you have physical limitations or you may find an instructor that is well trained to work with you. You can also check the age of the instructor especially if it is one factor for your motivation and learning. The staff should also be helpful, friendly and professional. You can also ask the services they offer and find what is important for you. Some facilities have their own dietician and physical therapists that can offer services for you.

3. What kind of programs does it offer?

Find time to see what programs are there for you and check if they suit your interests. Do they offer group classes? Choose the facility that offers the classes you really like. You can do a trial class to check it out if you want.

4. Are the facilities and equipments good and will they be available anytime that is most convenient for you?

Check if the equipments are enough for all members. Otherwise, you will waste your time falling in line and waiting for your turn. Also make sure that the facility is open during the time you are most likely to do work outs and exercises.

5. Is the entire facility well maintained, clean and safe for you?

Machines and other training facilities should be in clean and in good order. If you see a lot of "out of order" signs, it could be something to think about. Modern equipments are safer and more comfortable to use, so you may also want to consider that. Are the floors cleaned regularly to avoid accidents? Is there enough room for everyone? Also check if the facility is located in a place away from danger, consider also if the location is well lit.

6. Are the members of the club friendly and can they be your friends?

The fitness club is also a venue for social interaction. Take time to drop by and meet the members of the club before you enroll. Other members can be your buddies in the near future and should be considered.

7. What is the schedule of classes and will they be convenient for you?

Find out what classes are offered at a specific time and consider if you will be available at the schedules given.

8. How much would it cost you?

It is important to know the monthly membership fee and what it covers. Some fitness clubs have hidden charges and you should be keen in checking that. Check if they have promotions or discounts and do they offer services at an extra fee. It is also important to know how long the club has been and how often they increase rates.

9. How is it different from other fitness clubs?

Don't just stick into one fitness club. Try to visit as many facilities as you can and make a comparison. Then you can just narrow down your choices to the facilities that met your needs and priorities.

10. What do people say about it? Take your time to gather feedback from other members. Ask them what they can say about the club and let them tell you about the experiences with the facility.

Choosing a fitness club is just like shopping on the best shirt for you. Do not be pressured and do not try to contact them right away. You can take your time to review and gather enough information if you are still not sure which one to choose. Once you have made your choice, enjoy and make the most out of it.

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One of the basic components of a fitness program is weight training. It is the systematic lifting of weights to strengthen and tone specific parts of the body. The nuances of this include the different weights, having proper attire for lifting weights etc. For example the gloves must be worn before going for high-end weights as it may cause corns in the palms and they also provide a good grip on the bars of the weights. The weight lifts are customized for different sports. Some sports like discuss throw or hammer throw require much more weightlifting then the lighter sports such as table tennis.

Gymnasium is a favorite place for aspiring athletes and fitness conscious people. The number of equipments in the gym can be really enticing and inviting for the work out. But it has to be kept in mind that not all devices are ones cup of tea. The requirement of a trainer is a prerequisite here too. Basically there are two categories of equipment found in a gym, the machines and the free weights. They both cater to different parts of the body and have different ways to execute. The machines are better in a way that they have meters in them which tell the extent of workout that a person has undergone. This helps the athlete keep a track of his stamina.

Work out is also required by certain kinds of patients to keep up their body in shape to defend the attacks. Especially in case of patients suffering from cardiovascular ailments the doctors suggest a set pattern of workout to provide strength to the heart muscles. These are light exercises for example brisk walking, lifting lightweights.

Another major component for a fit body is the dietary schedule. It is the intake of recommended food while one is undergoing a fitness program. Excessive intake of fats during fitness tenure can make the whole procedure futile. The dietician, who in most cases is also the fitness trainer, provides a list of proper foods to supplement and support the body's work out. The food is a combination of solids and fluids. They, in which ever forms are, must be able to fulfill the bodily requirements of structural components. They must be rich in carbohydrates for the energy purposes and proteins to build the body tissues.

Fitness is fast becoming a very important characteristic of the human beings. The heavy work schedules and the long working hours require a person to be mentally and physically fit to take the toll of such work. So don't forget to include a fitness schedule in your work schedule.

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