Treadmill running is a popular alternative to outside running. Instead of having to worry about the elements, you can run consistently on your treadmill, utilizing its different fitness programs to achieve the same aims. Not only can you get in your run if it is cloudy or rainy outside, you also will not suffer from dehydration or heat exhaustion. As a result, it will be much easier to stick to your fitness program and not give into excuses like poor weather.

There is no wind resistance and the machine is pulling the ground underneath your feet, so treadmill running will feel somewhat easier. Since treadmills are padded, you have a decreased risk of injury, but you can also increase the resistance at will to simulate outdoor running. If you are training for a race, spend time running on the treadmill but also spend time outside running on the surfaces and in the conditions you will be running in during the race. The calories burned and fitness gained from running on a treadmill is similar to training outside.

Tips for a good run on the treadmill

Keep your body upright and don’t lean forward. It’s not necessary to lean forward, because the treadmill is naturally pulling your feet backward. Also, do not move your legs and feet forward. Keep your feet under your body because the belt is moving you in the opposite direction, and extending your foot forward creates a conflicting force. The same laws of physics apply to treadmill running as they do to outdoor running. Therefore, if you would like a more challenging run, increase your treadmill inclination and correspondingly the amount you are leaning over.

Other tips

One of the major advantages of owning a treadmill is the versatility of the machine. You can use the machine to lose weight, increase your endurance or strength, simply by choosing different programs on the machine in the comfort of your home. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the treadmill display options. To offset the possibility of monotony, change your workout program often, and enjoy some time without guilt in front of the TV.

Do a Google for “Christian Weight Loss” and a number of sites pop up. Ranging from the evangelical “doctor” who says gluttony (one of the seven deadly sins) is the cause of all the obesity in the world, to the site promoting faith-based weight loss without dieting. “God means us to be slim!” heralds one enthusiastic Christian weight loss proponent. There is surely truth in what each one of these websites says.

Overeating, or gluttony is certainly part of the equation, but an even greater part is the relative physical inactivity in the daily life of most people. Many overweight people are not over-eaters, but under-exercisers. Also, because of the convenience offered by prepared foods, the American diet is heavily into these convenience items, most of which are laden with high fructose corn syrup as both a sweetener and a preservative. This one product is a major contributor the obesity epidemic in the world, particularly the USA.

Faith-based weight loss is a positive factor in any weight control program. Regardless of ones religious convictions, faith and the power of the mind are indisputable principles. Jon Gabriel discovered how to harness the power of the mind to promote healthy weight loss without a strenuous diet program (www.gabrielmethod.com) and personally lost more than 200 pounds. He spends his time helping others to achieve their natural weight by teaching his program to individuals and in group seminars all over the world. Jon is a considered a marvel by the medical community because his body shows no signs of having been morbidly obese.

Christian weight loss may not be as fast as a crash-diet, but it is certainly much healthier, both physically and spiritually. Programs based upon faith and mind control will more than likely produce long-lasting results.

Many people concerned about fitness and health are opting for exercising at home, rather than paying for the cost of a health club membership.  They figure that the investment in home exercise equipment, amortized over a period of two or three years, is less than the cost of a membership and you own the equipment.  Home treadmills are one of the most common fitness equipment investments made by home exercisers.  The selection of these machines for home use is vast with literally scores of brands out there.  Granted, many manufacturers make several brand makes, for example, Nautilus Fitness Equipment makes Bowflex and four other brands and Icon makes five or six brands, including Nordic Track.

Anyone considering the investment in a home treadmill should research all of the options offered so that they make the choice most suitable for their needs and wallet.  The internet is the best place to start.  One very complete site is www.treadmillreview.net where they have unbiased reviews of all the readily available equipment, plus some you may never have heard about.  In their reviews, several brand names and models stand out above the rest.

• Sole – Multiple five star reviews, used by most of the major hotel chains in their in-house fitness rooms.  Priced in the $1,000 – $2,300 range with lots of features and a good warranty.
• Bodycraft – Priced in the $1,000-$2,000 range.  Good warranty and features.
• Bowflex – By Nautilus, five star review, $1,000-$1,200 range.
• Nordic Track – By Icon, budget priced, good features and warranty.  Prices begin at $700.
• Horizon Evolve – Compact and folding for easy storage.  Bargain priced beginning at $600.
• Precor – Best known for commercial machines.  A very high-end product beginning at $2,500 for full-featured machines.

A word or two on product warranties; most of the better machine manufacturers guarantee their machines with separate coverage on labor, frame, motor, track and accessories.  The best warranty is for lifetime on frame and motor, ten years on accessories and two years on labor.  Most of the warranties offered are for forty years on frame, ten years on motors and five years or less on accessories with one year on labor.

The balls come in three regular sizes:  22 inch, 26 inch and 30 inch.  When used, the ball should be well-filled with air and not spongy and soft.  Other exercise gear is also recommended for exercise ball workouts:  Floor mat, light dumbbells, ankle weights and a balance board.  Equipped thus, a complete body workout is available.  An exercise routine using the ball can be developed to suit your own needs and fitness level.  There are online videos and charts that can assist in setting up an exercise ball program.

Some of the exercises that may be performed:

• Upper Body
  • Wall Push-up
  • Floor Push-up
  • Reverse Push-up
  • Triceps Dips
• Lower Body
  • Squat
  • Single-leg Squat
  • Lunge
  • Bridges
  • Reverse Bridge
  • Hamstring Curl
  • Inner Thigh Ball Pass

• Trunk/Torso
  • Ball Crunch
  • Roll Away
  • Side Crunch
  • Back Extension
  • Plank
  • Reverse Plank
  • Jackknife
  • Ball Rotation
  • Woodchop

For ease of tracking your workout, a chart of the exercises should be developed that shows the number of sets and the reps in each set.  It is a good idea to divide the workout into three parts; upper body, lower body and torso.  Alternate starting with different body parts to keep things interesting and to prevent you body from getting used to a routine.  A typical week might be:

• Monday – Upper Body, Lower Body, Torso
• Tuesday – Cardio-Vascular exercises.
• Wednesday – Lower Body, Torso, Upper Body
• Thursday – Cardio-Vascular exercises
• Friday – Torso, Upper Body, Lower Body
• Weekend – rest

For the hardcore bodybuilder, the exercise ball may be used to augment a weight and circuit training routine by interspersing ball exercises with the iron-pumping.  The ball routine could be used to warm-up and stretch the muscles before embarking on the weight training.  Parts of the exercise ball routine could be used to warm and exercise those muscles on the days they are being rested from weights.

The simple principle of air resistance has been applied by Schwinn to their Airdyne Exercise Bicycle.  The Airdyne is a stationary, upright exercise machine that will workout all parts of the body.  Unlike most exercise bikes that use a wheel riding on a variable resistance track, the Schwinn uses an air-paddle mounted in a cage, chain driven by peddling.  The resistance provided by the seated exerciser increases with the speed of the peddling.  A pair of handles that move alternately with the speed of the peddling operation provide upper body and core torso exercise simultaneously with leg workout provided by the peddling.  The wind resistance provided by the air paddle is infinite.

Schwinn Exercise Equipment is a unit of Nautilus, the creator and manufacturer of variable resistance exercise equipment using an eccentric cam shaped like the shell of an aquatic bivalve, the nautilus.  Other divisions include Bowflex, StairMaster and Nautilus Institute.  This company has a great history of innovation and quality products.  The Schwinn Airdyne Exercise Bike is no exception.

The Airdyne comes equipped with two computer exercise programs and a heart rate monitor.  The overall unit is very stable yet easily moved to storage.  The heavy duty frame and components weigh in at ninety-six pounds and will handle a weight of three hundred pounds.  The warranty provided for residential use is:

• Frame – 30 years
• Electronics – 3 years
• Labor – 1 year
• Wear Parts – 1 year

Many Schwinn Airdynes are in use in commercial fitness clubs.  The machine is the same, but because of the anticipated increase in usage, the warranty is fifteen years on the frame, one year on electronics and labor and six months on wear parts.  Maintenance requirements are minimal.  The basic Airdyne has a list price of $625.

The exercise professionals who founded and run the five facility fitness organization in South Jersey, Future Fitness, know that in order to attract and retain membership, a fitness center must be customer oriented.  No one knows this better than Craig Ehleider, President of Future Fitness.  Craig has been a fixture in the fitness industry for many years and is known for his application of scientific principles to exercise physiology.  In addition the corporate philosophy is to provide more and better services than any of the competitors, all for the same costs.

With five locations in the South Jersey, Philadelphia area, Future Fitness is well equipped to provide physical fitness training to meet every need, from the hardcore exercise enthusiast to the businessman or busy homemaker who wants to improve their health and get into good physical condition.  Future Fitness professionals offer personal training, but go a step further by offering all members one personal training hour per month as part of their membership.  This helps clients with their personal routine and gives them an unbiased evaluation of their progress.  Also as part of their services, Future Fitness offers nutritional advice and a monthly health and progress evaluation by a medical professional.

Future Fitness Centers are located in Cherry Hill, Mt. Laurel, Turnersville, Berlin and Mullica Hill.  They are well equipped with the latest in fitness machines and free weights and each center is staffed by professional trainers, certified massage therapists and nurses.  They also feature childcare centers so those busy homemakers can get in a training session.  Their website, www.futurefitnesscenters.com is easy to navigated and loaded with information about the company, their personnel and their locations.  There are also a number of informative videos featuring Craig and his staff.

Water aerobics is very popular, particularly for older, less fit bodies that have problems with the impact of regular floor aerobics or other health club exercise programs.  The water provides resistance to movement, helping to condition muscles, but it also buoys the body so there is much less impact.  To increase the effectiveness of water aerobics and exercises, a number of pieces of aquatic exercise equipment have been developed.  This equipment will further increase resistance, provide buoyancy and broaden the range of exercises that may be performed in the swimming pool.

All of the aquatic exercise equipment is designed to float and will provide a lot of resistance to movement when being used.  Some of the personal aquatic equipment readily available is:

• Jogging Belts – provide some added resistance while jogging in water
• Buoyancy Belts – provide added lift for the exerciser
• Hand Gear – elastic exercisers, dumbbells
• Barbells – Light weight, increased resistance floating barbell
• Wrist and Ankle Weights – provide more resistance while doing aerobics
• Aquatic Exercise Shoes – provide better grip on pool bottom
• Noodles – shaped like what the name implies, for floatation and resistance
• Kickboards – provide a handheld platform for kicking exercise.
• Aquatic Gloves – webbed for assistance in treading water in the deep end of the pool

A program of aquatic exercises will benefit anyone who is trying to improve their physical condition, not just the elderly and infirm.  The aquatic exercise equipment can make the routine much more demanding and will give better results for the more advanced exerciser.

Fitness experts are always looking for some new innovation that is effective and easy to perform.  Some of their innovations have been wild and not very scientifically based.  The latest device, however, is very effective and well tested for results – Exercise Balls or Swiss Exercise Balls.  These well inflated, elastic balls come in a variety of sizes, the most common being 55 centimeter (approximately 22 inches), 65 centimeters (26 inches) and 75 centimeters (30 inches).  The ball is used to assist in exercises for total body fitness.  For those on a program of free weights or circuit machine exercises, the exercise ball is used to warm up or augment their routine, most commonly for abdominals or midsection exercises.

Some of the exercises used to work the abs with an exercise ball:

• Ball Crunch – Sit on top of the ball with legs bent at a forty-five degree angle.  Bend forward in a crunch, pushing back slightly with legs, return to starting position.  Repeat.
• Roll Away – On toes, legs extended with elbows resting on ball, roll the ball away while bending your body at the waist, placing tension on abs.  Return to start, repeat.
• Side Crunch – While on knees, lean against the ball at your right side while straightening your left leg.  Bend to the left at the waist, contracting abs.  Return and repeat.  Switch sides and do another set.
• Back Extension – With your body straight, lie across the ball.  With arms behind head, raise your head and shoulders while contracting lower back muscles.  Return and repeat.
• Jackknife – With your body straight, hands on floor and knees on the ball, pull your knees to your chest until your instep is on the ball.  Return to starting position and repeat.
• Ball Rotation – In supine position (on your back) arms extended to the side, grasp ball between ankles, raise legs overhead and move the ball in a rotating motion, clockwise, then counter-clockwise for as many reps as you can.  Rest briefly and repeat.
• Woodchop – Stand erect with the ball in your hands, feet at shoulder width.  Twist to the right and make a chopping motion with the ball.  Return to starting position, the twist to the left and make a chopping motion with the ball.  Repeat until tired.
• Plank – On your knees with your elbows on the ball, raise your buttocks in the air so your weight is on your toes and elbows, while contracting your midsection.  Hold as long as possible.  Short rest and repeat.
• Reverse Plank – On hands with instep and shins resting on the ball, push the ball back with your feet until your body is straight, while contracting abs.  Hold as long as possible.  Rest and repeat.

How does a guy who is morbidly obese at 410 pounds drop more than 220 pounds and show no signs of having ever been overweight?  This man, a former medical researcher and financial analyst, put together a program that lead to his own amazing transformation and the life-changing transformation of many other.  It all began in 2001 when he awakened to the idea that his body just wanted to be fat and as long as it wanted to be fat, no amount of dieting or exercise was going to change that.

Jon Gabriel was a successful financial guy in the New York City area.  In a former life, he had studied biochemistry, organic chemistry and biology, even performed research for the acclaimed biochemist, Dr. Jose Rabinowitz.  Jon was also fat.  Over a twelve year period he had gained more than 200 pounds and nothing he did seemed to help.  Jon had spent time at Dr. Nathan Pritikin’s Institute and with the late Dr. Robert Atkins.  Their efforts resulted in some initial weight loss, but while still dieting, his body put the weight back on.  Discouraged, he gave up trying to lose weight.  It was about this time he had his revelation.

Jon set out to determine why his body wanted to be fat and this journey of discovery unlocked the secret of weight loss, a secret that he has taught to many other in the intervening years.  Over a period of two years, applying the principles he discovered, Jon Gabriel lost more than 220 pounds and has kept it off without any astringent dieting.  His body discovered its natural weight, fell to that point and maintained for years now.  What is even more amazing is that doctors have examined his body and find little or no evidence of him being morbidly obese.

Jon’s revelation is that the mind controls the body and the mind must understand that there is no reason to be fat.  Using a series of thought control exercises he developed, Mr. Gabriel has put together a repeatable program that he teaches to others in seminars and one-on-one meetings with people all over the world.  When Jon discovered how to remove the causes of obesity, one of which is emotional stress, he recorded it all to share with anyone wanting to lose weight.  His book and insights are available online at www.gabrielmethod.com both as a hard copy and download.  His website also has pictures of his own transformation as well as testimonies of many people from around the world.

“Treadmill For Sale – Slightly used, New Years Resolution project is over!  Cost $2,500, sell for $500.” Does this ad sound too good to be true?  It is!  If the cost of a new treadmill with all the bells-and-whistles is more than your wallet can stand, then a used machine may be the way to go.  But how do you find a used machine and still be assured that your money is not buying someone else’s problems?  Like buying a used car, you have to know a little something about the source of the mechanical device.  Private parties may be more willing to deal, but what about a warranty and how can you be sure that it is what the seller portrays?

There are many sources of used treadmills:  Local newspaper classifieds, Craig’s List, E-Bay, re-manufacturers, leasing companies, failed health clubs and internet postings.  If you are adept at analyzing equipment (or have a portable lie-detector you can put the seller on), then you problems are minimal.  But, if you are an Average Joe or Jane, then you need to know more about the source of the used treadmill that is for sale.

Probably one of the safest bets is to purchase the machine from a reliable re-manufacturer of sports equipment.  They acquire treadmills from a variety of sources and disassemble them, replace all wear-parts, check everything else and then reassemble what is essentially a “nearly-new” machine.  They will warrant their work and the machine for a reasonable period of time.  The prices will often be as little as half the cost a new model of the same brand of treadmill.

Another source will be companies who lease sports equipment.  Most of their off-lease equipment will go to a re-manufacturer, but a few companies may offer machines to retail buyers.  Depending on the lease company’s capacity for maintenance and repair, this may be the place to acquire a real bargain and still have some assurance that the treadmill will serve you well.

Private parties who bought a machine for home use, but lost their initiative could be a means of acquiring a nearly-new machine still under warranty.  The private party will probably be trying to recover as much of their original purchase price as possible, but they are most likely willing to make a deal.

Beware of well-used machines from unknown sources.  A machine from a health club has probably had a lot of use and abuse.  Unless it comes with a warranty, these should be avoided.  A careful examination of the machine and belt will give an initial indication of what sort of use the machine has experienced.  Caveat Emptor . . . let the buyer beware.