Federal Trade Commision-Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment

Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment

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• Joining a Gym
• Comparing Products Online
• Weighing the Claims in Diet Ads

When daily trips to the gym aren’t possible or gym memberships seem a little too expensive, home exercise equipment might seem like a good alternative. But before you spring for new equipment, make sure you’re not buying the fitness fiction of quick, easy results. When shopping, look for equipment that suits your lifestyle and budget, and shop around to get the best price.

• What the Ads Say
• What to Do Before You Buy Exercise Equipment

What the Ads Say

Home exercise equipment can be a great way to shape up — but only if you use it regularly. Ads promising quick, easy results are selling a line, not a reality. Here are some claims to watch for:

It’s quick, easy, and effortless.

Whether they're promoting shoes, clothing, or equipment, some advertisers say their products offer a quick, easy way to shape up and lose weight — without sound science to back it up. There's no such thing as a no-work, no-sweat way to a fit, healthy body. To get the benefits of exercise, you have to do the work. For more on pills and products promising easy weight loss, read Weighing the Claims in Diet Ads.

We promise to fix your problem areas.

Promises that you can effortlessly burn a spare tire or melt fat from your hips and thighs are tempting, but spot reduction — losing weight in a specific place — takes regular exercise that still works the whole body to burn extra calories.

For information about electronic muscle stimulators, which may be able to temporarily strengthen, tone, or firm a muscle, but typically are intended for use in physical therapy and rehabilitation under the supervision of a health care professional, see FDA’s website.

Look at these before-and-after photos.

They may be “satisfied customers,” but their experiences may not reflect the results most users get. And celebrity endorsements? They're no proof the product will work as claimed, either. As for the chiseled models in the ads, is that six-pack the result of the product they're promoting, months in the gym and years of healthy habits, or an altered photo?

What to Do Before You Buy Exercise Equipment

You’ve done your job and looked at any claims with a skeptical, savvy eye. But you’re not quite finished. Before you buy any equipment, here are a few tips to make sure your new gear won’t wind up collecting dust:

Start working out.

Don’t expect the equipment to change your habits. Are you ready to act on your good intentions? If you’re not active already, start now.

Find the right equipment.

Take a test drive. Before you buy, give different equipment a test drive at a local gym, recreation center, retailer, or even a friend’s place.

Read reviews. Check out consumer and fitness magazines that rate exercise equipment to get an idea of how a product performs, and whether it’s likely to help you achieve your goal, whether it’s building strength, increasing flexibility, improving endurance, or enhancing your health. You also can check out user reviews online. Just don't put all your trust in any one review. Try typing the product or manufacturer’s name into a search engine, along with terms like “complaint” or “problem.”

Find the right price.

Find out the real cost. Some companies advertise "three easy payments of $49.95.” Break out the calculator and figure out what you’ll really pay. Don’t forget sales tax and shipping or delivery charges. Find out about warranties, and whether shipping or restocking fees apply if you decide to send it back.

Shop around. That one-of-a-kind fitness product may be available at a better price from a local store, or you might get a better deal online. Factor in delivery costs.

Tagged with: fitness, health

July 2012

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Fitness for Older Adults

Fitness for Older Adults – Frequently Asked Questions

Thinking about becoming more active or starting a structured fitness program? Good for you!
Many studies underscore the health benefits of exercise at any age. To help you get started, we’ve gathered a list of frequently asked questions and answers about fitness for older adults.

I haven’t exercised in years — Why should I start now?

Even if you’ve never been active, it’s never too late to reap the many health benefits of regular exercise. Regular cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking, bicycling or swimming strengthens the heart and muscles, boosts energy and endurance. It also helps control blood sugar and cholesterol levels and works as a natural mood elevator.
Being sedentary raises the risk for developing such serious health conditions as diabetes and heart disease.
Strength exercise, or resistance training, helps preserve muscle tissue and bone health. It’ll help you stay strong, so you can go about your normal daily activities.

I have several medical conditions — Is exercise safe for me?

Consult with your health care provider before starting an exercise program. Ask about precautions specific to your condition and which exercises are beneficial and safe for you. Regular exercise helps manage health conditions and can speed up the recovery process of serious illnesses, including heart attack, stroke and joint-replacement surgery. Your doctor may recommend that you start exercising in a medically-supervised setting before you exercise on your own.

Which exercises are easy on the joints?

Water exercises (swimming, water walking) or non weight-bearing exercises (bicycling, rowing, elliptical machines) are easier on the joints and often recommended for people with joint issues. However, your health care provider may recommend some weight-bearing exercises (walking, jogging) to protect and strengthen your bones.

How much exercise is enough?

Start with 5 minutes or whatever you can manage, then gradually work up to 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. You should notice a difference in how you feel within 6-8 weeks. Perform muscle-strengthening exercises twice weekly with at least 24 hours in between sessions.

To get started, hire a certified personal trainer, attend group strength-training classes, visit your library to check out a strength-training DVD and visit the ACE Exercise Library.

I’m not overweight — Do I really need to exercise?

Even if your weight is in a healthy range, regular exercise is key for maintaining good health and to reduce health risks. One study showed that physically fit overweight people had significantly lower health risks than thin, sedentary people. An inactive lifestyle raises your risk for developing serious health conditions, including metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease.

How can I exercise on a limited budget?

Start walking! All you need is a comfortable pair of walking shoes and a safe place to walk. Community centers typically offer low-cost group fitness classes and libraries lend out fitness DVDs.

Is strength-training a good idea at my age?

Strength-training is critical for older adults. Adults lose 4-6 lbs. of muscle tissue per decade, which means a significant loss of body strength and a lower resting metabolism.
Older adults who undergo a structured strength-training program have shown to regain lost muscle mass, increase their strength, metabolism, bone density and balance and improve their quality of life.
One study linked muscular strength to reduced stiffness in the aorta, the major artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body, which can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular events, independent of current aerobic fitness levels.
However, if calorie intake isn’t also reduced, fat weight increases.

Should I exercise by myself or sign up for a class?

It depends on your needs and preferences. Group fitness classes are great for people who enjoy company or need accountability; others prefer exercising alone.
Just going to the store makes me tired and short of breath. Will exercise help?
It depends. Exercise will strengthen your heart and muscles, regardless of age. You’ll be able to do more with less effort and won’t tire as easily. Ask your health care provider to give you guidelines for safe and effective exercising.

Additional Resources

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

NIH Senior Health

YMCA

T5 Treadmill

Life Fitness T5 Treadmill

Built for unmatched customization, the T5 Treadmill allows you to train your way through adjustable running terrains and personalized workout programs. The T5 is designed specifically for the home—aesthetically pleasing, quiet and simple. Let the T5 recall preferred walk, jog or run speeds, as well as pre-programmed or customized workouts, all at a push of a button. Discover why the T5 stands alone as the premium provider of the personalized training experience. Customize your T5 by choosing either the Go or Track console.

10-minute Medicine Ball Workout

Workout Wednesday: 10-minute Medicine Ball Workout

November 27, 2013, 12:00AM

Fitness doesn’t take a holiday, even if you do. Your biology and your body don’t care how much you have to do to get ready for the holidays—you’re either sticking with fitness or not. Fortunately, it’s not as tough as you may think to stick with it.

First, just embrace the concept that you will be busy no matter what. If you skip workouts, you’ll still be busy and have a lot to do. Do you want to be “busy and fit,” or “busy and unfit?” Busy and fit, of course!

With a small investment of time, this 10-minute medicine ball workout can help you give your body a challenge that results in a large investment in yourself. This workout features some never-before-seen exercises I created just for this workout!

How to Do It:

• Use a 6- to 8-pound medicine ball (4- to 10-pound balls will work, too, if that’s what you have), and preferably one that bounces.
• Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, and take 15 seconds to transition between exercises.
• Repeat the five exercises two times.

The Exercises

• Plank Pinball
• Alternating Step Back Lunge With Spinning Toss
• Glute Bridge (with medicine ball under neck)
• Power Slam With Run-Under (or Run-Around)
• Alternating V-Up

Plank Pinball

From a plank position, start with the medicine ball under your hand and roll the ball to your opposite foot. Use the foot to pass the ball to the hand on the same side. Repeat until 40 seconds is up.

For example: L-Hand >> R-Foot >> R-Hand >> L-Foot >> L-Hand >> repeat pattern

Alternating Step-back Lunge With Spinning Toss

Gently spin and toss the medicine ball at the same time. In general, each time you catch the ball you will be looking at the back of your left hand and then your right hand. The ball will not move side-to-side, but will instead spin like a globe. As you spin the ball, perform an alternating step-back lunge. The spinning of the ball provides a strength challenge to the forearm and hand muscles; integrating it with the lunge provides a coordination challenge to smoothly integrate the upper- and lower-body movements.

Glute Bridge (with medicine ball under neck)

Place the medicine ball at the base of your neck so that the curve of your neck matches the curve of the ball. From this position keep your head relaxed and resting on the ball. Perform a glute bridge by first rolling up the hips and then the spine. By focusing on rolling the hips and spine up and down, you are more likely to use the glutes for the exercise and less likely to have the low back work harder than it should.

Power Slam With Run-Around Or Run-Under

Perform the “run-under” version if you: (1) do not have a ball that bounces, or (2) cannot get your slam high enough to give you time to run under it.

Run-Under Version: Perform a power slam and while the medicine ball is in the air, quickly run under it, turn around, catch the ball and perform the next slam.

Run-Around Version: Perform a power slam and laterally shuffle around the ball until you are standing opposite from where you started. Catch or pick up the ball, and perform the next slam, reversing the direction of your lateral shuffle to return to where you started.

Alternating V-Up

Lay on your back and hold the medicine ball in your hands with arms and legs extended. Using the abs, lift your arms and legs simultaneously. As you get to the top and start to lower the legs, gently place the ball on your shins and lower the arms and legs. As you raise up for the next rep, either catch the ball or pick up the ball with your hands and keep alternating from there.

This exercise is challenging to both body and mind, as it requires big energy and considerable coordination. It will take some practice, but you will be so excited when you master it—and that’s part of the fun!

Final Thoughts

Celebrate this time of year by making your body better with both movement and good-tasting, high-quality food. Too often, there is a mindset of using exercise to work off all the desserts we will consume at the holidays. On behalf of your body, your health and your future enjoyment of physical activity, I’m challenging you to adopt a different mindset. One that has exercise and the food choices you make pointing in the same direction—a better you.

Exercise will never work as punishment for bad food choices. Your body’s ability to respond to exercise the way you want it to is directly affected—for better or worse—by the foods you give it.

The trick is to avoid denying yourself foods that you want to eat (that’s miserable), and instead learning to develop a desire and want for healthier food so there is no sense of deprivation. Learning to enjoy positive, health-promoting foods and activities, even during times of celebration, will transform the way you live and the way you spend the holidays.

By Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross

Jonathan Ross is the two-time recipient of Personal Trainer of the Year awards (2010 IDEA & 2006 ACE), has served as Discovery Health Fitness Expert and hosted the Discovery Health series “Everyday Fitness.” His book, Abs Revealed, delivers a modern, intelligent approach to ab training, and his business, Aion Fitness, delivers exceptional fitness training,speaking, and writing services. Ross is a master trainer for TRX and has shared his renowned thought-leadership philosophy at many conferences and in the media.

Trimming Off the Fat

Are you satisfied with your general physique, or would you like to get rid of a few extra pounds? If your answer is the latter, quit looking for that magic pill and just follow several general guidelines that will help you work toward a healthier body.

Calorie Deficit

Atkins™, South Beach™, The Zone Diet™ and countless other types of diets have each been hyped as the perfect diet strategy to shed those unwanted pounds. While they may have shown initial results, most have failed to demonstrate long-term success in keeping the weight off. Here’s an important tip to remember: Your body must burn more calories than it is taking in to lose weight. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so if you want to lose 1 pound per week you need to average a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day.

Don’t worry—that doesn’t mean you have to get on the treadmill and run until you have burned 3,500 calories to lose a pound. Your goal is to combine increased activity with some cutbacks in your diet.

Basal Metabolic Rate and Calories Burned in a Day

To manage weight, you need to determine the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you burn. Your body has something called the basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of calories you burn at rest in order to survive. It accounts for roughly 60 to 75% of all the calories you burn in a given day. That’s right—you are actually burning a small amount of calories while you are sleeping.

Use the following website to determine your BMR and daily calorie needs: www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/.

Now that you’ve determined your daily caloric needs, you need to set a realistic goal of 1 to 2 pounds per week and determine how many calories you’ll need to forgo to lose those pesky pounds.

What to Eat

As surprising as it might sound, managing your weight is easier than you might imagine. There is no need to spend hours planning your diet. Just follow several simple guidelines and keep the calorie deficit in mind.

• Reduce your portion sizes by 10 to 15% each time you prepare or order a meal.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day and avoid skipping breakfast.
• Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and non-fat or low-fat dairy products to get the nutrients your body needs.
• Aim for two or three servings of dairy products daily (e.g., milk, cheeses, yogurt).
• Select low-fat foods and avoid trans fats. Limit your total fat intake to 20 to 35% of daily calories, with no more than 7% of your total calories coming from saturated fats.
• Avoid eating too many salty foods.
• Limit alcohol beverage intake.

Cardio: Burn the Right Fuel

Research shows that lower-intensity exercise uses a larger percentage of fat as fuel compared to higher-intensity exercise. However, it does not burn as many calories as higher-intensity exercise and, consequently will not result in as much body weight or fat loss. Gradually increase the intensity to increase your caloric deficit while continuing to burn fats. Higher-intensity exercise also has a greater impact on keeping your metabolism elevated after your workout, which adds a few more calories to your deficit. Remember, always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program and choose the intensity that is appropriate for you.

Burn Fat With Muscle

Strength training offers many health benefits, including an increase in the number of calories burned. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, and building muscles costs a lot of energy. As you increase the amount of muscle you have, you will also increase your resting metabolic rate. To prevent injury and develop consistency, start off with one to two sets of 12 to 15 repetitions for all major muscle groups.

Additional Resources

MyPyramid: www.MyPyramid.gov
About.com: www.exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/howtoloseweight.htm
About.com: www.weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/blcalintake.htm

Weight Loss: Diet vs. Exercise

The two major players in the weight-loss battle are diet and exercise. But can the battle be won using only one of these tools? Many people opt for the easier route, which they believe is dieting. But when you consider how poor the statistics are for long-term weight loss through diets, you need to consider a combination of both. Normally, only about 5% of dieters are successful in keeping weight off, and weight cycling is very common. Usually one-third of weight lost is regained within one year and almost all is regained within three to five years.

How Weight Loss Works

The mechanism of weight loss is simple. It is encompassed in a concept called energy balance. When you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. Therefore, to lose weight you need to burn more calories and/or consume fewer calories. The combination of both of these methods is the best way to lose weight and improve your health.

How the Pros Do It

Members of the National Weight Control Registry are people who have lost weight and kept it off successfully for a minimum of one year. Of these people, 89% use a combination of diet and exercise, although 10% have had success using diet alone and 1% used exercise alone. However, research shows that the combination of exercise and diet is more effective than diet alone. Furthermore, while diet alone helps you lose weight, it is exercise that improves your physical fitness.

Getting Started

Combining diet and exercise can be tricky when you’re trying to cut calories. It is important to make sure that you eat enough so that you have energy to get through your workout, but not so much that you tilt your energy balance back to the weight-gain side.

While guidelines suggest 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss a week, you should set a goal that is both realistic and manageable for your lifestyle and fitness level. Overly aggressive goals often lead to attrition and failure.

Your diet should consist of low-fat food choices and a modest reduction in the total number of calories. Without overwhelming yourself with odd foods and food labels, try simply reduce your food portions by about 10 to 15%. Try to be consistent across the week, instead of dieting more strictly on certain days of the week.

With exercise and activity, people who successfully maintained weight loss exercised an average of an hour or more per day. Longer-duration exercise is usually needed to lose weight and prevent weight re-gain. However, this may be too much for you to begin with, so start small and gradually progress the duration of your activity by 10% each week. For example, increase the duration of your walks from 20 minutes during week one to 22 minutes the following week.

Staying Motivated

Changing your diet and exercise habits involves lifestyle modifications, but maintaining these lifestyle changes can be the real challenge. Many people can lose weight, but only a few can maintain that weight loss. Much of this is due to the fact that the lifestyle modifications made to lose weight need to be permanent. It is normal to regain a few pounds after your initial weight loss. The key is to not get discouraged and stay motivated. The smaller the amount of weight that you regain, the easier it is to lose again, permanently. So frequent monitoring of your weight is necessary to catch yourself when you start to regain weight. Keep in mind that the longer you keep weight off, the easier it becomes. For weight loss to be sustainable, it must be a slow process of 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week. Stay focused and goal-oriented and know that successful weight loss is possible!

Additional Resources

The National Weight Control Registry: www.nwcr.ws
About.com: www.exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/shortcuts.htm

Strength Training 101

You do not need to be a bodybuilder to benefit from strength training. A well-designed strength-training program can provide the following benefits:

• Increased strength of bones, muscles and connective tissues (the tendons and ligaments)—This increased strength decreases the risk of injury.
• Increased muscle mass—Most adults lose about one-half pound of muscle per year after the age of 30, largely due to decreased activity. Muscle tissue is partly responsible for the number of calories burned at rest (the basal metabolic rate, or BMR). As muscle mass increases, BMR increases, making it easier to maintain a healthy body weight.
• Enhanced quality of life—As general strength increases, the performance of daily routines (carrying groceries, working in the garden) will be less taxing.

The Core Curriculum

Many exercises can be combined into a program that works all the major muscle groups. Neglecting certain groups can lead to strength imbalances and postural difficulties. A certified fitness professional can help you develop a safe, effective program.

You may also wish to consult with a certified fitness professional to learn safe technique before beginning a strength-training program. One set of eight to 12 repetitions, working the muscles to the point of fatigue, is usually sufficient. Breathe normally throughout the exercise. Lower the resistance with a slow, controlled cadence throughout the full range of motion. Lifting the weight to a count of 2 and lowering it to a count of 3 or 4 is effective.

When you are able to perform 12 repetitions of an exercise correctly (without cheating), increase the amount of resistance by 5 to 10% to continue making safe progress.

Staying Motivated

An encouraging aspect of strength training is the fact that you’ll likely experience rapid improvements in strength and muscle tone right from the start of your program. Don’t be discouraged, however, if visible improvements begin to taper off after a few weeks.

It’s only natural that, as your fitness level improves, improvements in strength and appearance will come at a slightly slower pace. To help keep your motivation up, find a partner to train with you.

Aim to exercise each muscle group at least two times per week, with a minimum of two days of rest between workouts. Training more frequently or adding more sets may lead to slightly greater gains, but the minimal added benefit may not be worth the extra time and effort (not to mention the added risk of injury).

Vary Your Program

Machines and free weights are effective tools for strength training, and a combination of the two is generally recommended. Utilizing both machines and free weights provides exercise variety, which is important for both psychological and physiological reasons. Variety not only reduces boredom, but also provides subtle exercise differences that will enhance progress.
The benefits of strength training are no longer in question. Research continues to demonstrate that strength training increases both muscle and bone strength and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. A safe strength-training program combined with cardiovascular and flexibility training will give you the benefits of a total fitness program.

Additional Resource

About.com: www.exercise.about.com/cs/exerciseworkouts/a/weight101.htm