Monday, May 30, 2011

Schwinn Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike

Ready for spinning?

The Schwinn Airdyne spinner bike is simply smart. The wind resistance is exponential, so the harder an exerciser pedals, the higher the resistance becomes, naturally providing the right workout for a novice exerciser or an elite athlete. Because the fan creates resistance with air, the braking system for Airdynes withstands zero friction, eliminating maintenance associated with more complex systems.


Features:

Resistance: Unique self-generating air resistance—the harder you pedal, the greater the resistance.

Computer Displays: Computer provides feedback on time distance, workload level, calories, cal/hr, RPMs and optional heart rate control. Fan blades provide a cooling breeze. Great upper and lower body workout.

Dimensions - 50"L x 22.5"W x 48"H, Weight - 96 lbs, Max User Weight - 300 lbs

Power Requirements - 2 AA Batteries Seat

Extra padded, anatomically correct seat.





Sunday, May 8, 2011

Why Buy Remanufactured Life Fitness Treadmills with FlexDeck Shock Absorption System?

Life Fitness treadmills are powerful running, walking, and jogging machines that are the top choice among exercise enthusiasts around the world. The 95Ti Treadmill features the exclusive patented FlexDeck Shock Absorption System, which consists of under-the-deck Lifespring shock made of an advanced, ultraviolet (UV) cured polyurethane elastomer material. It reduces impact to the body by nearly 30% more than other treadmills. Also featuring a powerful 4-HP Direct-Drive AC Motor, the most durable on the market, and patented Lifepulse and Polar telemetry digital heart rate monitoring systems. Plus, maintenance is faster and easier with its patented Everwax lubrication system and Auto Alert diagnostics, which informs you of service needs and permanently records and date-stamps maintenance performed.





The FlexDeck shock absorption system offers users of varying weights similar cushioning via the Lifespring shock absorber’s variable-rate oval design. This design allows the deck to flex downward with the force of the user’s foot and then gently upward as the foot is lifted. The FlexDeck shock absorption system insures safe, comfortable exercise by reducing impact to ankles, knees and hips by nearly 30% more than ordinary treadmills.

Competitive deck cushioning systems use rubber or foam to cushion the running surface of their treadmills. The spring in the deck initially feels very good, but over time the rubber or foam will compress, break down and offer little of its initial good feel, while losing the cushioning effect for the user.

Unlike rubber or foam, Life Spring shock absorbers will never break down or wear out. Life Fitness is the only manufacturer in the industry to provide a lifetime warranty for their treadmill shock absorbers.
Check out the remanufactured Life Fitness cardio machines for running, jogging and walking here: http://istayfitforever.com/Life-Fitness-95Ti-Treadmill

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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Good Fat Burning Foods

The good foods are usually fat burning foods. These foods are normally low in calories and loaded with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc, protein and more. The following are the top good fat burning foods that I include in my daily diet:


1) Foods Rich in Protein

Protein builds more muscles in our body and you all know muscles burn fat. The following foods are rich in protein: lean chicken meat, eggs, eggs white, turkey breast, beans, soy milk, fish, cheese, yogurt and more.


2) Foods with Good Fats

Unsaturated fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, the good fats that you need in your body. It gives you good nutrients, improves blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease. It won't make you gain more weight if you eat moderately. The types of foods that are rich in unsaturated fats are: fishes like salmon, tuna, mahi mahi, etc and some nuts like walnuts and almonds.


3) Foods with Complex Carbohydrates

Unlike foods with simple carbohydrates, foods rich in complex carbohydrates are processed much longer by our digestive system that it certainly helps in losing weight. You can get complex carbohydrates from these foods: whole grains, chicken, sea foods, tuna, natural fruits and vegetables.


4) Water

According toe WebMD, after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects' metabolic rates -- or the rate at which calories are burned -- increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes. Drinking 8 – 12 glasses (8 ounces per glass) a day will not burn fat, but will speed up the metabolism and burn more calories.


5) Whole grain (cereal, bread, oatmeal)

Whole grain is a source of both complex carbs and fiber, and these are what are needed to keep your metabolism pumped by keeping insulin levels low after a meal. Whole grains have a low GI rating. This means they are converted slowly into blood glucose, and do not cause "sugar spikes" (sudden rises in blood glucose levels). By contrast, refined carbs, especially white flour foods, typically have high-GI values are are associated with blood glucose problems and insulin disorders


6) Green tea

The green tea extract caused a boost in metabolism. It has a chemical called EGCG that causes the brain and nervous system to run faster and helps you burn more calories.

7) Coffee

Contains caffeine, which helps speed up your heart rate and thus helps you burn more calories, reports AOL Health.


The key to losing weight is not to reduce the amount of foods that you are eating everyday and exercise regularly, not just avoid bad foods. Eat good fat burning foods and follow a balanced diet will surely lose weight in a healthy way.

Resources:
http://www.webmd.com/
http://www.nydailynews.com/
 

Monday, January 17, 2011

Should We Eat After 8 pm?

Some sources say no and some say it doesn’t matter. So… What now? The truth is it doesn’t matter what time of the day you eat. It’s about what you eat and how active you are (your physical activity level) throughout the day. A simple formula that everyone should know… if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. On the contrary, if you eat more than you burn, you will gain weight. I usually eat my dinner between 8pm and 9pm if I workout after work that day. I need healthy foods that contain lean protein and carbs to fuel my body. And, my body still burn calories when I’m sleeping.


Then, why many people will lose more weight if they didn’t eat after 8pm? The only reason that I can think of is their physical activities are low and for sure the metabolism is slowing down at night, because we all want to rest after work, assuming we do not workout after work that day. So, if you are ‘not active’ throughout the day or resting all day long, try to eat your dinner before 8pm OR eat small portion of healthy foods after 8pm. I feel better if I control the portion of my dinner especially if I have to eat after 8pm. It works for me!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Should women include strength training in their workout routine?

There are three reasons why women should include weight training or strength training in their workout:

 1) Increase strength and to be stronger
A strong core is essential for our daily activities regardless of you are man or woman. If your core is weak, you will feel miserable when you carry baby, bags of grocery or even a light luggage. On the contrary, you will enjoy playing your favorite sports in longer hours and lift more weight if you have a strong core.

2) To lose more weight, get rid of body fat
Strength training will help you to increase metabolism, increase lean muscle mass and burn more calories. Keep in mind that muscle burns more calories than fat. So, you will lose body fat quicker if you have more lean muscle mass in your body. All of us have muscle mass including overweight folks. Yes, the muscle mass is underneath your body fat. As soon as you get rid of body fat, your muscle will begin to show.

3) Build stronger joints and reduce risk of injury
Strength training increase stability around the joints, also help you increase bone density and prevent osteoporosis.


 So, why women stay away from weight training?


Most of the women think if they lift weight, eventually they will become Arnold S, which is NOT true. Women do not produce enough testosterone to grow muscles. You will never get bulky and become Arnold by lifting weight unless you take steroids. If you do it correctly, any workout with weight will tone your muscles and bring out definition that you see on female athletics. This is something that you will never get if you only do cardio exercise, spend hours on treadmill or other cardio machines and wonder why your body won’t change.

We lose muscle mass with age. If we don’t do anything to preserve the muscle mass, we can easily increase the body fat in our body no matter how many hours we spend on treadmill. We either lose to use it. But, strength training can help us to preserve and increase the muscle mass that will also help us to burn more calories.


You can do strength training at home or in the fitness center. The training can be done by using weight machines, dumbbells, resistance bands/cable  or your body weight (push up, squats, etc…).


Lastly, please always check wit your doctor before starting any fitness exercise program. Make sure you know your fitness level before you workout with weight. If you are a beginner, you should lift weight 3 days a week with the combination of cardio exercise and a balance diet. When I was trying to lose weight in 2007, I workout 1.5 hour a day, 6 days a week for 2 years. Now, I’m fit and toned, but I still workout 3 days a week just to maintain my fitness level.



References:

1) http://www.mayoclinic.com
2) http://www.naturalchoice.net/

Saturday, December 11, 2010

I know eating healthy is important, but, how to do it right?

Folks, if you do it right, you can build muscle and lose weight quickly.

First of all, find out how many calories you burn throughout the day. Click here for Calories Monitors on my website. For example, if your body need 1600 calories a day, 350 calories is recommended for the main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), 100 – 200 calories for snacks (2 or 3 times) throughout the day.

It is a simple math... If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight; On the contrary, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn what you eat, you will maintain weight. Keep in mind that you will achieve better result if you do it right AND exercise regularly. According to the research, losing 2 lbs a week is considered a normal and healthy diet plan. You should check with your physician and then plan for a healthy diet along with appropriate exercise plan before you start a new diet or workout program.

We should include lean protein and whole grain in our daily meals. I feel great when I eat less carbs but high protein meals. Why? You will feel fuller after eating lean protein meals than other foods. And, high quality protein intake preserves muscle mass that will help you to burn more calories. Foods that contain lean protein are fish, chicken breast, turkey breast, eggs white, beans, yogurt, low fat milk and cheese, tofu, etc…

Why whole grains? Whole grains have a low GI rating. This means they are converted slowly into blood glucose, and do not cause "sugar spikes" (sudden rises in blood glucose levels). By contrast, refined carbs, especially white flour foods, typically have high-GI values are associated with blood glucose problems and insulin disorders.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Why Eat Breakfast?

Eating a healthy breakfast is a good jump start for the day. Studies show a balanced nutrition breakfast prevents you from snacking (mostly junk foods, right?) in the mid morning and boosts your metabolism throughout the day. You are able to stay focus, feel better and have more energy, eat less during lunch and lose more weight! Do you notice that you tend to eat more during lunch or feel tired in the entire morning if you did not eat breakfast on that day?


A healthy breakfast could be simple and easy to prepare. For example:

- Oatmeal with low fat milk, add 2 drops of honey or sprinkle some dried berries.

- Tuna with low fat mayonnaise, served on whole grain bagel, muffin or bread.

- Low fat milk or skim milk with whole grain cereal

- Turkey breast ham with a slice of Swiss cheese or cheese with 2% milk, tomato, low fat mayonnaise, served on whole grain bagel, muffin or bread.

- Low fat yogurt or Greek yogurt, apple or other fruits.


If you really hate to eat breakfast but want a healthy lifestyle, you can begin with small portion such as an 8oz of low fat yogurt. Gradually, eating breakfast will become the meal that you ‘must have’ in your life.