Stationary bicycles are the third most popular type of home gym equipment sold today (the two most popular are, of course, the treadmill and the elliptical trainer). People are drawn to stationary bicycles for a variety of reasons to include the fact that you're getting a pretty good workout while you're sitting down!
Some people like to read while they're doing their cardiovascular training and a stationary bicycle lends itself nicely to this. Bicycles are also a great way to tone your legs, burn fat and improve your cardiovascular conditioning all without any impact on your joints. There are four main categories of stationary bicycles; upright, recumbent, spin bicycles and dual action air bicycles. Below is a quick summary of what makes each unique.
Upright Bikes
An upright bike is what comes to mind when most people think of a stationary bike. It looks similar to a regular road bike, but it has a console built into the handlebar area. This bike option provides a seat that does not have a back on it. The pedals on an upright bike are located below the user and slightly in front. The hip angle on the upright bike is about 45 degrees.The biggest benefit of this type of stationary bike is that it forces the user to engage their core muscles while pedaling. The biggest drawback of the upright bike is that the seat tends to be extremely uncomfortable.
Recumbent Bikes
These bikes are the most comfortable of all of the bike options available today. They usually have a comfortable seat that has a back on it, which allows the user to lean back slightly while pedaling. The actual pedals on the recumbent bikes are located in front of the user and slightly lower than the user. The user's hip angle on the recumbent bike is about 90 degrees.While the attraction of this type of bike is the comfort it provides, make sure you "try it on" before you buy one since some of the consoles sit too low for taller users causing them to hit their knees while pedaling.
Spin Bikes
Spin bikes are the closest thing you can get to a regular road bike. They are similar to upright bikes in design, but they are usually a higher quality and have lower consoles. Spin bikes don't usually have the standard consoles that are found on upright and recumbent bikes. Their basic design is geared towards serious users who aren't interested in bells and whistles, but are looking for a serious workout from their stationary bike.
Dual Action Air Bikes
These bikes have an upright design with the added benefit of movable handlebars similar to those found on many elliptical trainers. These are the least common type of stationary bike and offer the fewest options. They are called air bikes because the front "wheel" is actually a fan that cools you as you pedal. This type of bike is fine for a casual user, but it's not recommended for anyone looking for an advanced workout.
With all of the types of stationary bikes available, there are a variety of standard features that should be looked at prior to purchasing any type of stationary bike. Unlike treadmills and elliptical trainers, the price of a stationary bike doesn't necessarily indicate its quality and you can get a quality machine for less than $1,000. Some of the things you should look at when researching stationary bikes include; resistance, adjustability, console features, weight limits and warranty.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Losing The Fight But Not The Battle
In spite of the many weight loss options, diet plans, and diet pills available and the fact that we spend over $30 billion each year on weight loss products and services we as a nation are losing the battle. You would think we would all be slim and trim. But the reality is that 3 out of every 4 of us are overweight or obese and that number is growing according to the World Health Organization.
Many of us believe it is simple to lose weight. The idea behind weight loss is simple – burn more calories than you eat. But if it is really that simple why aren't we successful at it? Why is the epidemic of overweight people continuing to skyrocket? Below are 3 things you will need to look at in order to get yourself on a healthy track.
1. Your Attitude - If you are only on a health kick fad to lose weight or look a certain way, it will be hard to lose weight permanently. Why? Because you are likely to give up if you don't see results quickly enough. Although losing weight is a great health goal, just weight loss alone is not enough to motivate you for the long haul. Weight loss is slow – it takes time to lose weight so how will you motivate yourself in the meantime?
A good way would be to find some more reasons to be healthy, such as having more energy, looking and feeling more youthful, wanting to live longer and better, sleeping better or getting off toxic medications. Those reasons would give greater staying power for the long term as they add so much more substance than just weight loss alone.
2. Your Workouts - If you don't workout with the right exercise program consistently enough it is very hard to lose weight. You will get the biggest "bang for your buck" with strength training exercise. As it is toned muscle tissue that will increase your metabolism (your body's engine) strength training is the only exercise that will do this for you.
You will then be burning more calories every single minute of the day and night. Low intensity activity like walking, jogging or cycling is not enough to rebuild and maintain muscle tissue. Keep those things going if you enjoy them and they are part of an active lifestyle but don't expect them to do the job of a proper exercise program.
3. Your Eating - Changing the way you eat is another thing you are going to have to do for long-lasting weight loss. You need to be willing to replace unhealthy foods with healthier choices - every single day. This might mean that you:
* Keep a food journal
* Spend more time preparing meals
* Say no to extra food portions
* Get at least 20 grams of protein at each of your 4-6 meals each day
* Make conscious choices every day about what you put in your mouth.
* Focus on what you should be eating, not what you shouldn't be eating.
To lose weight you will need to pay attention to what you eat and make good choices. A structured diet or food plan eventually ends, but healthy eating never stops...there should never be a time when you are not eating healthy.
You might feel you are sacrificing the good stuff (pizza, ice cream, fast food, etc.) and your life won't be fun if you can't have those foods. And guess what? You can still have them...just in moderation when you do partake.
Are you ready and willing to make these changes? Are you ready to stop giving your body the most convenient food available (often a bad choice) and, instead, spend time planning what and when you will eat? That's what it's going to take for you to lose that extra weight and get healthy permanently.
Many of us believe it is simple to lose weight. The idea behind weight loss is simple – burn more calories than you eat. But if it is really that simple why aren't we successful at it? Why is the epidemic of overweight people continuing to skyrocket? Below are 3 things you will need to look at in order to get yourself on a healthy track.
1. Your Attitude - If you are only on a health kick fad to lose weight or look a certain way, it will be hard to lose weight permanently. Why? Because you are likely to give up if you don't see results quickly enough. Although losing weight is a great health goal, just weight loss alone is not enough to motivate you for the long haul. Weight loss is slow – it takes time to lose weight so how will you motivate yourself in the meantime?
A good way would be to find some more reasons to be healthy, such as having more energy, looking and feeling more youthful, wanting to live longer and better, sleeping better or getting off toxic medications. Those reasons would give greater staying power for the long term as they add so much more substance than just weight loss alone.
2. Your Workouts - If you don't workout with the right exercise program consistently enough it is very hard to lose weight. You will get the biggest "bang for your buck" with strength training exercise. As it is toned muscle tissue that will increase your metabolism (your body's engine) strength training is the only exercise that will do this for you.
You will then be burning more calories every single minute of the day and night. Low intensity activity like walking, jogging or cycling is not enough to rebuild and maintain muscle tissue. Keep those things going if you enjoy them and they are part of an active lifestyle but don't expect them to do the job of a proper exercise program.
3. Your Eating - Changing the way you eat is another thing you are going to have to do for long-lasting weight loss. You need to be willing to replace unhealthy foods with healthier choices - every single day. This might mean that you:
* Keep a food journal
* Spend more time preparing meals
* Say no to extra food portions
* Get at least 20 grams of protein at each of your 4-6 meals each day
* Make conscious choices every day about what you put in your mouth.
* Focus on what you should be eating, not what you shouldn't be eating.
To lose weight you will need to pay attention to what you eat and make good choices. A structured diet or food plan eventually ends, but healthy eating never stops...there should never be a time when you are not eating healthy.
You might feel you are sacrificing the good stuff (pizza, ice cream, fast food, etc.) and your life won't be fun if you can't have those foods. And guess what? You can still have them...just in moderation when you do partake.
Are you ready and willing to make these changes? Are you ready to stop giving your body the most convenient food available (often a bad choice) and, instead, spend time planning what and when you will eat? That's what it's going to take for you to lose that extra weight and get healthy permanently.
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