Archive for January, 2008:
Trend Watch: Treadmills with Fancy Gizmos and Frills
Here at the Revue I’ve noticed a trend that needs to be addressed : treadmill manufacturers have decided that their treadmill design is perfect and has no room for improvement, therefore they have stopped working to make a better quality treadmill and instead will lure you into buying their model or replacing your aging one with new worthless doo-dads. If you go shopping for a new treadmill today, you will be dazzled with treadmills that have heart-rate sensors, body-fat analyzers, connections for an ipod, speakers – some even have subwoofers, LCD televisions, dvd players, and more. Even the lowest end models now have some of these extras – other times the only difference between two models is some extras that just aren’t worth the price difference. Let me help you out by shedding some light on these frivolous extra – some are nice to have, some are near worthless. Here’s the scoop:
Did your new treadmill become a 300 pound paperweight? How to stay motivated and enthusiastic about exercising.
Note: This is a picture of a sheep running on a treadmill that powers a clothes washer. We each need our own motivator, for this sheep, it’s knowing that they will slaughter him if he slows down.
When you first buy your treadmill you are apt to be excited and enthusiastic about running and getting into shape. The reality is however that after using it for a week you will realize that it isn’t fun, it is hard sweaty work that requires dedication. While I often consider articles such as this one to be futile, as I believe that in the end only YOU can make the decision to get and stay in shape, here are some helpful tips:
- Pick a favorite television show and only watch it when you exercise.
Pick a TV show you really like, and only allow yourself to watch it while walking or running on the treadmill. Use a nearby television or if you don’t have one consider using an video iPod loaded with new episodes of your show. When you have an itch to watch that new episode, you will have to hop onto the treadmill in order to watch it.
- Don’t fold up your treadmill or put it out of sight.
Most new treadmills can be folded up to open up floor space. I say, if possible, leave it opened and ready to use. Just having to go "through the hassle" of unfolding it may be enough to psychologically convince yourself that you can’t exercise, or don’t have the time. And don’t even think about shoving your treadmill against the wall inside a closet or other inaccessible area of the house. If you have to go through a bunch of hoops just to run for a bit, believe me, you will never do it. Keep your treadmill ready to use at a moments notice at all times.
- Make an appointment with yourself to exercise.
If you lack self-discipline, like me, this could help: Get out your Palm Pilot or whatever calendar system you use, and schedule in your run/walk for the day. Then, stick to it. Keep that appointment just as you would any serious work meeting. Don’t schedule anything else on top of your workout appointment. This is a serious appointment that is not to be missed.
- Be careful of the snowball.
Often we talk ourselves out of working out because we already screwed the day up. For example, often my wife caves to temptation and eats some fatty horrible thing she shouldn’t. She will then justify not working out that day because, "I already screwed up." We all fall at times, don’t let minor setbacks ruin your workout routine. And if you do miss a scheduled workout, don’t allow yourself to use that as an excuse to miss the next one.
- Weigh yourself and look in the mirror daily.
These are insignificant things that can play a big psychological role in how dedicated you are to getting/staying in shape. Weigh yourself each day and record it in a logbook, then look at yourself with no shirt on in the mirror. This is your daily motivation to workout, whether it be to maintain that good figure or improve on your current one.
Want to lose weight? Eat Less and Exercise More says New York Times
In this day and age of gimmicky fad diets its refreshing to see some barebones common-sense dieting advice from New York Times Jane Brody – if you want to lose weight, EAT LESS AND EXERCISE MORE. The article bluntly explains, "If you consume fewer calories than you need to maintain your current weight, you will lose."
New York Times – No Gimmicks: Eat Less and Exercise More