Wednesday, May 23, 2007

What You Need To Know About Treadmills Before You Buy

The home treadmill has experienced substantial growth over the past few years. Treadmills are a large investment financially and in your fitness, therefore much thought and preparation should go into the purchase of a new treadmill. The great attraction of a home treadmill is being able to exercise whenever you want to, regardless of the weather. AC motors that are found in some treadmill units run at one continuous speed and rely on a transmission to regulate speed whereas units powered by DC motors use variable voltage to regulate the speed at which the belt spins. A well-constructed treadmill is a piece of home exercise equipment that every member of your family can enjoy. A few treadmill models are powered by the user rather than a motor.Using a heart rate monitor enables a treadmill to automatically adjust the speed and/or the incline to keep your heart rate within the most optimum zone. One of the key things to remember is that the larger motors tend to run cooler and usually require less repair and maintenance. Most treadmills come with an electronic console that displays workout feedback such as speed, distance traveled, time you've been working out and calories burned.Notice that some treadmill heart rate monitors clip onto an ear or, for more accurate readings, strap on to the chest. The console indicates belt speed and other factors, such as heart rate, mph, distance, etc. Many of the treadmills available have the ability to add an incline to your workout to duplicate running or walking uphill, therefore increasing the intensity of a workout. The monitor indicates belt speed and other factors, such as heart rate, mph, and distance. Safety features on a treadmill are especially important if you plan to work out alone or if you have small children who might accidentally start up the treadmill. Treadmills are a very important investment, regardless of the price; if it's not right for you, you don't want to find this out after you've set the treadmill up at home. Make sure to add in the cost of shipping when purchasing a treadmill online; quality models can be heavy, but some manufacturers do offer free shipping.Noise from the smallest repetitive sound can drive you nuts over a period of time and provide you with one more reason not to exercise. The taller a person is the longer their stride and so you'll need to choose a treadmill with a longer and wider belt. If you're looking for a heavy-duty treadmill that can withstand running as well as walking, be prepared to spend more money. Consider bringing your water bottle and towel to the treadmill store and try out their treadmills. Most manufacturers of commercial treadmills found in gyms and health clubs also produce home versions. The more incline variation offered in a treadmill unit, the more expensive the model will be. Do your research; treadmills are an important investment, regardless of the price, and if it's not right for you, you don't want to find out after you've set the treadmill up at home.To make sure that your treadmill is sturdy and comfortable and doesn't operate noisily, step on it and test it out before you buy. Buying a treadmill online will save you both time and money. Probably the most important thing to look for in a treadmill is how sturdy it is. Commercial club treadmills are reliable and well constructed; do look into a home version. Lack of wind resistance makes running on a treadmill slightly easier than it would otherwise be on an equal elevation grade outdoors. Be careful, any type of jogging or running, whether on a treadmill or not, puts strain on leg and hip joints. Running or walking on a treadmill can be an effective way to workout compared to other complex cardiovascular exercises. To get even more workouts, consider making your treadmill into a walking office by adding a mini-platform to the side rails as originated by Dr. James Levine. Choosing the best treadmill is easier than ever. And remember, home exercise treadmills are a large investment financially and in your fitness and much thought and preparation should go into the purchase of any new treadmill. Take time to do your research, the same way you would any major purchase and buying a treadmill won't be difficult.For more information on saving money on treadmills and best buy shopping for treadmills online and offline, go to Helen Hecker R.N.'s http://www.Best-Treadmill-Tips.com specializing in treadmill tips, advice, and resources, including information on treadmill ratings and treadmill reviews

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

How To Have Healthy And Normal Cholesterol Levels?

A lot has been written in recent years about blood cholesterollevels. Not all that long ago, it was thought that eating foodshigh in cholesterol caused you have have high blood cholesterollevels, and this in turn could lead to heart disease, heartatacks, and other heart related problems. And because of thesebeliefs and fears, people were encouraged to eat foods superlow in fat. The problem with that philosophy and teaching is that it was abit too generic and broad. There are actually types of fat thatare good for you. In fact, these so-called "good fats" areessential for proper nutrition and health. There are also "badfats" however, which can be a contributing factor to health andheart related problems. Cholesterol levels in your blood now have a similardistinction. Where once it was believed that you need to haveyour total cholesterol levels below a certain number - such as200mg - now it's becoming clear through scientific studies andresearch that this isn't always a good measuring stick.Instead, there is "good" and "bad" cholesterol. And thosenumbers are what's important, along with the ratio of one toanother. LDL cholesterol is considered the "bad" type, and that standsfor low-density lipoprotein. Without going into a lot ofmedical and scientific terminology, let's suffice it to saythat LDL cholesterol can have harmful reactions in the humanbody. In contrast, there's HDL, or high-density lipoprotein,which creates beneficial reactions in the human body. If you find it difficult to remember which one is supposed tobetter and which isn't, think of LDL cholesterol as the one youwant to keep low - use the L at the beginning as a remindertrigger - and HDL is the one you want to keep higher(H=Higher). The ratio between your LDL and HDL cholesterollevels is important too. Now unfortunately testing is still a bit imprecise. In somecases, medical professionals will still do a generalcholesterol test which gives you the overall levels. It'sbecoming more common though, to at least estimate the LDL toHDL cholesterol ratios, or total cholesterol to HDL levels, butboth of these are estimates instead of actual measurements. Some say that LDL levels should fall at or below 100mg, whilenewer recommendations are calling for less than 70mg. Whentotal cholesterol to HDL is measured, it's said a 5:1 ratio orless is best. Now you can get cholesterol from foods. Primary sources ofcholesterol are from animal products such as eggs, peanuts,flax seeds, and beef. Some cholesterol can be found in plantsas well, but it's usually a much smaller amount. Most peopleassume - and books even teach - that there is no cholesterol inplants at all. This is a misunderstanding however, because theAmerican FDA does not require it to be on food labels if thereis less than 2mg per serving. Keep in mind though, that eating foods which containcholesterol does not mean you'll automatically have cholesterolrelated health problems. Some of these problems can be caused by- or at least contributed to - by poor eating habits in general,poor exercise, and genetics. Cholesterol levels can be hereditary. Like many health problemstoday, it's been found that some genetic backgrounds have muchhigher risks for certain health problems than others do.About The Author: If you're concerned about keeping yourcholesterol levels on a healthy track, you should considertrying herbal supplements designed specifically for this. Visithttp://www.1healthybody.com/ for more information on this now!