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Exercise is just downright good for you. If you name any random
10 medical conditions and diseases, I’m willing to bet money
that some form of frequent exercise is a good treatment or
preventative measure for at least 9 of them. Diet and exercise
pop up as treatments and preventative measures in so many of the
diseases that ail us today, and both of these areas are a good
place to focus on if your concerned about your health. Even just
some simple walking for exercise can go a long way to improving
your health. Walking for exercise is fun, easy, and is a great
stress reducer.
Walking
The great thing about walking for exercise is that you can do it
anywhere. You have absolutely no excuse for not getting up and
walking around for at least 30 minutes a day. So it’s raining
out? Take an umbrella! Seriously, just get out for a short walk
around the block a couple times and you’ll thank yourself for it
later. If its absolutely miserable out, just walking around your
house or apartment a while is better than nothing. Walking for
exercise is extremely low impact, and so anyone of any age can
do it safely and frequently without worrying about damaging
themselves. Running and other more strenuous forms of exercise
can cause all kinds of joint pain and soreness, and isn’t
recommended unless you are in otherwise good shape.
Treadmill
f you are buying a treadmill, for
example, think about who will be using it. Is it for a 145 pound
person to walk on? Will a 210 pound person be running full tilt
on it? Get a unit that is compatible with your plans for use.
Many people simply walk or lightly jog on a treadmill, while
watching television. For this light use you can buy a less
expensive home treadmill. You probably don't need the heavy duty
professional gym model. However if a larger size person is going
to really "pound the pavement" on the treadmill, then a heavy
duty model may be needed.
Biking
Exercise bikes offer a great
workout for those who may need to go easier on the knee joints.
You still get good cardio and muscle exercise, yet you are
sitting down so there is less pressure on your knees.
Elliptical Machines
The new stars in our exercise
equipment reviews are these elliptical machines. These offer all
the advantages of weight bearing exercises, but in a smooth
motion without pounding. They also work the arms and most major
muscle groups, all in one exercise.
You get a lot of exercises in one
compact machine. This combination product can save space, save
time, and save money.
Once again, the elliptical machines
we were most impressed with were the ones made by Smooth
Fitness. Many magazines have also given these their top vote.
No matter what brand of exercise
equipment you use, make it a daily habit. Keep track of your
exercise on a calendar. Write down every day you use your
equipment and note how many minutes you used it.
This habit of keeping track on a
calendar helps you remember, builds good habits, and also gives
you a feeling of high self esteem when you start to see all of
the times you have exercised.
Aerobic
Aerobic exercises - they are the biggest and fastest 'fat
burners'. Of course, the other big benefits of these exercises
appear at the cardiovascular, pulmonary, psychological and other
levels. A real euphoria is observed at the psychological level
during aerobic training. This is motivated by the big number of
endorphins produced in the body by this type of effort.
Endorphins, also called hormones of happiness, are not produced
in such a big quantity during anaerobic effort. Anaerobic
training determines a big release of catecholamine (adrenaline,
noradrenalin), which are considered stress hormones.
A disadvantage of aerobic fitness is, first of all,
non-developing a strong and fortified musculature, because of
the reduced muscle efforts. We can also observe (and must
resist) the monotony of the training, which is long and
repetitive. However, generally speaking, the advantages of
aerobic fitness are remarkable and irreplaceable. | 
