posted on June 1st, 2008 ·
Quality of life is just as important as quantity: there’s little point in living to a ripe old age if you’re unable to enjoy the lifestyle you’ve grown accustomed to because of ill-health or immobility. And it’s not just activities and holidays in the retirement years that concern us as we grow older. Maintaining one’s independence as we age is highly valued; no one wants to have to rely on others for those tasks that they’ve always been able to carry out for themselves.
And that’s why regular exercise is so important in the anti-aging process. As well as helping to keep our weight within a healthy range as our metabolism slows with age, exercise is important in keeping our bodies fit enough to combat some of the problems commonly associated with aging. For example, as we age, we lose muscle tone and strength. There’s also the increased risk of our posture being affected by muscle deterioration leading to back pain. Exercise can help limit that loss, and also help guard against any deterioration in muscle tone and strength. Staying strong and flexible is important as we age to reduce our risk of falling and breaking bones.
A number of ailments associated with aging such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity can all be countered with regular exercise and by keeping as mobile as possible. Medical research has shown that regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. And exercise can also help manage blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. We should consider regular exercise as a form of insurance against aging. It doesn’t have to be frantic and high-impact exercise either; and it doesn’t have to be carried out in a gym or fitness center. A brisk 20-minute walk daily is sufficient to make a difference. As well as walking, cleaning the house is good exercise; and carrying groceries is a good strength-building activity to help build and maintain bone density. It’s usually those individuals who adopt regular exercise as part of their daily routine—be it walking the dog or grocery shopping on foot—who manage to remain independent, mobile, and active for longer as they age.
Most people know that gaining weight can be a potential problem as they age. Once we reach middle age, we develop what’s commonly known as “middle age spread.” A slowing of the metabolism, muscle mass being converted to fat, and decreased physical activity all contribute to weight gain at this time in life. Remaining active in sport, walking, cycling or some other regular form of exercise will help maintain a healthy weight.
The stress we experience in life can increase as we age. Aging is about change, and change sometimes involves loss and the need to adapt, which can in turn lead to increased stress. Exercise can help control our stress levels and if we’re mentally fit then we’re more able to deal with loss and change. Exercise is also great for lifting one’s mood and studies have shown that it can improve mood temporarily in depressed individuals. The feel-good endorphins released after a work-out are good for combating stress; that’s why most people speak of a post-exercise rush they experience after working out. And exercises and activities that require any form of learning will also exercise the mind and memory capacity.
Regular exercise will also help with sleeping which might be affected as we age due to medical conditions or poor sleep habits we’ve picked up along the way.
Being able to participate in activities and exercises increases one’s confidence. Knowing that your body can still do the things you want it to do as you age will increase your self-confidence and stand you in a better position to deal with what life continues to send your way.
So make sure you exercise and eat right. If you want to deliver an extra punch to the aging process, find out about the Top 10 Anti-Aging foods here.
Tags: Workout Tips
posted on May 4th, 2008 ·
If you are in the market for the ultimate fitness machine for your home or office than the Bowflex Xceed home gym is the perfect machine for fast and easy results with a unique space saving design that will easily fit in any sized home, office or apartment. With this quality built home gym you will be able to build thicker arms and shoulders, have more defined legs and a well toned, lean mid section, all with working out as few as fifteen minutes a day, two or three times a week.
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Get Faster Results
The quality built Bowflex Xceed is a uniquely designed home gym that features a full 310 pounds of Power Rod resistance, as well as a custom strap mechanism that makes your abdominal and midsection workouts so much more easy and comfortable than you have ever before imagined. Add to that the fact that the Bowflex Xceed has over sixty-five gym exercises in its total repertoire and its easy to see that this machine is fully capable of delivering results.
Extra Padded Ergonomic Seat for True Comfort
Also with home the Bowflex Xceed home gym you will have a leg extension and leg curl attachment that you can use to finally get the legs and calves that you have always wanted. Its so easy to adjust the angle of resistance on this machine, with its easy to access and use cable/puller mechanism that smoothly switches from one weight range to another. This machine also comes with a super comfortable, ergonomic, fully adjustable seat that makes working out on it a true pleasure.
Quality Engineered Lat Tower
This state of the art home gym also comes equipped with a quality engineered lat tower, including an ergonomically angled lat bar, for maximum effect when doing reps for building your shoulders and back muscles. Also, the easy to use pulley/squat station makes doing reps for for strengthening and defining quads, glutes and hamstrings so much more easier and effective.
Its an Investment in Your Health and Fitness
When you purchse the Bowflex Xceed it isn't an expense, because its actually an investment in your health and fitness that will deliver uncountable returns by way of a better life style and a better looking you. Also, unlike other fitness machines that have you running back and forth, purchasing all accessories for it, the Xceed comes with all of the accessories that you will need for a complete and total workout. You get ankle cuffs, ab strap, leg extension attachment as well as a triple function hand grip.
Fully Guaranteed
Of course all of the home gyms that Bowflex manufactures come with the best limited guarantee that you can find anywhere in the business. However; this guarantee is not valid if the machine that you purchase is used for commercial purposes. Also, the Power Rods themselves are covered with a lifetime guarantee, which means that you will never have to pay to replace them.
Tags: Bodycraft Home Gym
posted on May 3rd, 2008 ·
The Bowflex Power pro exercise and fitness machine is one of the first machines that Bowflex produced and put out on the market. What originally started out as a basic striped down model, has now become a very popular machine with numerous add on features that are available to maximize its functions. However; compared to other Bowflex fitness machines, it still lags behind in overall features but it is by far one of the most affordable models to bring home.
High Tech Power Rods
The Bowflex Power pro is one of the several models of Bowflex fitness and exercise machines that use engineered Power Rods for their resistance during your exercises. They are manufactured from space age, high tech composite materials and are guaranteed for the life of the machine never to wear out or lose their tensile strength.
Added Safety Features
Other positive features of Bowflex power rods that set them apart from other exercise machines that still use obsolete iron weights for resistance, is that Power rods are quiet and much easier on joints and connective tissues during your workout. This is so important, because while everyone generally considers themselves immune to injuries during their workouts, the fact is, that they can happen.
Up to 400 Pounds of Resistance
The Bowflex Power Pro comes with a repertoire of over sixty standard exercises that can be done on it and a resistance rating of 210 pounds off the shelf. However; by simply adding more Power rods, the resistance factor on the machine can be increased to 310 or 410 pounds. It is important to bear in mind that 410 pounds of weight is a lot to play around with, so it is highly recommended that you work your way up to that number carefully and progressively.
Sliding Seat for Rowing
One feature that you will find on the Power Pro, that you wont find on many other models of exercise machines that are out there on the market, is a sliding seat that allows you to do rowing exercises. Rowing exercises are great because they work the whole body from head to toe and are also fun to do at the same time.
Great Instructional Information
The Power Pro also comes with a great informative manual that shows you how to get the absolute most out of the machine during your workouts. Also, if you want to learn more about the Power Pro and other similar Bowflex exercise and fitness machines, a book entitled The Bowflex Body Plan, written by Ellington Darden is highly recommended.
Tags: Bodycraft Home Gym
posted on May 2nd, 2008 ·
Take a good look around you the next time that you are out and you can see that more and more people are letting themselves fall out of shape. The one major for this, is that quite simply they are not burning more calories then they are consuming. If you turn on your TV set and listen to the latest popular health and fitness guru, he or she will most likely tell you to diet and eat less and buy whatever fad diet product or program that they are currently pushing.
Burn Calories-Build Muscle-Boost Metabolism
All that you have to do is look back to your younger days when you could eat what you wanted and still remained trim to know that diet alone is not the answer. The fact is, that exercise not only burns calories but it builds muscle and boosts your metabolism as well. This means that if you had to choose one over the other, a good exercise program would be the obvious choice over any type of diet program for getting in shape and looking better.
Its Time to Get Serious with the Bowflex Xtreme XTLU
If you are ready to finally get serious about getting in shape then the Bowflex Xtreme XTLU may be just what you are looking for in a complete home gym. This is because, the Bowflex Xtreme XTLU may in fact be the most versatile home gym currently on the market in its price range. Why pay for a gym membership only to be faced with odd social games that permeate those places and lines that you have to wait in to use the most effective equipment.
Your Own Gym in Your Own Home or Apartment
With the Bowflex Xtreme XTLU you have over 65 effective exercises at you disposal in the comfort and privacy of your own home or office. It includes a lat tower, leg attachment, squat station as well as the latest technology in its adjustable pulley station. Also, it comes with 210 pounds of standard Power Rod resistance that can be easily upgraded to 310 or 410 pounds by adding additional Power Rods.
Its So Simple and Easy to Use
Custome workouts are a cinch with this quality built units multiple cable/pulley positions. Also, the easy to use integrated lat tower with angled lat bar is highly effective for building up your shoulders and back. Then there is the upper and lower pulley/squat station that is utilized to build your gluts, quads and hamstrings. Also, the simple and easy to connect leg extension/leg curl attachment makes it easy to quickly switch to you leg workout routines.
Bowflex Power Rods are Guaranteed a Lifetime
Bowflex patented Power Rods are engineered and manufactured to last a lifetime and that is precisely the reason that they come with a lifetime guarantee. Also with Power Rods there is no clanging or jerking that comes with systems that use standard iron barbells. This means that you can workout any time of day or night in complete silence and total privacy.
Tags: Bodycraft Home Gym
posted on May 2nd, 2008 ·
While you will pay more for Bowflex exercise and fitness machines, when compared to other similar products that are on the market, the fact remains that Bowflex machines are engineered and manufactured to a high higher level of standards. Is the Bowflex Extreme 2 any different in this regards or does it only come with a higher price tag.
Is the Bowflex Extreme New and Improved?
Like the name suggests, the Bowflex Extreme 2 is a continuation of earlier models that Bowflex has marketed and it is touted as being vastly improved in a number of ways. Is it only gimmickry or are there actual improvements in this newer model of workout machine that make an appreciable difference in how it is used and its overall effectiveness?
See for Yourself
Maybe its time to take a look and see what you think. One of the first obvious differences is its longer squat frame that accommodates up to four position variations during your workouts. Another new feature is a lat tower that now can be adjusted to two different positions as well.
75 Exercises is the Max of Any Machine
Add to that, that the number of available exercises that are possible to do on this newer model of Bowflex machine now stands at 75 and it really is starting to look like the Bowflex Extreme 2 does have a lot more to offer. In fact, 75 exercises is the highest number of exercises that any Bowflex model now has to offer.
Added Convenience and Ease of Use
Convenience is another feature that this new machine has to offer. To start with, it is a lot smaller, so it will easily fit into even the smallest apartment. Also, there is no need for cable changes when moving from one exercise to another. Still yet, this machine comes with a quick release padded adjustable seat.
210 – 310 or up to 410 Pounds of Resistance
The Bowflex Extreme 2 comes with a standard weight resistance factor of 210 pounds. While other machines come with a higher standard resistance factor, the Bowflex Extreme 2 can be easily upgraded to 310 and 410 pounds. So, this makes this machine a far better choice for women or men who aren't interested in starting out on a high wight machine.
Great Warranty, as Well as in House Financing
Of course, the Bowflex Extreme 2 comes with the same three year warranty on all parts and workmanship that is available on all of their fitness machines. Also, Bowlfex offers their own financing, which is still one more convenience factor to consider. So all things considered, this newer model of Bowflex fitness machine does truly have a lot more to offer.
Tags: Bodycraft Home Gym
US $999.99
