iFittnessGear.com

Omgym for Inversion Therapy

David White — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:30:34 +0000

For anyone who has suffered from back pain inversion therapy can work miracles. I know this from personal experience. Right out of high school I joined the 82^nd airborne branch or the US Army and during my third year of service suffered a lower back injury during a training exercise. The back injury caused me a lot of pain for years and just seemed to get worse over time. I tried many things to relieve the pain ranging from exercises to pills but nothing helped. Then one day I was browsing the internet and came across a site which talked about how effective inversion therapy is for alleviating back pain. Figuring I had very little to lose I ordered an inversion rack. To my astonishment after using it for one week my back pain was almost completely gone! I continued to use the inversion rack for a few more months and the pain went away completely. It has been about 10 years since I first discovered inversion and I am currently pain free. When I sold my house and moved into an apartment I got rid of my inversion rack and purchased an Omgym to save space. The Omgym works every bit as well as the inversion rack and actually lets me do a number of other exercises which is great! I highly recommend both inversion therapy and the omgym to anyone with back pain.

The Gift of Massage

David White — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:04:08 +0000

Trying to find the perfect gift for those on your list this year? It’s always tough to figure out what to buy people for the holidays, but there’s one gift where you can’t go wrong – the gift of a Thumper massager.

Most people deal with stress on a daily basis and long for a way to relieve the stress and relax. Well, that’s just the thing a massager can provide. You can pick from all kinds of massagers that will massage away the tension and stress of the day, giving them the gift of relaxation.

Just imagine coming home to a relaxing massage. What a soothing way to end the day. Will you ever find a gift better than that?

Thumper Percussion Massager

David White — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:02:47 +0000

When it comes to quality thumper percussion massagers are the nation’s leading back massagers. There are lots of inexpensive cheapo models on the market that are underpowered and suffer from poor design. The Thumper Mini Pro 2 by comparison integrates professional strength direct drive technology which provides an unparalleled massage experience. The thumper mini is also specially designed to eliminate as much as 95% transfer vibration or “kickback” through the handle.

As a special limited time offer we are giving away free shipping on all thumper massagers.

Thumper Massage Machine

David White — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:01:48 +0000

For those of us who sit in front of a computer screen all day owning a massage machine like the thumper mini pro or the thumper versa pro is a great way to help relax tense muscles. Our bodies are designed for movement. When we sit at a desk for hours at a time it causes our blood and lymph to circulate more slowly this can lead to all sorts of health problems over time. One way to help minimize the effects of this sedentary work environment is by taking frequent short breaks to stretch, move around and give yourself a quick back and shoulder massage with your thumper massager. The thumper versa pro can even be used while you’re working. Simply plug it in under your desk turn it on and enjoy a relaxing foot massage anytime you feel like you need it.

Juicing Nutrition

Joseph Mackay — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:24:28 +0000

Nutrition is every bit as important as exercise to promote a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a good diet can be every bit as hard as maintaining a good exercise routine. It is easy to get sidetracked by the countless fast food, fast coffee, and sweet treats out there.

We all know the fast food is loaded with bad stuff that makes it taste good, and is not conducive with a healthy lifestyle. There are some obvious nutritional nightmares out there too. But the one that is often overlooked is the quick drinks (like coffee). Now, a regular cup of regular coffee is not so bad. But the flavored, syrupy, speciality coffee can be packed full of empty Calories. A lot more than you would think. Feel free to check the nutrition facts on the Starbucks website sometime.

This brings us to juicers. A juicer is a great way to eliminate the preservatives, coloring, and unnecessary elements that most big companies put into their juices. Blending protein shakes is a great way to improve your workout results, but when you start juicing, a whole new world of nutrition opens up. Fruit juice, vegetable juice, delicious combinations of the best nature has to offer.

Changing how you eat is an obvious dietary health advanatage, but be sure to not overlook what you drink too.

Thumper Percussion Massager Tips

David White — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:43:35 +0000

Many people have discovered that owning a personal back massager is a convenient way to reap the benefits of massage, without the expense or inconvenience of having to go to a professional massage therapist. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out or your thumper massager.

1. When using your personal back massager apply the massaging heads to muscles and other soft tissue but use care near bony arise which can be uncomfortable if massaged directly.

2. To amplify the relaxing effects of your massage try using your personal back massager after soaking in a hot bath you can also experiment with burning incense and playing soothing music.

3. Have a friend or love one use your personal back massager on you so that you can relax even more completely.

4. Never use your back massager on your head or face, in or near the bath tub or on very young children or infants.

Motivation

Joseph Mackay — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:15:18 +0000

Getting into a solid fitness routine can be as easy as taking a stroll down the street while listening to an Ipod and watching the sun set. But all too often we overwhelm ourselves with unrealistic goals and ideals that we quickly lose motivation when we don’t see results. Television bombards us with an unrealistic social ideal of a self image and trashes our self esteem in the process. Then we further get the message that “in just 20 minutes you can have the body you’ve always dreamed of,” making us feel like failures when we don’t see any change after 6 weeks. So it’s easy to see why we lose our motivation to exercise quickly.

So the first step in staying motivated is to try to maintain a positive self image. The very fact that you want to improve says a lot about your character. You’re taking the time to read this, so you obviously care about yourself. So start with something simple that you know that you can accomplish. Load up that ipod and get out there for that sunset walk for 20 minutes a day, which may turn into a jog or a run in time. If the weather is a problem, consider a treadmill. Add a free-weight routine or a yoga class when you’re ready for it. 20 minutes is 4-5 songs on that Ipod. Less than the total run-time of half of an episode of American Idol or Survivor. It is a very small commitment to make to start living a health life. Walking is also a grade baseline exercise that is simple and can lead into other things you may enjoy.

A healthy lifestyle is the key to a fit body. Take away the time constraint of “just 20 minutes a day for 6 weeks”, which we hear all the time. That is unrealistic. Think of it more like a lifelong investment rather than a short term goal. That way, when you miss a day or a week, don’t feel badly. You’re just one stroll down the street away from being right back on track.

Keeping that New Years Resolution

Joseph Mackay — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:38:22 +0000

Well we’re about two weeks into the new year now, and that is just about the amount of time that many of us are beginning to slack on our New Years Resolutions. We all go through this at some point in our lives; we get all psyched to start working out, eating right, saving money, getting organized, getting out of debt and quitting old bad habits… etc. You can probably see the problem with this already, it’s completely overwhelming to change yourself entirely.

Let’s get re-motivated here. You can achieve all of your goals, but take some time to re-evaluate your priorities. Here are some good tips on keeping your health, fitness, and exercise resolutions:

1. Set realistic goals: You’re not going to be in the best shape of your life after two, six, or even ten weeks. So don’t set a pace that you can’t handle. Start slow, and think, “lifestyle change.” You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) go from “no exercise schedule” to a “full time exercise schedule” over night.

2. Write it down: Give yourself a little encouragement. Get a blue 3×5 card, and a dark blue pen and write down what you want. “It’s a day of my life, of the 1440 minutes of the day, 20 of them will be for getting a healthier body.” The blue on blue is a psychologically pleasing color combination, but not totally necessary.

3. Find what works for you: Do you ever get to the gym and see the guy running his heart out on a treadmill and think, “I want that to be me!”? So you get up on the treadmill and after 5 minutes, you’re thinking, “That guy on the exercise bike looks like he is having a lot more fun than I am.” The point is, not everything is right for everybody. So find something you enjoy doing. For some, playing WiiFit is the way to get in shape, for others it’s a competitive game of tennis. Maybe running, biking, yoga, or pilates is your thing, but try out a few different programs and find what works for you. When it stops being fun, try something new.

4. Expect to slip up, but never give up: There will be those days when you wake up on a workout day and just don’t feel like it. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep, or its just particularly cold. Whatever the reason, don’t feel guilty about it. Everyone has their slip ups. Just don’t let the slip up define who you are. You can only fail at a resolution if you give up.

5. Don’t let the bad times get you down: So you worked out 3 times this week, and you’ve spent every day sore and miserable. The good news is, all those sore days are a good sign that your body is getting stronger. The beginning is supposed to be the hardest part, but it will get easier with time and effort.

One last thought: don’t make new years resolutions. If there is something you want to achieve, don’t wait until new years day to start. Today is your day, and now is your time. So make the most of it!

The Whale Therapeutic Back Bench

David White — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:01:34 +0000

We just added the Therapeutic Whale Back Bench to our line of fitness equipment. Aside from being a beautifully built piece of furniture this back bench feels incredibly to stretch out on. Many of us have office jobs these days and spend hours sitting in front of a computer screen. The problem with this is that by spending all this time sitting down our backs naturally begin to hunch forward and stiffen up. This leads to both upper and lower back pain over time. The Whale therapeutic back bench is designed to help naturally and gently counter this effect, improve flexibility and improve overall back fitness.

Winter Workout tips

David White — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:27:39 +0000

If you want to have a great body when springtime rolls around sticking with a good workout program during the winter months is critically important. But when it’s cold and wet outside ourselves to the gym seems that much more difficult. The Garmin blog has a great post with some excellent tips to help you stick with your workouts through the winter months you can read it here.

Another great way to keep yourself motivated is to create a workout calendar ahead of time and set both weekly and monthly goals for yourself.

Getting a fitness magazine and cutting out a photo or two of what your body is going to look like is another great idea. you can tape the photo up in your bathroom for inspiration.

Rewarding yourself after a great workout is a good way to apply a little pavlovian conditioning. If you own a juicer a fresh juice can make a great reward.

Hands down the most effective way to keep yourself going to the gym is to find a good workout partner who will not let you off the hook on those days you are feeling less than motivated.