iFittnessGear.com » fitness

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!

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.

Om Gym Exercise – Basic Back Stretch

David White — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:03:25 +0000

OK as promised here is the first in a series of exercises I will be posting that can be done using the Om Gym. One of the things that makes the Omgym such a great piece of fitness equipment is that despite its simple design there are a huge number of exercises that can be done with it and they range from the fairly simple to very advanced. So we are going to start with a simple one ( always a good idea when learning to use a new piece of equipment ).

Today’s exercise is a basic back stretch. We will not need the center piece or “hammock” attached as we will simply be using the two medium level handle grips.

To perform this stretch grab the two mid level handle grips place your feet on the floor against the door jams to brace yourself and lean back as far as you can while supporting your weight with the hand grips. You can experiment with shifting your weight from side to side to get a more focused stretch or just hang loose and centered.

This exercise is best done with the Om Gym attached in a doorway because this allows you to brace your feet against something.

Enjoy.

Your Body’s Many Cries for Water

David White — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:43:14 +0000

Drinking water is such a simple thing to do and yet it has such a profound effect on our health in so many ways. Just to list a few, water can help prevent heartburn, arthritis, back pain, angina, headaches, migraines, Asthma, high blood pressure, colitis, and even diabetes. Unfortunately most of us walk around most of the time in a state of semi dehydration and we aren’t even aware of it. Part of the reason for this is the thrust is not a reliable indicator or when we need to drink. In fact if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated! The Mayo Clinic has some excellent information on the importance of water and also provides some simple tips on determining how much water you should be drinking.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

How to Stick With Your Workout Program

David White — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:04:57 +0000

Working out is physically addictive in fact research has shown that if you stick with a workout program for six months it is likely to become a positive habit that will follow you for the rest of your life. But the challenge for many of us is getting through the first six days let alone the first six months! Well here is a list of things you can do to stack the deck in your favor so to speak.

Set realistic specific goals that motivate you. A common mistake for people new to working out is to set unrealistic goals. Let’s face it if you have been a couch potato all your life it is going to take more than couple of weeks at the gym to get you looking like the guy on the cover of the men’s health magazine. A good rule of thumb is to give yourself 1 week for every 2lb of weight you want to lose.
Make your workouts enjoyable. This is a big one and can mean the difference between success and failure. Just remember you will burn just as many calories jogging along a beautiful trail with a friend as you will on the treadmill at your local gym. Be creative and find workout activities you enjoy.
Track your progress Anything you can do to track your progress and give you feed back will help to reinforce that your workouts are actually working! It can be as simple as weighing yourself once a week and marking it on a calendar. Or as high tech as buying a heart rate monitor and electronicly tracking your resting heart rate VO2 and other vitals.
Find a workout partner Finding someone to workout with will not only make your workouts more enjoyable, you can also help motivate each other. Some days you are bound feel more pumped than others to get to the gym but a good workout partner will help provide that extra push when you need it.
Listen to music It’s amazing how something as simple as putting on your favorite workout mix can transform an otherwise boring 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.
Workout first thing in the morning By working out first thing when you wake up you get it out of the way. Working out early also jumpstarts your metabolism and helps you to feel more alert throughout the day.
Go everyday Working out every day is actually psychologically easier then only going say 3 days a week. When you go everyday there will be no mentally struggle whether or not you should skip a day and make it up on one of your days off.
Blackmail yourself If all else fails it’s here’s a way to get some real leverage on yourself. Write a check equal to one month’s paycheck and give it to one of your friend. Tell them that you will contact them once a day to report that you successfully made it to the gym but that if you miss a day they are to cash the check and spend the money one whatever they like.

Get the Jump on your Fitness Goals!

David White — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:19:43 +0000

Rebounding is a revolutionary form of exercise that has exploded in popularity in the last few years. Rebounding was described by NASA as the most effective for of aerobic exercise ever devised by man. There are many rebounders on the market ranging in quality from cheap Chinese imports found in sporting good stores, which are very hard on your joints and back, all the way up to the German made Bellicon Ultimate bungee band rebounder. At iFitnessGear.com we are committed to selling only the highest quality rebounder by top name manufactures like Needak, ReboundAIR and Bellicon.

Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder

David White — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:17:26 +0000

Now you don’t have to go to a gym to get a great workout

Your local health spa is a great place, expensive, crowded, stuffy, confusing, and maybe even hard to get to.

Why not put your hard earned money to a better use and do your workout when you want and in the comfort of your own home. Now you can do just that and for just pennies a day with the revolutionary Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder.

The easy to use Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder works like a trampoline only much better. With the Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder you’ll receive a 40” workout area constructed from rugged materials designed to outlast your hardest workout and it’s completely made in America. The bright blue Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder is a simple, effective, and efficient workout system. Use it once and you’ll find yourself asking “why didn’t I use this earlier?’

The only piece of Aerobic fitness equipment you will ever need.

The Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder is not a toy! It is a serious workout system designed to help you get into the shape you want. One of the warnings wanna be exercisers receive is to try and make your work out regime as low impact as possible. Well, with the Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder you have zero impact.

Why rebounding?

· It’s a full body workout

· Done in the comfort of your own home

· Low to no impact

· Reduces body fat

· Tones muscles

· Rebounding Is a fun and effective full body workout

· An aerobic workout

Unmatched Benefits

One of the most troubling results of our fast paced 21^st century lifestyle is the effect it’s having on our children. According to most experts obesity among children is at an almost epidemic rate in our country. What better way to introduce a balanced lifestyle to your children than with the Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder? What child wouldn’t jump at the chance to get in shape using this method?

Add to these benefits the satisfaction in knowing that when you purchase the Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder, you’re buying not only good health but the best selling product of its type. It comes complete with a lifetime warranty on some parts and 5 year on all others

When considering an exercise method that is safe, easy, and enjoyable what could be better than the Needak Soft Bounce Rebounder?