Elliptical Or Treadmill – Which Is For You?

If you are a fitness enthusiast you will probably be thinking of buying a home fitness machine. The two most popular pieces of home exercise equipment are the treadmill and the elliptical trainer. Read on for a comparison of an elliptical vs treadmill and to see which one is best for you?

Treadmill

A treadmill is an exercise machine that allows you to walk, jog or run while staying in one place. It can even simulate walking up a small hill. Many treadmills have preset programs and intensity levels to choose from. This allows you to program a workout that will match your fitness goal.

Elliptical Trainer

Elliptical trainers are a relatively new addition to the line of fitness machines, but they are rapidly gaining popularity. Elliptical trainers provide a low impact exercise that can be compared to running in mid-air. They work out both the lower and upper body.

Compare Elliptical vs Treadmill

Walking and running are popular forms of exercise. That’s because these are two activities that practically everybody can do. Walking or running outdoors is great, but there are times when it’s not practical. For instance, you wouldn’t want to go out in the rain or snow. If you want to exercise anytime you feel like it, you will want to have your own home fitness machine.

The question is, should you buy an elliptical trainer or a treadmill? Let’s compare elliptical vs treadmill so you can decide for yourself.

• Calories burned. A treadmill provides an excellent lower body workout for the legs, thighs and buttocks. An elliptical works out both the lower and upper body. You may think an elliptical trainer burns more calories than a treadmill but the difference is really not that much. If you want to burn more calories, exercise harder and longer!
• Possibility of injury. An elliptical provides low-impact exercise and is recommended for people with joint or back problems. Treadmills can have a higher incidence of injury for the simple reason that running on a treadmill is a high impact activity. This is not to say that nobody can suffer an injury on an elliptical. To reduce your chance of injury, warm up properly and build up the intensity of your workout gradually.
• Cost. The cost of treadmills and ellipticals can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the quality and features. On average, ellipticals are more affordable than treadmills.
• Durability. Comparing elliptical vs treadmill, an elliptical trainer is more durable because it has fewer moving parts.
• Space requirements. Quality treadmills and ellipticals require a sizeable amount of space. However, there are treadmills that you can fold up and store when not in use. Ellipticals require floor space dedicated for its use.

Elliptical vs Treadmill: The Verdict

An elliptical trainer offers a total body workout and provides a low impact exercise. In this sense it excels over the treadmill. However, personal preferences always come into play and you may find that a treadmill works best for you. As to whether you should get an elliptical or a treadmill, well, as ever, the final decision is yours. Just remember to consult a health professional before you start any exercise program.

Special eBook Offer

Hi Folks,

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This report is aimed at getting  your eating habits and fitness levels back on track after the excesses of the holidays. Focusing on setting goals and educating yourself on both your diet and exercise programs, this special report will have you back on track, being fit and healthy, in no time. And remember it’s yours FREE when you buy the Weight Loss Tips eBook ,which is also reduced in price for the holiday season.

So now you can enjoy yourself over the holidays, knowing that with the eBook and the special report, you will be armed with a plan of action to get you into shape in no time at all. Just click the eBook on the right, or on the Weight Loss Tips tab at the top of the page and you will be taken to the eBook page. Then all you need do is click on the Buy Now button and in a few minutes your eBook and Special Report will be with you.

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Happy Holidays!

It’s Official! Drinking Water Helps With Weight Loss

Hurrah! No more potions, gruelling exercise, or all turnip diets.

In what could fairly be called a watershed moment, scientists have confirmed that drinking copious amounts of water before a meal helps shed the pounds.

Yup, it’s that simple. In clinical trials scientists found that drinking two half pint glasses of water before a meal leads to weight loss.

Lead author Brenda Davy said: “We found in earlier studies that middle aged and older people who drank two cups of water right before eating a meal ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories during that meal. In this recent study, we found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals, three times per day, lost about 5 pounds more than dieters who did not increase their water intake.”

“People should drink more water and less sugary, high-calorie drinks. It’s a simple way to facilitate weight management,” she added.

While drinking water to lose weight is very much common sense, Dr Davy said that there has been little scientific information on this topic. Previous studies did suggest that drinking water before meals reduces calorie intake, but according to Dr Davy this was the first randomized controlled intervention trial demonstrating that increased water consumption is an effective weight loss strategy.

The study followed 48 adults aged 55 to 75, divided into two groups. One group drank 2 cups of water prior to meals and the other did not. All of the subjects ate a low-calorie diet during the study. Over the course of 12 weeks, water drinkers lost about 15.5 pounds, while the non-water drinkers lost about 11 pounds.

Dr Davy said water may be so effective simply because it fills up the stomach and has no calories. People feel full, and eat less during the meal.

Diet colas and other artificially sweetened drinks can also help reduce calorie intake and help weight loss, Dr Davy added.

Do I Need A Prescription Weight Loss Pill?

Weight loss pills aren’t a quick fix or a cure-all for losing weight. But they can work together with diet and exercise to help speed up weight loss and show progress quicker than just diet and exercise alone. The two types of weight loss pills are over-the-counter pills, which we have discussed, and prescription pills. Here we will talk about prescription pills, which are federally regulated and have been put through studies to ensure effectiveness and safety.

First stop for a prescription diet pill is obviously your doctor, and there will be many factors for him to consider before prescribing you with diet pills. Anyone who just wants to lose a few pounds doesn’t need a prescription diet pill. In fact, a doctor won’t prescribe a pill to anyone who doesn’t meet certain weight requirements.

Who Qualifies for Prescription Diet Pills?

Body mass index is often used as an indication of a patients need for prescription diet pills. The body mass index takes into consideration a person’s weight and height, disregarding weight from muscle mass. Anyone with a body mass index of 30 or more, with no related health conditions, is a candidate for a prescription. People who suffer from weight related health problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, can get a prescription with a body mass index of 27 or more.

Other reasons a doctor may prescribe a weight loss pill is if a patient has unsuccessfully tried to lose weight for a number of years. Doctors may also try to curb future problems associated with weight gain by starting patients on the brink of obesity or other weight related illnesses on a prescription diet pill.

Who Shouldn’t Take Prescription Diet Pills?

Anyone with a history of addiction should use caution when taking prescription diet pills. Almost all of these pills are classified as controlled substances and may be addictive. People with poor blood pressure, heart disease, or are at risk for a stroke should also avoid prescription diet drugs. All of these will be checked by your doctor.

The limited amount of information on prescription weight loss drugs and its effect on children and senior citizens means that these two groups should use extreme caution if prescribed a weight loss pill. A doctor will go over all risks and precautions of a particular diet pill before writing a prescription. However, it’s important to research diet pill information yourself, and ask your doctor any questions before accepting a prescription.

Four Ideas For Weight Loss With The Wii Fit Plus

The Nintendo Wii gaming console first appeared on the market in 2005, with the Wii Fit being introduced in May of 2008. The Wii Fit Plus was made available to buy in 2009, and although this “new and improved” version may not be selling as quickly as it once did, it is still a hot item and sales are comfortably still in the millions.

So what’s all the fuss about? After all it’s just another gaming device right? Well yes, and no! It is a gaming console, sure, but it can also help you to get fit AND have fun doing it. And people love that fact. The whole family can get involved, especially the kids, in getting up, getting moving and getting fit. With obesity rates on the rise, getting some exercise has become more important than ever before.

You’re probably thinking well OK, that’s great but will the Wii Fit Plus really help me lose weight? That’s kind of a loaded question. Because if you are following a healthy diet at the same time, then any type of activity you do has the potential to help you lose weight. As long as you are burning more calories than than you consume. So, for the purpose of this post we’ll assume you’re eating a well-balanced healthy diet. And in that case the answer is yes the Wii Fit Plus can help you to lose weight.

Here are four ways the Wii Fit Plus can help you to your weight loss targets:

1 Body Test.

OK, technically this won’t help you lose weight, but this is where you’ll get weighed, learn of your BMI, etc. The machine will keep track of this information for you and you’ll be able to track your progress along the way. A very handy tool.

2 Aerobics.

This is the section where you’re going to find the exercising games that will make you break sweat and get your heart rate up. You’ll also find things like super hoopla and step aerobics in here.

3 Variety.

One thing a lot of people on a weight loss plan have a grumble about is the fact that they get bored doing the same exercises again and again. With the Wii Fit Plus, the large variety of exercise games that are available make it a lot easier not to get bored while keeping fit.

4 Frequency.

As with any exercise program consistency is key. You can’t expect to lose weight if you only use it once in a while. So set up a program and stick to it. You’ll be glad you did when you start to see some results.

So, now you know you can lose weight with the Wii Fit Plus, and have fun at the same time, why not give it a go. Just remember to use it along with a healthy eating plan and you’ll be happy with the results you can achieve.

For more information on the Wii Fit Plus and some of the many exercise games available please click HERE or HERE

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