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.

Hi Folks,

As a special offer for the forthcoming holiday period, you can now buy the eBook at a reduced price and receive along with it, completely FREE , the 8 page Special Report entitled  A New You – For The New Year.

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.

Or easier still, click HERE.

Happy Holidays!

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.

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.

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

A lot of us live our lives like penned animals. Built to move, too often we put ourselves in a cage. We have bodies designed for racing across the savannas, but we live a lifestyle designed for migrating from the bed to the breakfast table; to the car seat; to the office chair; to the restaurant booth; to the living room couch and back to the bed.

It was not always this way. Not long ago in the United States, a man who worked on a farm did the equivalent of 15 miles of jogging every day; and his wife did the equivalent of 7 miles of jogging.

Today, our daily obligations of work and home keep us tied to our chairs, and if we want exercise, we have to seek it out.

In fact, health experts insist the obesity problem is probably caused at least as much by lack of physical activity as by eating too much. Hence, it is important that people need to move around.

However, that does not mean that a lap or two around the old high school track will offset a daily dose of donuts. Exercise alone is not very efficient, experts say. They contend that if you just exercise and do not change your diet, you may be able to prevent weight gain or even lose a few pounds for a while.

Nevertheless, it is not something that you are likely to sustain unless exercise is part of an overall program. The more regularly you exercise, the easier it is to maintain your weight. Here is what to do every day to make sure that you get the exercise you need.

1. Get quality Zzzs.

Make sure that you get adequate sleep. Good sleep habits are conducive to exercise, experts point out. If you feel worn out during the day, you are less likely to get much physical activity during the day.

In addition, there is evidence that people who are tired tend to eat more, using food as a substance for the rest they need.

2. Walk the walk.

It is probably the easiest exercise program of all. In fact, it may be all you ever have to do, according to some professional advices of some health experts.

Gradually build up to at least 30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week. Brisk walks themselves have health and psychological benefits that are well worth the while.

3. Walk the treadmill.

When the weather is bad, you might not feel like going outdoors. But if you have a treadmill in the television room, you can catch up on your favorite shows while you are doing your daily good turn for your weight-maintenance plan.

Most of us watch television anyway, and indoor exercise equipment enables anyone to turn a sedentary activity into a healthy walk.

4. Seize the time.

Excuses aside, lack of time is certainly a limiting factor in most lifestyles. That is why health experts suggest a basic guideline for incorporating exercise into your schedule.

Get as much exercise as you can that feels good without letting it interfere with your work or family life. If you need to, remind yourself that you are preventing many health problems when you prevent weight gain; and keeping your health is a gift to your family as well as yourself.

this routine 2x a week on nonconsecutive days. Check Out Diet.com Video! Diet.com: www.diet.com Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel – www.youtube.com Go behind the scenes w/ Sarah’s Blog- www.diet.com Twitter twitter.com Facebook: www.new.facebook.com iTunes: tinyurl.com Sarah’s Fitness Blog – www.examiner.com … “weight loss exercise” routine “how to lose weight” workout plan week fitness loss exercise personal training woman strength trainer easy quick free video “weight loss tips” yt:crop=16:9 …

When you are trying to work out the amount of calories you need to reduce in your diet in order to lose a pound of weight each week, what you need to know is that one pound of weight equals 3500 calories. In order to lose that many calories from your diet each and every week, you will have to reduce your daily diet by 500 calories, or add in more exercise to compensate for it.

Here are some helpful tips to help you cut out 500 calories from your diet every day:

• Use skimmed or low-fat milk instead of cream in your coffee. That can save you 50 calories per cup.
• Skip the butter on your baked potato. Try other toppings that are lower in fat and calories. That can save you 100 calories.
• Drink flavored water instead of a soda. That can save you 200 calories.
• Skip the Big Mac and other items that are high in fat, and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at 460 calories, while a salad that is healthy is much less. That can save you 360 calories.
• Pass on the bag of potato chips, they can be high in calories. You can save 300 calories.
• Eat your corn on the ear instead of from a can. A one cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. You can save 80 calories.
• Switch to low-fat cream cheese spreads on your bagel. That will save you 90 calories per ounce.
• Swap the skinny fries that are high in fat for thicker fries. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. You can save 50 calories per 4 ounce serving.

Here are some helpful exercise ideas to help you burn off more calories:

• Take a 30 minute walk around the park. Aim for a pace that’s a little faster than a stroll, but not too fast. You can use up 360 calories.
• Get out and ride your bike. Tackle a few moderate hills and try to go for 5 miles, which can help you use up 360 calories.
• Go dancing. The longer that you are out on the dance floor instead of at the table drinking, the more exercise you will get and the more calories you will lose. You could save around 400.
• Swimming is a great way to lose some calories. The water resistance means you burn even more calories, and you can avoid the stress impact on joints from other forms of exercise. Do a few lengths at a slow pace – if you can get up to an hour you can use up 510 calories.
• Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as walking fast which can help you use up 360 calories.

Try to use both diet and exercise to reach your target of a reduction of 500 calories each day. Remember that the more you exercise, you are also going to build muscle which can help you use up even more calories every time that you exercise.

Many people think that if they exercise on a regular basis, it will make them feel more hungry and lead to them eating more. This fact makes them fear they will actually gain weight, which would defeat the purpose of going on an exercise routine.

What they fail to realize is that it is your blood sugar level that will make you feel hungry. When your blood sugar level drops, that is when you will start to have food cravings and seek out some food to raise these levels again. But exercise helps to stabilize the level of your blood sugars, and in so doing stops you from wanting food as often.

The exercise activates your muscles, and rather than burning carbohydrates, it helps your body to burn fat. Because you are not burning as many carbohydrates, this helps to keep your blood sugars more balanced. It also helps to raise your metabolic rate, and your body will burn oxygen more efficiently, and that in turn will help you to use the nutrients in your diet in a more effective manner. It also aids in the elimination of waste products, which means you get better nourishment from the food that you eat. And by getting more nourishment means you don’t need as much food to feel satisfied.

Another benefit of exercise is that your body temperature will rise, and this will help to stimulate the fat that is used for energy, rather than the food. Also after exercising your resting basal metabolic rate will be raised for a considerable length of time, which will help you to burn more fat and improve the ratio of body fat percentage in your body.

All in all, there are many good reasons why you should consider introducing some sort of exercise routine in to your weight loss plan. And even if you are reluctant, you should try to understand that it will probably be easier to increase any exercise that you do, than it will be to reduce the food that you have cravings for every hour of the day.

Your lifestyle, like many people today, is packed full, what with working long hours and tending to the kids and all their activities.  You might think you can’t possibly add one more thing to your day so exercise gets shoved to the bottom of your priority list.  But exercise is important because it helps you maintain or lose weight and helps with stress levels and your sense of well-being. People who exercise tend to live longer and are healthier than those who don’t.  You want that, don’t you?

Take a look at your lifestyle and consider the following tips to squeezing some exercise into your day.  Not only will you feel better, but you will be a good exercise role model for your kids.

1. If you find yourself watching TV in the evening, don’t sit down on the couch.  Instead, use a resistance band that you can pick up rather inexpensively at a sporting goods store.  It’s a rubber tubing with handles on each end and you can exercise both your upper and lower body… all while watching TV or even when helping kids with the homework.

2. Use your breaks and lunch hour to go for a brisk walk.  It’s possible you may find a great route around your office that you can take.  Fresh air and your walking shoes are all that’s required.  If the weather doesn’t cooperate, try walking at a nearby mall or up and down the stairs in your office building.

3. If you have an errand to run that’s a short distance away, try walking instead of driving.  If it’s farther away, park at the back of the parking lot and walk from there.  It takes a little getting used to as you’re probably accustomed to looking for the closest parking spot, but make it a new habit to park as far from the store as you can.

4. Make healthy choices with your food so you’re not feeling forced to do more exercise than you have time for.  That super-sized fast food lunch is going to take a lot more exercise to burn off than a chicken salad and apple will.

5. Sometimes people don’t feel like exercising after work because they have no energy left.  This can be due to poor eating habits, like eating lots of refined sugar in the afternoon, that causes an energy crash.  Have a snack in the afternoon that fills up your energy tank.

6. If you don’t feel you have any time to exercise during your busy day, wake up 15-20 minutes earlier in the morning and get your exercise in then.  Need your sleep?  Then cut your TV viewing time down in the evening and go to bed earlier.  A short but effective exercise video in the morning or a fast walk with hand weights can leave you feeling good the rest of the day.

7. Instead of trying to exercise after the kids are in bed, include your kids in your exercise plans.  Instead of watching them play at the park, play with them.  Chasing them around, lifting them up to the monkey bars, playing tag, hiking, biking, chasing a Frisbee, playing tennis, and shooting baskets are all activities best enjoyed with someone else.

It might require a little work, but there are ways you can sneak some exercise into your routine.  Pick activities you enjoy, otherwise you won’t stick with them.  Exercise does not have to be two hours lifting weights at the gym.  Get creative and start moving.