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Preparing for Exercise? Some Basics for Choosing Exercise Equipment

Exercise is to promote physical activity and exercise as a means to attain and maintain health, physical fitness, and quality of life throughout the lifespan. The literature continues to expand supporting major health benefits of regular physical activity and exercise including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and stroke as well as protection against some cancers and osteoporosis. However, there is also a growing body of knowledge that substantiates that physical activity also improves psychological well-being.

More than half of Americans aren't active enough to meet the U.S. government recommendation for exercise- at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week. In a study assessing the impact of specific type and intensity of exercise and the risk of coronary heart disease among men, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have found that men who train with weights, run/jog, row or walk briskly, show the most significantly reduced risk of CHD compared to those who don't do those forms of exercise.

Exercise provides a number of benefits but if you are over 40 or have health problems. According to Journal of the American Medical Association; a new study has found that sudden cardiac death during exertion is extremely uncommon in women, and perhaps even more uncommon in women who exercise regularly. A second study showed that women who are heavier and who exercise less are more likely to have warning signs implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Taking family walks or bike rides are just a few simple ways to get everyone physically involved and interacting. Plus, it helps parents to teach their kids how to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. One of the easiest ways to get the family moving is to encourage playing outside during the day. Keep the word “exercise” out of your vocabulary. Instead, promote “play time” and encourage activities that are fun and physical such as hop-scotch, jumping rope, tag or hide-and-go-seek.

The sweat experts divide exercise into three general categories:

Aerobic (also called endurance)
Strength (also called resistance)
Flexibility (Also called stretching)

Shoes and Clothing:

All that’s really necessary for a workout is a good pair of shoes that are well made and fit well, and broken in but not worn down. They should support the ankle and provide cushioning for impact sports such as running or aerobic dancing. Airing out the shoes and feet after exercising reduces chances for skin conditions such as athlete's foot.

Comfort and safety are the key words for workout clothing. For outdoor nighttime exercise, a reflective vest and light-colored clothing must be worn. Bikers, roller bladders, and equestrians should always wear safety devices such as helmets, wrist guards, and knee and elbow pads.

Goggles:

Goggles are mandatory for indoor racquet sports. For vigorous athletic activities, such as football, ankle braces may be more effective in preventing ankle injuries than tape.

Aerobic-Exercise Equipment:

Home aerobic exercise machines can be adapted to any fitness level and can be used day or night. Before investing in and bringing home any exercise machine, however, it is wise to test it out first at a gym. In addition, initial supervised training when using these machines can reduce the risk of injury that might occur with self-instruction.

Very inexpensive exercise machines tend to be flimsy and hard to adjust, but many sturdy machines are available at moderate prices. The higher-end models may utilize computers to record calories burned, speed, and mileage. While their readouts may provide motivation and gauge the intensity of a workout, however, they are not always accurate.

The following are a few observations on specific equipment:

A good floor mat is important to provide cushioning for all home exercises.
A simple jump rope improves aerobic endurance for people who are able to perform high-impact exercise. Jumping rope should be done on a floor mat plus a surface that has some give to avoid joint injury.
For burning calories, the treadmill has been ranked best, followed by stair climbers, the rowing machine, cross-country ski machine, and stationary bicycle. (Elliptical trainers, however, may be even better than treadmills for elevating heart rate and increasing calorie expenditure and oxygen consumption.)
Stationary bikes condition leg muscles and are fairly economical and easy to use safely. The pedals should turn smoothly, the seat height should adjust easily, and the bikes computer should be able to adjust intensity.
Stair machines also condition leg muscles. They offer very intense, low-impact workouts and may be as effective as running with less chance of injury.
Rowing and cross-country ski machines exercise both the upper and lower body.
Shoes for Sports

Aerobic dancing:

Sufficient cushioning to absorb shock and pressure that is many times greater than ordinary walking. Arches that maintain side-to-side stability. Thick upper leather support, toe-box, orthotics may be required for people with ankles that over-turn inward or outward. Soles should allow for twisting and turning.

Cycling:

Rigid support across the arch to prevent collapse during pedaling. Heel lift, cross-training or combo hiking/cycling shoes may be sufficient for casual bikers. Toe clips or specially designed shoe cleats for serious cyclist. In some cases, orthotics may be needed to control arch and heel and balance forefoot.

Running:

Sufficient cushioning to absorb shock and pressure. Fully bendable at the ball of the foot. Sufficient traction on sole to prevent slipping. Consider insole or orthotic with arch support for problem feet.

Tennis:

Allow side-to-side sliding, low-traction sole, snug fitting heel with cushioning, padded toe box with adequate depth, soft-support arch.

Walking:

Lightweight, breathable upper material (leather or mesh) wide enough to accommodate ball of the foot. Firm padded heel counter that does not bite into heel or touch ankle bone. Low heel close to ground is for stability good arch support. Front provides support and flexibility.

Strength-Training Equipment:

Unlike aerobic exercise, strength training almost always requires some equipment. Strength-training equipment does not, however, have to cost anything. Any heavy object that can be held in the hand, such as a plastic bottle filled with sand or water, can serve as a weight. Many wearable weights are available to help strengthen and tone the upper body. Dumbbells (ranging in weight from 1 to 10 pounds) and resistance bands, for example, are inexpensive, portable, and effective.

Weights can strengthen and tone muscles in the lower body. (Such wearable weights should not be worn during high-impact aerobics or jumping.) Handgrips strengthen arms and are good for relieving tension. A pull-up bar can be mounted in a doorway for chin-ups and pull-ups. More elaborate and expensive home equipment for working body muscles is also available, costing from $100 to over $1,000.

No one should purchase or use strength-training equipment without instruction from a professional.

Flexibility Training (Stretching) equipment:

When it comes to the Big Three of exercise—cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training—it’s pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring. However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching.

Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improves athletic performance and optimizes functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week.

Squeezing in one or two quick stretches before or after a workout is better that nothing, but this approach will yield limited result. What’s more, generic stretches may not be effective for your particular body. The more time and attention you give to your flexibility training, the more benefits you’ll experience. A qualified personal trainer, physical therapist or health professional can design a functional flexibility program specifically for you.

Are you a golfer? Do you ski, run or play tennis? Do your daily home or work routines include bending, lifting or sitting for long periods? Functional flexibility improves "the stability and mobility of the whole person in his or her specific environment," said physical therapist Deborah Ellison. She recommended an individualized stretching program to improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion).

Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, said Ellison, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. u may also want to explore yoga or exercise inspired by the work of Joseph Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.

Here are some equipments of Flexibility Training (Stretching):

6-Piece Yoga Kit
FitBuy.com Fit Strip Exercise Band - 4 feet
Gaiam Stretch Workout Kit
Ripcord
The Stick
VersaFlex
Yoga Strap etc...

A balanced program should include all three. (Speed training is also a major category, but is generally practiced only by competitive athletes.)

A few simple rules are helpful as you develop your own routine:

Don't eat for two hours before vigorous exercise.
Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout.
Adjust activity according to the weather and reduce it when fatigued or ill.
When exercising, listen to the body’s warning symptoms, and consult a physician if exercise induces chest pain, irregular heartbeat, undue fatigue, nausea, unexpected breathlessness, or light-headedness
Warming up and cooling down are important parts of any exercise routine. They aid the body in making the transition from rest to activity and back again and can help prevent soreness or injury, especially in older people.

Warm-up exercises should be practiced for five to 10 minutes at the beginning of an exercise session, such as walking briskly, swinging the arms, or jogging in place. To cool down, one should walk slowly until the heart rate is 10 to 15 beats above resting rate. Cool-down exercises slow the heart rate and stretch warm muscles.