After Holidays Fitness Guide

After Christmas and New Year many of us are left wondering how we managed to eat so much. Getting back in shape is difficult, especially when combined with our hectic work hours.

Finding out which equipment is best for you all depends on what you want to achieve.

Aerobics
Aerobic exercise increases cardiorespiratory fitness, the heart’s ability to pump blood and deliver oxygen throughout the body. The result is increased endurance, energy, weight control, and ability to manage stress, and decreased blood pressure, heart disease, and cholesterol levels.

Exercise Bikes
This is cardiovascular exercise which is good for all round fitness. Cardiovascular (aerobic) training raises your heart rate (cardio) and pumps blood around your body (vascular). It’s excellent for overall fitness, endurance and circulation.

Exercise bikes are re easy to use and have levels of resistance, so you can work your lungs, heart and muscles as little or as hard as you want. Adjustable seats and handlebars and cushioned seat pads on the more expensive models mean that exercise bikes let you work out in comfort whilst watching television or reading a book.

Cycling provides a cardiovascular workout without straining your back and joints, so it’s good cross-training for runners who want to give their joints a break. As well as working on your overall fitness and endurance, cycling also gives great tone to your leg and glute muscles.

Most exercise bikes have meters that monitor your speed, mileage and how much time you’ve been pedalling. More expensive bikes can also measure your heart rate and calorie expenditure and offer pre-programmed hill or flat workouts.

Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers work by moving in the elliptical pattern of your foot while walking or running. Your legs extend and your hips rotate as though you are running, but the machine absorbs all impact you would normally take. This allows you to reap all the benefits of running, while sowing none of the pain. As an added bonus, your arms also work at the same time.

Ellipticals are a great cardiovascular exercise, working on leg muscle toning and upper body toning all at once. Also known as cross trainers (or X-trainers) they have become increasing popular as they are a low impact exercise, low maintenance, smaller than most treadmills and suitable for a wide range of users at different fitness levels.

Cheaper elliptical trainers have resistance systems that are adjusted manually. More commonly elliptical trainers have magnetic resistence which creates a smoother workout with fewer working parts and less maintenance.

Multi Gyms
Multi gyms have grown extremely popular in recent years and really are a must have for resistance training at home. Benefits such as safety, convenience and tidyness give multi gyms an advantage over other fitness products.

A multi gym is designed to work out all the major muscle groups through a system of weights, cables, pulleys, handles and a bench, providing a real alternative to the traditional set of dumbbells and a lifting bench for weight training.

Treadmills
Treadmills are one of the most popular cardiovascular exercise machines you can buy. They’re very versatile – use them for a gentle stroll in the front room, or for gruelling marathon training whatever the weather. If you’re short of space (and treadmills can be quite large), choose a treadmill that folds away.

Treadmills provide a great workout for your heart and lungs, and will help reduce the chance of obesity, heart disease and general coronary problems in later life. A treadmill is a great addition to ensure a healthy lifestyle.