Health And Fitness Products Biography
Source Google.com.pk
We’re usually all for penny pinching. But when it comes to shrinking your waistline and improving your fitness, sometimes throwing down more dough can pay off big. Whether you aspire to shave seconds from your 5-K PR or lose those last 10 pounds, these nine products will make achieving your goals easier than ever.
Exercise-Monitoring Device
Tracking exercise progress can be a big motivator. For instance, using a pedometer—specifically one with a daily step goal—increased physical activity and decreased BMI and blood pressure in one Stanford University study. Pedometers priced as low as $20 and go up to $50 for wrist-strap versions. (Video: Walk Stronger, Longer) A more intense runner, bicyclist or other athlete may want to invest a few hundred bucks in a GPS-enabled watch, which tracks your pace in addition to time and heart rate. (Search: GPS watches) “Paying attention to these numbers can help really build up your intensity and produce better results,” says Jim White, RD, owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition
Food Scale
Your eyes may deceive you when it comes to properly portioning your food, but a scale won’t. “When I first bought a food scale, I realized what I thought was 4 ounces was actually 6,” White says. “A couple ounces more than you should be eating can add up big time in the long run.” Most food scales cost less than $80, with some models as low as $20.
Heart Rate Monitor
Burning fat or boosting aerobic endurance requires keeping your heart rate in specific zones, so this gadget ensures all your workouts are as effective as possible. “We have a lot of clients who work out on their own and then realize they aren’t pushing themselves enough,” White says. The gizmo also prevents you from overdoing it. Runners can use the device to make sure they’re taking their easy workouts as slow as they should be. Chest strap models, which tend to be more accurate, start at around $40 and can cost $100 or more.
Blender
Sipping fresh fruit juice or a smoothie can be a quick and easy way to fill up on vital nutrients, but many store- and restaurant-bought beverages are loaded with sugar. By blending your own you’ll not only save money in the long run, but you can also control exactly what goes into your body. White uses a Vitamix ($449 and up) to make fresh juices. Holly Rigsby, an ACE-certified personal trainer and instructor at StreamFIT, loves the convenience of her Magic Bullet (about $100).
New Running Shoes
“Shoes are your number one investment, especially if you’re a runner,” White says. Footwear shouldn’t be a once-a-year purchase, either. As a general rule of thumb, replace a pair every 350 to 550 miles, according to the American Academy of Podiatric Medicine, but trade in your trainers before they show signs of major wear and tear. Chances are your shoes are already long gone if you can see the white midsole material peeking through the outer sole, or the sole under the heel looks crushed. Shoes start at about $60 and can cost as much as $200.
High-Quality Resistance Bands
Cheap, low-quality bands wear out quickly and fail to provide enough resistance for a substantial workout, says Rigsby. Look for a package with multiple bands of varying resistances--most people prefer a band with more resistance for lower body exercises and less resistance for upper body moves. Single band packages, which include four types of bands, start at $53 on resistancebandtraining.com (Rigsby’s brand of choice) and eight-band multi-band packages start at $105.
Semi-Private Training Sessions
Fitness facilities with coaching-driven programs or supervised small-group workout sessions are a better investment than a gym membership, Rigsby says. “With a trainer, you get more feedback on what you’re doing,” she explains. In this kind of small group setting the instructor can target and address individual weaknesses, as well as correct each exerciser’s form. Rigsby also points out that the other members of your training group can act like a built-in support system. A month’s worth of sessions typically costs several hundred dollars.
Massage Therapy
A nice long rubdown feels good, and it can improve your health, too. Massage reduces inflammation at the cellular level by promoting the growth of new mitochondria (the energy centers of cells) in muscles, according to a Canadian study. A masseuse’s nimble fingers also reduce post-exercise soreness by flushing lactic acid from overloaded muscles. Plus, a massage promotes circulation and alleviates stress. An hour-long session can cost you anywhere from $60 to over $100.
Bathroom Scale
Seventy-five percent of successful dieters weigh themselves at least once a week, according to data from the National Weight Control Registry. While an effective and modestly priced scale will set you back about $30, you can get some fancy perks by dropping a little more dough. The Tanita InnerScan Body Composition Monitor ($115) measures your weight, body fat, water percentage, muscle mass, and bone mass and then estimates your daily caloric intake. The Withings Wi-Fi Body Scale ($159) records your weight and fat mass and then sends the data to your personal computer.
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