With the recent heat wave, running outside can test even hearty endurance runners. When the temperatures start to approach the high 90s, many runners will have to truly push themselves in order to get through a run. However, while you might think of it as a challenge, trying to run in extreme heat without proper preparation can offer far more risks than it does potential benefits. There is serious danger to taking a long run in the sun, and for many, it may just be best to play things safe. There’s no shame in retiring inside to your TRUE Fitness home treadmill, especially when outside conditions won’t allow you to perform at your usual level. Continue reading “Beat the heat, run inside”
Month: July 2013
Breaking through mental blocks
Every athlete is familiar with a bad day. You may have this feeling of exhaustion that you can’t quite explain – you simply don’t feel confident in your ability to perform as you usually would, but it doesn’t feel like a mental block so much as a physical drain. Almost everyone knows the sensation, but many don’t know how to properly handle it. Here are some tips on how to address the fatigue and prevent it from coming back. Continue reading “Breaking through mental blocks”
Exercises to prevent compensation injuries
The kinetic chain is a term used to describe the myriad joints and muscles used to perform a compound movement, and this reveals itself as especially important for an activity like running. Just like any other, this chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and any imbalances are not only detrimental to performance but also risk injury. This is because the body trains itself to compensate for muscular weakness over long periods of time, so you may end up dominant in some areas of your body while conversely weak in others. This is most problematic for endurance athletes. The constant stress of their activity causes these imbalances to surface, often through injury. Continue reading “Exercises to prevent compensation injuries”
How to get the most out of your sports drink
Sports drinks are a significant part of workout culture today – it’s nearly impossible to go a day without seeing an ad for the best new way to hydrate and be the best athlete you can be. In reality, the ever-expanding industry brings good and bad. The advantage of having so many options is that you can continue to try different things until you find what’s best for you. Having a number of possibilities opens up the opportunity for customization to your preferences. On the other hand, the downside is that the constant influx of new products can be overwhelming. Conflicting expert opinions from every other company can lead to a great deal of confusion, especially for the less informed consumer.
Home fitness equipment like the TRUE M30 Home Treadmill features dual water bottle holders so that you never have to be far from your sports drink during a workout – or sports drinks, if you can’t decide between the two newest options. The only question is to which to choose, and the answer can be different for everyone. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your chosen thirst quencher. Continue reading “How to get the most out of your sports drink”
Five exercise moves that will improve your run
Are you finding that your runs just aren’t what they used to be? Perhaps you’re getting bored with your route, your shoes are worn out or your joints are starting to ache. Whatever the reason may be, sometimes all you need are a few strength training exercises to put a spring in your step and help you run faster and farther. Well, that and a TRUE Fitness treadmill like the M50 that will cushion your stride and monitor your progress – just for a little extra motivation. Continue reading “Five exercise moves that will improve your run”
Which machine is more effective, a treadmill or an elliptical trainer?
Gym Source is asked this question every day: Which machine is more effective, a treadmill or an elliptical trainer? Here’s our answer: While you can’t go wrong with either one, always let your goals be your guide.
If your primary goal is low-impact aerobic training, then an elliptical trainer might be best. Here’s why:
- Ellipticals are designed for low-impact activity, meaning they cause less stress on your knees, hips, and back than running might.
- Many elliptical machines are equipped with movable handgrips to work your upper body, challenging different muscle groups and providing a more robust aerobic workout.
- Most elliptical machines allow for reverse pedaling, adding variety to your workout and boosting the muscle groups worked-namely your calves and hamstrings.
Overall, elliptical trainers can be optimal for users recovering from injury or seeking to avoid joint stress. Note, however, that while a low-impact elliptical workout can help protect tender joints, elliptical trainers lack the ‘weight-bearing effect’ inherent to treadmills. Because the pedals of an elliptical trainer are suspended off the ground, they can’t-and don’t-go as far as a treadmill does to strengthen bones and muscles (achieved every time your feet pound the belt), which can be important to older users.
If your training goals involve higher impact activity-and perhaps even some road races-consider a treadmill. The benefits are easy to see:
- Treadmills offer a greater range of personalized settings with regard to speed, incline, and training programs than do elliptical trainers.
- Treadmills leverage the body’s natural movement and feel familiar from the start (as opposed to elliptical machines, which may feel awkward to some users). But that said, running on an incline is hard-and many elliptical machine users adore the smooth comfort level of their elliptical workout.
- The ‘weight-bearing’ effect of treadmills is proven to help strengthen bones and muscles-aiding posture and overall health with age.
- The energy required to move your body on a treadmill is substantial. For this reason, most research gives a slight advantage to treadmills with regard to caloric burn rate.
Today’s top-quality treadmills are designed to maximize your comfort, calorie burn, and workout enjoyment. Then again, so are today’s elliptical trainers. The bottom line is this: To truly determine the best machine for you-treadmill or elliptical-get to a specialty fitness retailer like Gym Source and try out a few for yourself. Once you’ve experienced the feel and features that today’s innovative treadmill and elliptical machines have to offer, you’ll know what’s right for you.
Source credits: Kevin Deeth, CPT, and Dr. Edward R. Laskowski
Five ways to burn more calories
If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re constantly looking for ways to cut out calories. Why not burn them instead? Exercising is an important part of any healthy lifestyle, and there are many different ways that you can burn more calories while working out: Continue reading “Five ways to burn more calories”
Is it safe to work out more than once a day?
For major fitness enthusiasts, sometimes working out just once a day isn’t enough. Whether you’re training for a marathon, focusing on building muscle, losing weight, or are addicted to the endorphin rush you get from exercising, working out more than once a day sometimes seems like a great idea. While exercising is undoubtedly important for your health, this begs the question: Is it possible to overdo it? In other words, is it safe to work out more than once a day? Continue reading “Is it safe to work out more than once a day?”
The wrong shortcuts can hurt your health
It never seems like there are enough hours in the day, which is why we tend to take so many shortcuts in our everyday lives. Whether it’s driving to work instead of biking or counting chocolate as a vegetable (it is made of cocoa beans …), we’re constantly looking for ways to make our lives easier. But are these shortcuts jeopardizing our health? Use these basic guidelines to make sure that your time-saving tactics aren’t harmful: Continue reading “The wrong shortcuts can hurt your health”