Versatile Fitness Equipment for Your Home

If you don’t want to spend the money for a gym membership (or if you simply prefer to work out at home), you will probably invest in some exercise equipment at some point.  Are you unsure which pieces would provide the most benefits for the cost?  Take a look at the options below and see if they suit your budget and fitness goals:

Treadmill

Treadmills are great additions to your home gym, simply because they are easy to use and offer a great workout no matter your level of fitness.  Some treadmills can be quite large and require a fair amount of space, but there are also smaller models that can fit in confined spaces.  Treadmills usually have adjustable settings that allow you to change the incline (like you are walking up a hill), speed, distance, and some of them even measure your heart rate, calories burned, and other stats.  Treadmills vary widely in cost, between a few hundred dollars and a few thousand dollars.

Stationary Bicycle

A stationary bike requires even less room in your home than a treadmill and will probably be quieter, if noise is a concern.  If you like to read or write while working out, a bike makes this easier than a treadmill.  Some bikes also allow you to adjust the level of resistance (similar to incline adjustments on treadmills), monitor your heart rate, calories burned, distance biked, and more.  Also like treadmills, stationary bikes can vary in cost, from hundreds to thousands.

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Green Tea for Weight Loss: Metabolism Benefits & More

green tea for weight lossGreen tea has become a popular drink in many cultures.  Not only does it taste great, it also has amazing health benefits – including being an effective weapon in the “battle of the bulge” – the reduction of body fat.  Green tea has been used medicinally in China for thousands of years, but only over the past few decades has it become more popular in the western world.  When you learn about the health benefits of green tea it almost seems too good to be true, but most of the claims are verified by scientific studies.

The main benefit of green tea comes from antioxidants called “catechin polyphenols” that are reported to help safeguard the body against cancer, inflammation, and even help in lowering cholesterol and burning stored fat deposits.  Green tea contains a catechin called “epigallocatechin gallate” (otherwise known as EGCG).  EGCG is a powerful antioxidant that has been studied extensively for its cancer-fighting ability, as well as its beneficial effect on other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and immune deficiencies.

These are undoubtedly great health benefits, but how exactly can green tea help with weight loss?

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Bike Riding for Weight Loss

bike riding weight lossDo you remember how much fun it was to ride your bicycle when you were a kid?  Would you believe that such a fun activity could also help you lose weight and maintain a healthier weight as an adult?

Bike riding and weight loss are actually a great combination!  Riding a bike helps strengthen your leg muscles and buttocks, not to mention providing excellent cardiovascular benefits (provided you’re actually pedaling consistently, not just coasting).

You can burn between 300-500 calories per hour on a bicycle, depending how fast you go and how much you currently weigh.  If you bike uphill you’ll burn even more calories, and you can also set the resistance on your bike higher so you have to pedal harder even on flat land.

If you don’t have any challenging hills or trails to bike, you can increase the intensity of your workout by doing a few “intervals” of faster and harder speed, followed by slower periods to cool back down.  Experts say that this kind of interval training helps you burn more calories and strengthen your cardiovascular system more than maintaining a constant intensity throughout the entire workout.

Bike riding for weight loss is simple for people who just want to shed a few pounds, but what about heavier folks?

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Herbs for Weight Loss

We all know by now that a proper diet and exercise routine will help with weight loss – but there are also various herbs and supplements that can give the weary dieter an edge, helping them to lose more weight, or lose the same amount in less time.  However, not all supplements are safe.

Below are a few effective herbs and supplements that can help with weight loss safely.

Green Tea

Green tea is well-known for its many health benefits, but it is also widely recognized for its thermogenic properties, which means it can boost your metabolism and help you lose more weight.  The main danger exists when too much green tea is consumed, causing caffeine overload which includes jitters, anxiety, nausea and heart palpitations.  Experts say that you really only need 3-4 cups of green tea a day to enjoy great health and weight loss benefits.  If you can’t withstand any amount of caffeine, green tea does come in decaffeinated versions.

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How Often to Exercise – Cardio and Weight Training

how often to exerciseHow often to exercise for best results?

When it comes to weight loss you may have wondered how often to exercise.  Do you have to work out every single day, or should you allow a day or two of rest in between?  And does it differ when you’re doing cardio workouts or weight training workouts?

Most experts say that weight training should not be done every day because resistance exercises that stress your muscles actually create small tears in the muscle fibers, and the muscles then need 24-48 hours to heal and repair themselves.

On the other hand, it’s generally safe to do cardio workouts every day – especially if they don’t stress your muscles too much.  Brisk walking, low-impact aerobics, using an elliptical machine or moderate paced bicycle riding shouldn’t strain your muscles too much and they can help you burn more calories and aid in weight loss.

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