The Cold Weather and Your Metabolism. Unlike the other three seasons, there will be fewer sunny days during December. What happens to your body is that its metabolism would also slow down during the cold weathers. That means that your calories will be used up in minimal amounts. You need to burn them by exercising. It can be possible to do without any home fitness equipment yet exercising with the use of one will also be great. Also, treating yourself to something that could contribute to your health – like home fitness equipment – is never a bad idea at all.
Too Much Food to Eat and Time for Sleep. Since December also implies that you will have more time at home for eating and sleeping, you have a big chance of gaining weight. Having your own fitness equipment could be a good leverage. When you have one at your place, you can still continue the exercise routines that you do at the gym during regular days. Be sure to utilize it well or else it would just be a waste of space in your home. Don’t purchase it for the sake of buying one alone.

Holiday Price Cut-Downs. One thing that people love about the holidays is the discounted price of their favorite items. A department store or a retail store may launch clearance sales or holiday promos that would also mean huge cut-offs on the retail prices of almost anything on their racks – including home fitness equipment. This is a good time to shop for the things that are too expensive to purchase on the other months of the year. This is also a perfect time to take advantage of the lower prices of the items that you are planning to buy.

These are just some of the many reasons why this season is the perfect time to get your own exercise equipment. Aside from treating yourself to shopping for something you wanted for so long, you can also prevent gaining weight in the time of the year where food is so abundant. Whether you want to stay lean or you want to lay off several pounds during the holidays, getting your own home fitness equipment can be a good way to fulfill your goal.

Heart Smart Fitness provides equipment reviews, information and a discount store. Let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great.

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iFit® Live Capable
Introducing the only wireless connection between the Internet and home fitness equipment-iFit® Live*. iFit® Live, through Google Maps, allows you to trace your own course anywhere in the world. Your custom course is downloaded to your treadmill and your treadmill responds by automatically simulating the incline of the course. Now you can customize your own fitness program, receive automatic workout downloads, manage your profile online and work out with Jillian Michaels. Other features include nutrition and activity tracker, motivating text messages and emails, and workout videos available for download. *Requires iFit® Live Module. Module sold separately. **Wireless network required.

PRO TECH Adjustable Cushion Deck
Reduce impact on your joints by 15% as compared to road running with this superior absorption system, delivering the perfect balance of comfort and joint protection. Plus it's adjustable; customize your cushion to match the firmness of a road, or the forgiveness of a trail.

SpaceSaver® Design
To give you more room to stretch, or stretch the room you have, the deck folds vertically for storage.

Heart Rate Monitor Make the most out of every workout by monitoring your heart rate with these sensors that are built into the handlebars, ensuring you're always in the right training zone for your goals.

Touch-Screen Display
Stay in touch with your workout with the new Touch-Screen Display. You can quickly navigate through workout stats and options to keep you on the fast track to reach your goals.

Fan
Stay cool and fresh during your workout with the CoolAire® Workout Fan. You'll stay comfortable, enabling you to work out longer so you can reach your goals faster. The fan is designed into the console and is aimed at your core area for faster cooling, so you can go longer and burn more calories.

Workout Programs
In addition to iFit Live the Power 995 treadmill comes with 10 Performance Workouts, 6 distance workouts (1 mile, 5K, 10K, 10 Mile and Half Marathon) and 6 Weight loss programs each designed by a Certified Personal Trainer to help you push your limits and get you ready for whatever comes your way.

Workout Intensity Control
This feature allows you to adjust the intensity of your workout at any time. If you feel like you aren't working hard enough or would like your workout to be a little easier, simply adjust the intensity and the program will automatically adjust to your desired performance level.

Compatible Music Port for iPod®
Move to the beat of your favorite music with this built-in sound system. Plug your iPod®*, or MP3 Player, into the Interplay® Music Port for unbeatable sound quality. With the iPod® resting on the console shelf, it's within easy reach and leaves the controls right at your fingertips. * iPod is a trademark of Apple, Inc., registered in the US and other countries. iPod® not included.

Intermix Acoustics® 3.0 EQ Sound System
Enjoy rich, powerful performance with this built-in sound system, featuring 3 high-excursion drivers-delivering incredible clarity while reproducing a sweeping range of audio frequencies.

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The ProForm Power 990 is equipped with all the essentials. Featuring iFit® Live, you can experience trails all over the world, receive automatic workout downloads and work out with Jillian Michaels. The Power 990 also features a 3.0 CHP Mach Z™ Commercial Pro Motor. This motor uses a self-cooling process that allows you to exercise for longer periods of time. This treadmill also comes with 16 built-in workouts, ProTech™ Adjustable Cushioning and a Compatible Music Port for iPod®.

ProForm Power 990 Features
3.0 CHP Mach Z™ Commercial Pro Motor
With more power than an ordinary motor, the Mach Z™ Commercial Pro motor uses direct cooling, a self-cooling process that extends the motor's life and allows you to exercise for longer periods of time. The Commercial Pro is also spin-balanced, making it one of our smoothest, quietest motors to date.
SpaceSaver® Design
To give you more room to stretch, or stretch the room you have, the deck folds vertically for storage.
Dual-Grip EKG™ Heart Rate Monitor
Make the most out of every workout by monitoring your heart rate with these sensors that are built into the handlebars, ensuring you're always in the right training zone for your goals.
iFit® Live
Introducing the only wireless connection between the Internet and home fitness equipment—iFit® Live**. iFit Live allows you to experience trails all over the world as if you were outside. Now you can customize your own fitness program, receive automatic workout downloads, manage your profile online and work out with Jillian Michaels. You can also add competition to your workout with 5k races against your Facebook friends. Other features include a nutrition and activity tracker, motivating text messages and emails, and workout videos available for download. *Requires iFit® Live Module. Module sold separately. **Wireless network required.
Grafixx™ Display
The brand new backlit Grafixx™ is a high-resolution graphical display that animates your screen giving you more accurate, less machine-like readings.
CoolAire™ Workout Fan
Stay cool and fresh during your workout with the innovative CoolAire™ Workout Fan. You'll stay comfortable, enabling you to work out longer so you can reach your goals faster. The sophisticated fan is built right into the console, just like the AC in your car, allowing you to quickly adjust the settings.
ProTech™ Adjustable Cushioning
Reduce impact on your joints with this adjustable absorption system that delivers the perfect balance of comfort and joint protection based on your preferences.
Compatible Music Port for iPod®
Move to the beat of your favorite music with this built-in sound system. Plug your iPod®*, or MP3 Player, into the Interplay™ Music Port for unbeatable sound quality. With the iPod® resting on the console shelf, it's within easy reach and leaves the controls right at your fingertips.
* iPod is a trademark of Apple, Inc., registered in the US and other countries. iPod® not included.
Intermix Acoustics™ 2.0
Enjoy your favorite media with this built-in sound system that produces a broad range of frequencies and rich, equalized sound.
Lifetime Frame, Lifetime Motor, 1 Year Parts and Labor
Buy with confidence! This treadmill features a Lifetime Frame Warranty, Lifetime Motor Warranty and 1-Year Parts & Labor
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Before buying a treadmill, it is best to do some research. The price of the treadmill equipment is no joke. Don’t get easily hooked by sales hype. Compare treadmill prices first and check on how useful the features are to you.
Typical treadmill prices are usually between $500-$3000. Usually the difference between these items lies on the motor power, inclination, speed, and even size. If you are planning to buy one for home use, some treadmills can even go lower.

There can be a lot of brands and models to choose from. You might want to compare treadmill models of one manufacturer or brand. Check the prices. Then check the parts. Then check the features and accessories.
Treadmills are known to be the ideal workout machine for cardio vascular exercises and weight loss. Regardless of price and other fancy features, when you compare treadmill models to buy, it must support these basic needs.

Make sure you know what you want in a treadmill. Especially if you are conscious about your budget, make sure you compare treadmill features according to the standards you want. Here are some tips for you.

- Minimum Horsepower - The treadmill’s motor is the heart of the entire equipment and is the most expensive part. To get your money’s worth start looking for treadmills at 2.0 horsepower. Anything lower than that may not be a good investment.

- The Function and Usability of the Treadmill - In fairness, all treadmills are useful. What sets the difference is the degree of use and purpose. If you’re only using it for home use, then buy the cheaper ones. But make sure you got all the functions and usability accordingly.

- Consumer Ratings and Reviews - This is a really good source to compare treadmill prices, pros and cons. The users know best. Browse through web pages and take some time to note some important recommendations from other customers.

- Compare Top-rate Brands - There are brands that may be popular but not all are expensive. In the same way as how you make comparisons with consumer reviews, do the same for different brands.

- Treadmill Add-Ons - In most treadmill marketing and sales hype, these are the items that are brought into the picture. Some of these things are essential items for your workout but not all. So compare treadmill gadgets as well as these can be expensive too.

- Size of Treadmill - Because space optimization is important, it is wise to consider how much space you have for your treadmill. With this, you will be able to decide better on which folding models to choose.

- Warranty - This is also very important. In fact, you can size up the quality of the treadmill based on the warranty offered by its manufacturer. The motor’s warranty should be at least 5 years. The frame, at least 2 years.

Make sure you visit one treadmill store after another. Do not hop in and buy the first treadmill you see immediately. There are still other things to consider such as safety, speed, and more. Compare treadmill equipment carefully like how you choose cars.

By Barbara Russi Sarnataro
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH

Want to be sharper at work? Feel less tired at home? Spend some quality time with your spouse? How about enjoying a cookie without guilt?
If you answered "yes" to all of these questions (and who wouldn't?), exercise is the answer.
Being physically active offers benefits far beyond the obvious. (Of course, an improved physique and a clean bill of health aren't too shabby, either.)
If you've been looking for the motivation to begin an exercise program or get back into working out regularly, here are 10 fitness facts that may help inspire you to get off the couch.
1. Exercise Boosts Brainpower
Not only does exercise improve your body, it helps your mental function, says certified trainer David Atkinson.
"Exercise increases energy levels and increases serotonin in the brain, which leads to improved mental clarity," says Atkinson, director of program development for Cooper Ventures, a division of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas.
All that makes for a more productive day.
"It is clear that those who are active and who exercise are much more productive at work," says Todd A. Astorino, assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University-San Marcos.
Improved productivity not only makes you a better worker, it makes things better for everyone in the workplace. Companies with less wasted work hours and less sick time end up with lower health care costs -- and an improved bottom line, Astorino says.
2. Movement Melts Away Stress
As much as it may stress you out just to think about exercising, once you actually start working out, you'll experience less stress in every part of your life.
"Exercise produces a relaxation response that serves as a positive distraction," says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. He says it also helps elevate your mood and keep depression at bay.
You're not the only person who will benefit from more happiness and less stress in your life. When you're less stressed, you're less irritable, Atkinson says -- and that could improve relationships with your partner, kids, and co-workers.
3. Exercise Gives You Energy
You might be surprised at how, say, popping in a workout tape for 30 minutes in the morning can change your whole day. When endorphins are released into your bloodstream during exercise, says Astorino, "you feel much more energized the rest of the day."
And when you improve your strength and stamina, it's easier to accomplish everyday tasks like carrying groceries and climbing stairs. This also helps you feel more energetic over the course of the day.
A common excuse among Atkinson's clients is that they're too tired to exercise, he says. While exercise may make you feel more tired at first, he says, that won't last long.
The physical tiredness you feel after working out isn't the same as everyday fatigue, he says. Besides, once your body adjusts to exercise, you'll have more energy than ever.
4. It's Not That Hard to Find Time for Fitness
The key, says Atkinson, is to use your time more wisely. Think about killing two birds with one stone.
Take your kids to the park or ride bikes together, and you're getting physical activity while enjoying family time, he says. Beyond that, go for a hike, take the kids swimming, or play hide-and-seek, tag, softball, or horseshoes in the backyard.
At work, he says, schedule a meeting on the jogging track or on the golf course.
Also, forget the idea that you have to trudge to the gym and spend an hour or more doing a formal workout. Instead, you can work short spurts of physical activity into your day.
"Everyone has 20 minutes," Atkinson says. "Everyone has 10 minutes to jump rope, and sometimes that's better than 20 minutes of walking or running."
Indeed, squeezing in two or three bouts of 15 or 20 minutes of activity is just as effective as doing it all at once, says Astorino. Vacuuming the house in the morning, riding bikes in the park with the kids in the afternoon, then taking a brisk walk in the evening can add up to an active day.
Recent U.S. government guidelines say that to lose weight and keep it weight off, you should accumulate at least 60 minutes of exercise a day, says Astorino. But half an hour a day is all you need to reap the health and disease-fighting benefits of exercise.
5. Fitness Can Help Build Relationships
Think of what exercising with a partner can do for a relationship, whether it's with a spouse, a sibling, or a friend you used to go to lunch with once a week.
Not only that, says Astorino, but exercise is always more fun when there's someone to do it with. So plan to walk with your spouse after dinner every night. Meet your sister or that friend for tennis or an aerobics class instead of lunch.
Besides, Astorino says, people who have exercise partners stay with their programs and reach their goals more often than those who try to go it alone.
"For long-term weight loss, you need to have social support," Astorino says.
6. Exercise Helps Ward Off Disease
Research has shown that exercise can slow or help prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis (bone loss), and loss of muscle mass, says Astorino.
It also helps ease some aspects of the aging process.
"Because exercise strengthens the muscles and joints, it is going to reduce your odds of having some of those aches and pains and problems most adults have, mostly because of the inactive lives they lead," Bryant says.
Provided you don't overdo it, he says, exercise can even boost immune function -- so you spend less time down with a cold or flu.
"There isn't a major health problem where exercise cannot have a positive effect," says Byrant.
7. Fitness Pumps Up Your Heart
Not only does exercise help fight disease, says Bryant, it creates a stronger heart -- the most important muscle in the body. That helps makes exercise -- and the activities of daily life -- feel easier.
"Your heart and cardiovascular system will function more effectively," says Bryant. "The heart will build up less plaque. It will become a more efficient pump."
And "when the heart becomes stronger, it pumps more blood per beat, so at rest, the heart rate is lower," says Astorino. "It's not going to have to beat as fast" to expend the same amount of effort.
Within only a couple days after you start exercising, Astorino says, "the body readily adapts to the stimulus it's getting and it becomes easier. You will feel less fatigue. It will not take as much effort when it comes to breathing. You shouldn't have as much pain or soreness."
8. Exercise Lets You Eat More
Pound for pound, muscle burns more calories at rest than body fat. So the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. And, of course, you also burn calories while you're actually exercising.
All this means that "cheating" with a cookie once in a while isn't going to take you back 10 steps. "Can you eat anything? No," says Atkinson. "But you can afford to enjoy some of the things you really like when you exercise regularly. You can better get away with those things in moderation than you can when you're not working out."
9. Exercise Boosts Performance
After a few weeks of consistent exercise, you may feel your clothes fitting differently and see that your muscle tone has improved, Atkinson says.
You may also notice your newly pumped-up muscles in other ways, especially if you're a recreational golfer or tennis player, or like a friendly game of pick-up basketball, says Atkinson. Exercising consistently will strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility, and improve your overall performance.
"Your muscles will work much more efficiently and you'll gain a greater sense of endurance," says Bryant. In addition, he says, your reaction time and balance will improve.
10. Weight Loss Is Not the Most Important Goal
Weight loss is the reason many people exercise in the first place. But it's certainly not the sole benefit of an exercise program.
Bryant says the long-term goal of weight loss is sold too heavily to people starting fitness programs, and that can be discouraging. People have trouble sticking with something if they don't see results quickly.
"Really, they should think about the level of functioning in the activities of daily living," says Bryant. "That can serve as the motivation to keep them coming back for more."
So whatever weight loss goal you have when starting a fitness program, don't make it your only goal. Strive to feel better, to have more energy, to be less stressed. Notice the small things that exercise does for you quickly, rather than getting hung up on the narrow goal of the number on a scale.
"With a goal of losing weight and enhancing health, exercise has to become a part of a person's life, not an afterthought," Astorino says.