By Annabelle Robertson
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

You've probably used one at the gym and may even have one sitting in your spare bedroom. The treadmill, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, is the top-selling piece of fitness equipment in the U.S. - and also the most popular among users.
"Treadmills are a fantastic alternative to outdoor workouts, particularly for people who feel a little unsure about being outside," says Therese Iknoian, author of Fitness Walking and editor-in-chief of SNEWS, a fitness news service.
"They're a safe, secure, controlled environment. The treadmill allows you to stop when you need to. You can control the hills, you can control the speed," Iknoian tells WebMD
But many people find the treadmill boring, or wonder if they're getting the most out of their treadmill time.
If that's you, relax. Treadmill workouts don't have to be dull. In fact, they can be one of the most efficient, challenging, calorie-burning routines around -- indoors or out.
The key: intervals. Instead of trudging along a steady pace, you'll mix up your speed, and get off the treadmill every few minutes to do exercises on the floor.
Intervals on the Treadmill
Intervals keep boredom at bay and keep the heart pumping, says Cindy Wasilewski, fitness manager at The Lodge at Wooloch, a destination spa in Hawley, Pa.
"You get people working at a maximum intensity level on the treadmill, and you keep things moving with interval training," Wasilewski tells WebMD. "Doing the interval[s] is the best workout that there is to keep your heart rate up and burn the most calories.
Intervals also lend intensity to treadmill classes at the Blast900 gym in Atlanta, where fitness director Jeff Baird says exercisers burn at least 900 calories in an hour.
Blast900's boot-camp style workouts alternate 10 minutes of walking, jogging, or running with 10 minutes of weight training and floor exercises. While some students are on the treadmills, others are on the floor, sweating it out. Then they switch.
"We have housewives working out next to professional athletes, and the reason for that is the treadmill," Baird says. "There are three different intensity levels: runner, jogger, walker, [and] the treadmill allows us to really quantify the intensity. We use different [speeds] for each, and we can really tell how hard people are working."
Easier Than Running Outside?
It's important to keep track of how hard you're working on a treadmill, given that treadmill running is somewhat easier than running outside.
"When someone is on a treadmill, he or she doesn't have to fight air resistance or wind to move forward," Iknoian says. "If you don't have to overcome any resistance to go forward, logically then you aren't working as hard.”
But if you're pushing yourself on the treadmill, you may work out longer. On the treadmill, "you have to make a really distinct effort to go slower by pushing the button," Iknoian says. "It's not like you're outside, where all you have to do is slow down.
Wasilewski and Baird shared several treadmill workouts with WebMD, including routines for people who have an hour, 30 minutes, or only 20 minutes to devote to exercise.
Besides a treadmill, you'll need hand weights and a stability ball for the floor exercises. As always, check with your doctor before you start a new exercise program.
60-Minute Treadmill Workouts
If you've got an hour, here are two different treadmill workouts to try. Wasilewski, who designed both workouts, calls the first one the "No Excuses" routine because it delivers maximum results for the time investment. The second workout is an interval trek, designed to boost cardiovascular endurance.
The Perceived Exertion rate referenced in these workouts is a scale of 0-10 used to measure the intensity of exercise. For example, 0 (nothing at all) is how you feel when at rest, while 10 (very, very heavy) is how you feel after extremely strenuous exercise.
No-Excuses Routine
Start on the treadmill:
Time Intensity/Speed Incline Perceived Exertion
5 min. 3.5 mph - warm-up 1% Level 2-3
1 min. 4.5 - speed walk/run 6% Level 6
2 min. 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min. 4.5 - speed walk/ run 6% Level 6-7
2 min. 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min. 4.5 - speed walk/run 6% Level 7
2 min. 3.5 - walk/ slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min. Slowly take it down to stop 1% Level 2-3
Move to the floor:
• Do one set of 30 overhead shoulder presses with dumbbells while alternating squats.
• Done one set of 30 bicep curls with dumbbells while alternating lunges.
Return to the treadmill:
Time Intensity/Speed Incline Perceived Exertion
1 min. 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min. 4.5 - speed walk/ run 6% Level 6-7
1 min. 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min. 4.5 - speed walk/run 6% Level 7
1 min. 3.5 - walk/ slow jog 4% Level 4
Slow down gradually before you stop.
Finish on the floor:
• Do one set of 30 chest presses with hand weights on a stability ball (hips in air).
• Do set of 30 reverse flies with hand weights on a stability ball (hips in air).
• Stretch.
Interval Treadmill Trek:
Start on treadmill:
Time Intensity/Speed Incline Perceived Exertion
1 min. 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min. 4.5 - speed walk/run 6% Level 6-7
1 min. 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min. 4.5 - speed walk/run 6% Level 7
1 min. 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
Slow down gradually before you stop.
Move to the floor:
• Do one set of 30 tricep dips on a bench.
• Do one set of 30 push-ups.
Return to the treadmill:
Time Intensity/Speed Incline Perceived Exertion
1 min 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min 4.5 - speed walk/run 6% Level 6-7
1 min 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
1 min 4.5 - speed walk/run 6% Level 7
1 min 3.5 - walk/slow jog 4% Level 4
Slow down gradually before you stop.
Finish on the floor:
• Do one set of 75 abdominal crunches: 25 to the center, 25 to the right, and 25 to the left.
• Do two sets of planks on your elbows, holding for one minute each time.
• Stretch.
30-Minute Treadmill Workout
This treadmill-only workout, designed by Wasilewski, is for experienced exercisers.
Time Intensity/Speed Incline
5 min. 3.5 - 4.5 - walk 1-2
1 min. 5.0 - 5.5 - speedwalk or jog 2-3
2 min. 4.0 - 5.0 - walk/slow jog 0-1
1 min. 5.0 - 5.5 - speedwalk or jog 2-3
2 min. 4.0 - 5.0 - walk or slow jog 0-1
1 min. 5.0 - 5.5 - speed walk or jog 2-3
2 min. 4.0 - 5.0 - walk or slow jog 0-1
1 min. 5.0 - 5.5 - speed walk or jog 2-3
2 min. 4.0 - 5.0 - walk or slow jog 0-1
1 min. 5.0 - 5.5 - speed walk or jog 2-3
2 min. 4.0 - 5.0 - walk or slow jog 0-1
1 min. 5.0 - 5.5 - speed walk or jog 2-3
2 min. 4.0 - 5.0 - walk or slow jog 0-1
1 min. 5.0 - 5.5 - speed walk or jog 2-3
2 min. 4.0 - 5.0 - walk or slow jog 0-1
5 min. 3.0 - 4.0 - walk 0
20-Minute Treadmill Workouts
Short on time? Here are two 20-minute treadmill workouts. The first focuses on running; you'll keep bumping up the treadmill's pace. The second is all about climbing, with frequent changes in the treadmill's incline.
Both routines -- designed by Jeff Baird, director of fitness development at Blast900 in Atlanta - include a range of speeds, depending on your fitness level.
Running Workout
Time Speed Incline
1 min. 6.5 mph /5.5 mph /4.5 mph 0%
1 min. 7.0 mph /6.0 mph /5.0 mph 0%
1 min. 7.0 mph /6.0 mph /5.0 mph 3%
1 min. 7.5 mph /6.5 mph /5.5 mph 0%
1 min. 8.0 mph /7.0 mph /6.0 mph 0%
2 min. 9.0 mph /7.5 mph /6.5 mph 0%
1 min . 6.5 mph /5.5 mph /4.0 mph 6%
1 min. 7.0 mph /6.0 mph /4.5 mph 0%
45 sec. 10.0 mph /9.0 mph /6.0 mph 0%
Follow by resistance training (weights, bands, or calisthenics) on the floor. Keep moving with exercises such as squats and lunges.
Climbing Workout
Time Speed Incline
1 min. 4.0 mph /4.0 mph /4.0 mph 9%
1 min. 4.0 mph /4.0 mph /3.5 mph 12%
2 min. 4.0 mph /3.5 mph /3.0 mph 15%
1 min. 7.0 mph /6.0 mph /4.5 mph 0%
1 min. 5.5 mph /5.0 mph /4.5 mph 0%
1 min. 5.5 mph /5.0 mph /4.5 mph 3%
2 min. 4.0 mph /3.5 mph /3.0 mph 15%
1 min. 4.0 mph /4.0 mph /4.0 mph 9%
Follow by resistance training (weights, bands, or calisthenics) on the floor. Keep moving with exercises such as squats and lunges.

The new semester is upon us; new classes, new notebooks, new opportunities. The stress of the end of the fall semester has been abated, and Harvard students are looking forward to a fresh start. Ambitions are high, and the concept of taking that fifth class seems all too doable. However, it will be only a matter of time until the stress of problem sets and midterm exams build up. The typical Harvard student reacts to the stress by working even harder, pulling all nighters in Lamont, or doing painful cram sessions. However, this semester, students might find that the key to surviving the stressful times can be found on a MAC treadmill, rather than a Widener carousel.

The relationship between body and mind is no secret; a healthy body produces a healthy mind. Therefore, during periods of high stress, such as midterm seasons and reading week, Harvard students need to spend more time doing physical activity. While the physical benefits of exercise are more or less widely know, it is easy to overlook the mental benefits.

According to research done at University of Colorado at Boulder, exercise has been proven to prevent the development of depression anxiety, among other stress-related disorders. In the experiment, lab rats were exposed to a stressor, and those that had been allowed to exercise had increased levels of serotonin, the chemical that regulates mood, and were shown to be less anxious and stressed than the rats that were not allowed to exercise. Exercise, in a sense, is a natural antidepressant. Other scientific research has also shown that exercise increases the development and maintenance of brain cells, as well as the hippocampus, the part of the brain necessary for memory.

If staying happy and sharp wasn’t enough reason to exercise, Harvard students should be aware of the benefit to their immune system. Moderate exercise has also proven to increase immunity. According to Mary P. Miles, Ph.D., an associate professor of exercise sciences at Montana State University, the risk of being infected with the flu virus or a cold will drop with moderate exercise. Another study, done at Appalachian State, found that those who walked at moderate pace for 40 minutes a day reported half the number of sick days taken off from work than those who didn’t exercise at all. It is still cold in Cambridge, so the flu is still a threat on campus, and it seems that regular exercise is key to staying in the classroom and out of University Health Services.

This research should also be a wake-up call for Harvard’s administrators. There are no real outlets or motivators for students to get active, especially toward the end of semesters when intramurals have ended. There are gym classes, but only those who are very self-motivated attend those. In many liberal arts colleges across the nation, there is a physical educational requirement. Although Harvard does not necessarily need to add such a requirement, it might be time to offer outlets for exercise, such creating and facilitating student run groups, keeping gyms open later, and longer intramural periods.

This semester, Harvard students should rethink their exercise habits and how they could be affecting their mental health. An hour at the gym might be as good as an hour at the library, in terms of mental preparation. The health benefits are so great that students ought to engage in some sort of exercise regularly, and the University should help motivate students to do so as well. Hopefully there will be more students jogging along the Charles from now on and less cooped up in the Widener dungeon.

Time your pre-meal snack
Eating a low-carbohydrate protein bar 90 minutes before you work out will enable you to exercise longer and harder (and burn more calories) than you normally would, says Steve Zim, author of “Hot Point Fitness.” However, that 90-minute mark is crucial. Eat any closer to your workout and blood will rush to your stomach, actually diminishing your performance.

Breathe through your nose
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose, rather than your mouth, helps stabilize your heart rate and (like the pre-workout snack) increase your endurance. The result? You work out longer and burn more calories. But don't get discouraged if it feels unnatural at first; it takes about six to eight workouts to perfect.

Do cardio last
Strength-train before doing any cardiovascular work, says Ken Fitzgerald, owner of Lift Gym in New York. Why? It takes the body about 15 minutes to warm up and start burning fat. So, a 30-minute bike ride is really only burning fat for the last 15 minutes of your workout. But, if you lift weights first, your body is warmed up by the time you hit the bike, and you'll burn fat throughout the entire ride.

Value variety
Do the exact same workout every time you hit the gym and your body will start to adapt to it, and eventually stop burning as many calories, says Zim. So if you jog one day, try biking or swimming the next. Or, if you weight-train from the shoulders down one day, next time begin with your legs and work up. The important thing, Zim says, is to keep your body guessing.

Don’t slouch
Slumping over the handlebars on a stationary bike inhibits the amount of oxygen your body can take in and slows your fat-burning process, says Fitzgerald. The bars and handles are there to help you balance, not to support you. If you can't move without holding on, slow down.

Train in intervals
The best way to burn fat is to work out as hard as you can for as long as you can, says Malick Diop, a trainer at Equinox Gyms in New York. But, if you're just starting to exercise, interval training's your ticket. Two minutes on the treadmill at, say, 7 mph, followed by two minutes at 5 mph, then back to 7 mph (and so on) for 20 to 45 minutes will whittle away pounds and build your endurance. Eventually, you'll be able to extend the high-intensity periods (and decrease the low ones) until your whole workout is done at top speed.

Add light weights
It's a fact: The more muscle tone you have the more calories you burn, even when you're sitting still. So, if you can't seem to find time to weight-train and do your cardio, Zim suggests doing biceps curls and overhead presses holding two- to three-pound weights while you're fast-walking or stair-climbing. This will build muscle tone, helping you shed more fat during your cardio workout than you would without the weights.

Exercise may keep the mind healthy -- as well as the body -- and fight the effects of aging on brain function.
A new review of research on exercise and aging suggests that exercise has short- and long-term beneficial effects in improving brain function, slowing age-related cognitive decline, and reducing the risk of dementia.

For example, one study that included men and women over age 65 showed that those who exercised for at least 15-30 minutes at a time, three times a week, were less likely to develop Alzheimer's -- even among those genetically predisposed to the disease.

Exercise Fights Aging in Brain
The results of the review were presented this week at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in New Orleans.

In their review, researchers analyzed information from three different types of studies on exercise and aging.
The first group of studies looked at whether exercise and physical activity at certain points in a person's life can improve brain function and reduce the risk of age-related neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The results showed a significant relationship between exercise and brain function later in life and a reduced risk of dementia; these benefits appeared to last several decades.

Aerobic Training Keeps Brain Fit
The second group of studies looked at the long-term relationship between specific types of exercise or fitness training and brain function in nondemented older adults.
These studies suggested that an increased level of exercise or aerobic fitness training may improve mental processes even more than moderate activity.
In particular, one study of older adults who were randomly assigned to a walking group or a stretching and toning group for six months showed that the walkers who were aerobically active were better able to ignore distracting information during a task than those in the other group.

"Aerobically trained older adults showed increased neural activities in certain parts of the brain that involved attention and reduced activity in other parts of the brain that are sensitive to behavioral conflict," says Arthur F. Kramer, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in a news release.

Exercise May Slow Age-Related Changes in Brain
The third group consisted of animal studies designed to understand the molecular mechanisms behind exercise's effects on the aging brain.

These results showed that aerobic exercise and physical activity may work by moderating age-related changes in brain structure on a cellular level -- in effect, maintaining a younger-looking and younger-performing brain well into old age.

"From this review we have found that physical and aerobic exercise training can lower the risk for developing some undesirable age-related changes in cognitive and brain functions," says Kramer, "and also help the brain maintain its plasticity – [the] ability to cover one function if another starts failing later in life."

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.

You can get flat sexy abs without doing sit ups? With top treadmill workout tips you will literally walk your way to six pack ABS! Tight abs are not the result of countless situps.

Use the following tips to make your workouts more interesting and they also help you to multi-task so that you have more free time to spend outside.

Music can help raise your energy and enthusiasm. Pick upbeat tunes for the main part of your workout, and use slower tunes to start off and end your routine. Or, you could just listen to your favorite radio station or CD.

Audio books can be a great way to pass the time. If you are interested in the book, you may even look forward to your workouts so that you can find out what happens next.

Television can be another way to make the time fly. You could watch your favorite shows or even watch a movie over several days. You might make the television off limits except when you are working out to give yourself extra motivation.

If you have a headset for your cell phone or telephone, this can be a great time to catch up on personal conversations. Note that you probably don’t want to conduct business or important conversations while exercising since you may get slightly out of breath, or the exercise equipment may be heard in the background.

Do you have a nice view from a window? Situate your equipment so that you can look outside. Watching wildlife or admiring beautiful scenery can keep you distracted from the tedium of your workout.

Try meditating while you are moving. Clear your mind, and focus on your body. Feel each movement and be mindful of your form. You can exercise both your mind and body at the same time.

Reading is another option. Again, if you get an interesting book and only allow yourself to read it while exercising, you can give yourself an extra push toward getting on that machine each day.

Brainstorm during your fitness time. Keep a pad of paper and pen handy, and jot down ideas that come to mind. You could make a to do list or write down plans for a new project. Or, think through potential solutions to a current problem that faces you.

Working on your laptop is another possibility. Specially made desks are available that can be adjusted so that you can use your computer while using a treadmill or exercise bike. You may have difficulty doing much typing, but you should be able to do light tasks such as reading email or surfing the net.

Don’t let your exercise equipment sit idle because you are bored with the whole idea of getting fit. You can make your workouts interesting and get fit at the same time.

Some things you should know about exercise

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.

By the editors of FITNESS

In a recent fitnessmagazine.com poll, 31 percent of respondents said that if given the choice of any machine, they would add a treadmill to their home gym. But how do you pick one? Here's what Fred Waters, who runs Treadmill-Ratings-Reviews.com, looks for:

1. A powerful motor. It should have at least 2.5 continuous-duty horsepower.

2. Ample room to walk or run. Lengths can vary hugely. If someone six-foot-two or taller is going to run on your machine, it should be at least 58 inches long. Otherwise, 54 inches is fine.

3. A mid-range price tag. While cheaper models are tempting, you often get what you pay for. Plan on spending between $1,000 and $1,300 with an extended warranty. Check out bizrate.com and shopping.com for brand reviews.

1. Pick a cardio machine that doesn't require much skill.
Cardio machines don't have to be high-tech or gimmicky so you would be better off with sticking to one that is simple and very easy to use. The ideal goal here is to find a cardio machine that is simplistic and mechanical in nature. That way your body will naturally move the way it would as if you're outdoors--walking or running.

2. Find a cardio machine that you're comfortable with and stick with it.
Our primary concern when working with a cardio machine is to minimize any risk of injury. It is important to keep your connective tissues and joints healthy throughout a cardio session. This also will reduce aggravation of any injuries you may have as well. Any form of injury, big or small, will put a halt on your weight loss progress and it is something we should avoid at all costs. Start with experimenting with different machines and see how your body responds. If it's comfortable to your taste then by all means stick with that machine. However, if you experience any discomfort, steer clear of it right away!

3. Keep your cardio sessions short and intense.
There are several reasons why it's important to keep a cardio session short and intense. You don't have to spend as much energy diverting your focus onto balancing yourself or maintaining a specific form throughout a cardio session. Imagine yourself running on a treadmill platform where space if pretty much limited compared to running on an open ground. That much of a difference will have an impact on your body and unnecessary energy wasted. Thus, it is better to aim for a few miles instead of running an hour long marathon.
Now that we have all three important criteria covered, I'd like to recommend the four best cardio machines that involve low impact exercise, going hand-in-hand with weight loss.

Recumbent Bike
The recumbent bike operates similar to the stationary bike but the difference is that your body is in a seated position. This machine is often recommended for those looking to reduce stress off their lower back which is a bonus for those who have nagging lower back problems from the past.

Stairclimber
This is one of my favorite cardio machines. A stairclimber involves low impact movements which helps you keep your focus and maintain the intensity without interrupting your flow. It's a nice replacement for those who cannot find stairs to walk on.

Treadmill
Treadmills are a great choice for those who prefer an interval style of training as a replacement for outdoor running. The platforms are professionally designed to reduce impacts on the joints. Plus, you have the option to control the difficulty level by either increasing or decreasing the speed and you can raise the platform to form an incline.

Upright Stationary Bike
If you're looking for a low impact exercise that'll help you maintain a high level of intensity without losing balance, this is the machine you're looking for. Both recumbent and upright stationary bikes are recommended for their ease of use because they are easily programmable to meet your standards.

To sum it up, these four machines are highly recommended due to their relative ease of use--and not to mention, they involve low impact exercises which is a plus for any existing injuries that you may have, easing the pain on your connective tissues and joints. Lastly, choose a cardio machine that is simple and straightforward so that it'll help YOU focus by picking a cardio machine that is simple and straightforward. This way, you can focus on high intensity training rather than focusing your attention on mechanics.
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