Sloane Maymon of Branford, Connecticut, had good reason to lose weight: At the age of 45 her father had a massive heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery, and her mother also suffered from heart disease. This family history caused concern for her own heart health, which left Sloane not wanting to follow in her parents’ footsteps.
Though weight didn’t become an issue until later in life, Sloane’s struggles with eating had seemingly always been present. “I’ve never had a healthy relationship with food. Even as a child and young adult I misused food and was never taught the value of nutrition.”
Shortly after getting married at the age of 25, Sloane starting gaining a few pounds here and there. After her first child at the age of 29, she found found it difficult to lose the baby weight. “I assumed it was normal now that I was a mom to carry a few extra pounds. With each passing year and then another baby, I just kept putting on more and more weight.”
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In 1996 Oprah greeted her audience with a treasure trove of free gifts and prizes as she debuted the hottest giveaway daytime TV had ever seen. Oprah’s Favorite Things has grown to be the stuff of legends, and people would give arms and legs to have a seat and a chance to take home the media mogul’s top picks for holiday gifts. Oprah’s a giver, a giver of high-quality, high-end, premium gifts and it’s hardly anything you’d find on a clearance rack.
Since the end of her wildly popular daytime talk show, Oprah’s Favorite Things has faded in to TV history. But now through her OWN network, O Magazine, and a new partnership with Huffington Post, Oprah’s breaking the two-year hiatus with the announcement of 48 items on the 2012 Favorite Things list.
Some of it is quite posh and not likely to make it on to the holiday budget of most of her fans (like a nearly $2,000 Jetson-style battery-powered scooter), but some of it is completely in reason. Even better, a few items on her list are even good for you!
Top of the list is the Q37ci elliptical trainer. It’s a pricey addition to a home gym at $3,099, but it certainly pays for itself with dedicated use. She says her trainer Bob Greene turned her on to it and she loves the various options for total body workouts in one machine.
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Since most of us no longer have to toil the fields or walk miles to anywhere we want to go on a daily basis, exercise is hard to fit in to our daily routines.
Most American jobs are done while sitting all day long. Most of us also get to and from those jobs by riding in some sort of vehicle. By the end of the day, many of us have barely moved our body at all. Obviously these truths are major factors in our weight epidemic. So, what can we do about it? One company has recently taken a stab at this issue.
A company called Rightangle has invented a new type of desk space called the LifeBalance Station. The station incorporates the beneficial concept of a standing workstation and it has paired it with an elliptical type attachment for an optional chair. The chair can slide back and forth allowing for standing or sitting at anytime. The chair resembles the top of a comfortable office chair while the foot rests are the pedals of the elliptical machine for exercise.
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Whenever I ask people what their favorite way to get cardio in is, they usually mention two pieces of equipment: the elliptical and the treadmill. This is great because both offer a fantastic cardiovascular workout and work well for people of all kinds of fitness backgrounds. But how do these two pieces compare in regards to cost, ease of use and accessibility? Read on to see how ellipticals and treadmills compare and how they differ- and find the piece of equipment that is perfect for you!
Cost
While both ellipticals and treadmills vary greatly in price and quality, when looking at cardio pieces that are appropriate for home use, ellipticals are typically a little bit less costly than treadmills. You have to be a savvy shopper, but know that your dollar is going to go a bit farther when buying an elliptical. While there are quite a few ellipticals on the market that are less than $1,000 and are OK for general home use, I can’t really say that about treadmills. This is because when you look at the basic machinery of the two types of equipment, a treadmill is just a little bit more complicated than an elliptical. When shopping and looking at price, also take into consideration that both pieces may need repairs under regular use, with treadmill belts usually needing a bit more love and repair than an ellitpical. Both pieces should come with warranties.
Who wins this one? The elliptical is a more cost-effective option.
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Now that the weather is warming up and summer is on the way, you may be itching to ditch the gym for a little time out in the sunshine. Who could blame you? Not I! But instead of foregoing your gym routine all together, why not take your usual strength moves and cardio activities into the great outdoors? Read on for five exercises to do just that!
5 Exercises That Easily Go From the Gym to the Great Outdoors
1. If you normally hit the treadmill…try trail running or hiking! The change of terrain when trail running or hiking will work your legs in new ways and you’ll have much more beautiful scenery than the sweaty guys lifting weights!
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