By Jennipher Walters for FitBottomedGirls.com
Forget ghosts and goblins, the gym can be a scary place. Some of the weight machines look like torture devices out of a horror film and, let’s face it, sometimes the dudes in there grunt and sweat like monsters. But have no fear! We’re here to help! With a little guidance from the gym staff and a bit of confidence, using fitness equipment doesn’t have to be a fright. Follow these tips from the exercise experts at Life Fitness to overcome the spookiness of unknown fitness equipment!
Read Full Post >
Image via The Independent
Running on the beach is one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, I live in the Midwest, so my chances to run on a beach are limited to vacations and work trips to the coast. But a new piece of fitness equipment on the market is hoping to bring that beach-running feel to people in all areas, even those in land-locked parts of the country. Recently launched at the IDEA World Fitness Convention in L.A., the Sproing cardio machine uses bungee resistance and a soft platform to create a running experience that is low-impact.
Unlike a treadmill that has a moving platform, the Sproing has no moving pieces. Instead, you wear a chest strap that it attached to a tethered bungee with resistance and run forward, pulling away from the tethered platform as far as you can. Below your feet is a stationary soft platform. Users have two types of surface options to run on. One is filled with air for an easier workout, and one is filled with special high-density foam for a more intense workout that feels like running on the beach. Although there’s no treadmill belt, the Sproing can measure your movement and steps. With custom built-in sensors, it measures your footsteps and tells you how far you’ve run.
Read Full Post >
Despite the fact that some studies have linked child weight gain to playing video games, there is a new technology on the block that might actually help you shed pounds.
The NewYu Connected Fitness Monitor is a wearable, connected fitness monitor that tracks all activities users engage in throughout the day, from running and biking to cooking, cleaning and shopping. The monitor syncs with an online dashboard where you can establish fitness goals, track progress, and share your results.
“The more accurate the tracking, the more likely users are to reach their goals,” said Van Krueger, President and CEO of Wellcore, NewYu’s parent company.
The San Jose-based company will introduce the new monitor at the 2011 IDEA World Fitness Convention in Los Angeles.
Read Full Post >
Something tells me these models aren't SPANX's target audience...
For years, people have been wanting a quick and easy way to look slimmer. There have been diet drugs, powders, shakes, shoes; anything that promises to help you shed pounds and look thinner. Of course, there is always the tried-and-true method of exercising to become thinner and healthier, but many people still fall for the fads and quick-fixes.
One of the newer quick-fixes is as easy as putting on a pair of pants and a shirt. SPANX Active Wear (see image) offers a wide variety of body-shaping fitness clothing to help women feel more confident in their own skin. The SPANX fabric helps conceal trouble spots like muffin-tops and cellulite, while also using back seams that “improve your rear view.” In addition to the traditional pants and tank-tops, SPANX also offers a bodysuit to flatten your stomach and other pieces that flatten your thighs and butt.
So you can now buy SPANX clothing made specifically for the gym. I can get behind anything that encourages women to hit the gym, but pants with names like “Slim-X Bagel-Busters” have many people wondering if it is sending the wrong message. Don’t get me started on the “Wrap & Go,” which for a whopping $68 is specifically designed to hide your butt at the gym. What about doing some squats, SPANX?
Read Full Post >
A new sports bra will be made available in October that claims to “eliminate the bounce” for women with larger chests, who are often on the look out for that very thing. The new sports bra comes from the British lingerie company Panache, who specializes in bras for cup sizes D and higher.
Finding an effective sports bra that keeps bouncing to a minimum can be very difficult. High impact exercise can be jarring and in some cases dangerous to the body if you are a woman working out without proper support.
Panache enlisted their head designer Clare Fallon to create a sports bra that encapsulates each breast separately, which creators say works as effectively as “two hands holding the breasts.” Available in sizes D through H, this new sports bra is said to reduce movement from every angle. During the research process, the amount of breast bounce was reduced by 83 percent in a model wearing a size 32E while working out on a treadmill.
Read Full Post >
