Fitness
Fitness
Protect Your Feet
If you’re an athlete or a gym rat, you likely spend even more time on your feet than the average person. For example, runners’ feet hit the ground close to 40,000 times during a marathon. So if you want to stay healthy, you need to make sure your feet do, too. Not surprisingly, foot problems are […]
Fitness
Strength and Cardio Training: Should They Mix?
Strength and cardiovascular training methods are often at odds. Many people train in strictly one or other, believing that the neglected training style will somehow hinder their progress. Gym myths and misunderstandings just add to the confusion, promoting ideas like “running burns muscle.” Other exercisers simply don’t know how to incorporate both strength and cardiovascular […]
Fitness
Exercise Recommendations for Cancer Survivors
Getting back to exercise may be the last thing on your mind after cancer treatment — but it may be the best thing for you. Once, the common view was that patients in recovery should rest and avoid activity. Not anymore. The American Cancer Society recently released new guidelines that recommend both good nutrition and exercise for survivors to […]
Fitness
Living With Flat Feet
It may surprise you to learn that we are all born with flat feet. The arches on the insole of the human foot are caused by a tightness in the tendons that hold the foot together. From birth until about three years of age, these tendons are loose, allowing the entire foot to contact the […]
Fitness
Is Marriage Really Good for Your Health?
Marriage is good for you, according to numerous studies. I know for a fact that it’s good for providing love, happiness and companionship — but on my recent 27th wedding anniversary, I set out to discover just how good marriage actually is for my health. The Correlation Between Marriage and Health Lots of research suggests that married people live longer, enjoy a […]
Fitness
Six Supplements that Could Improve Your Workouts and Your Health
Working out regularly on your Horizon Home Fitness Equipment can go a long way towards getting and keeping yourself fit, but do you find yourself wondering if you should throw a little supplementation into the mix? Will vitamins keep you healthy? Will protein fuel your workouts or slow you down? Here’s a little research to […]
Fitness
Improve Your Breathing, Improve Your Performance
Blinking, the beating of your heart, swallowing – these are all things we do countless times a day, often without even noticing. In fact, the average person breathes over 20,000 times in a single day. Breathing in particular has been the focus of many forms of traditional medicine and exercise over the centuries: yoga, tai […]
Fitness
10 Ways to Keep Your Cool When Exercising in the Heat
Like many athletes, I spend each winter counting down the days until spring. I am not a fan of running or biking in the cold, so the warm weather is always a nice welcome. But before too long, summer comes — and I’m complaining about the heat! Exercising in the summer is more than just uncomfortable. It […]
Fitness
Athletes: Tips to Stay Fit in the Off-Season
As a runner, I look forward to fall because it’s race season. I train hard throughout spring and summer so I’ll be in peak condition once autumn rolls around. But that doesn’t mean take it easy all winter. If you’re also a runner – or a cyclist, tennis player or ice hockey player – you may not […]
Fitness
How to Use Periodization Training in your Cardio Workout
There are many potential stumbling blocks that may pop up as you pursue your fitness goals. Plateaus, overuse injuries and even plain old boredom can all slow your progress and eventually impede your performance in competitive events. A common piece of wisdom, heard in gyms all around the world, says that variety is the key to avoiding these pitfalls, […]
Fitness
How Much Exercise Does it Take to Make a Difference?
Getting results from your home fitness equipment may be more attainable than you think. It’s easy to feel like there’s no point to working out if you can’t complete your scheduled hour-long elliptical workout or five-mile run, but the evidence is increasingly showing that the first 10 to 20 minutes of your workout make the […]
Fitness
Choosing the Right Pair of Sneakers
Socrates once said “When our feet hurt, we hurt all over.” As usual, he was on to something. Running and working out become that much easier when your feet feel good, and the right pair of sneakers can prevent leg, knee, hip and foot pain now, as well as down the road. “Sneakers” may be a old-fashioned […]
Fitness
Potential Benefits of Beet Juice
An ever-growing number of products on the market claim to enhance athletic performance by manipulating various biological systems and functions. A relatively new group of supplements use certain nitrates to improve muscular endurance, and these nitrates – in addition to several other beneficial compounds – are present in high concentrations in beet juice. How effective is beet juice at increasing […]
Fitness
Top 10 Donna Summer Workout Songs
We around the office were sad to hear about today’s passing of Donna Summer, the “Queen of Disco.” The 63-year-old songstress, who rose to fame in the ‘70s, died after a long battle with lung cancer. As a tribute to the true death of disco, we compiled a list of our favorite Donna Summer songs […]
Fitness
8 Steps to Succeed on Race Day
There’s nothing like the anticipation of race day. The miles you’ve run in preparation for the big event on your LIVESTRONG 10.0t treadmill are behind you. But while your training may have come to an end, you still have work to do if you want to succeed on race day. Whether you’ll be running, cycling, swimming […]
Fitness
How to Feel at Home in a New Gym
Did you ever walk into a new gym and feel like a stranger in a strange land? That’s what happens to me any time I join a new one. I look around and feel lost. Where are the free weights located? Is there an area for stretching? What is that newfangled machine over there and […]
Fitness
Stay off the Sidelines: Nine Ways to Sidestep Sports Injuries
My biggest fear as a runner isn’t performing poorly on race day. Rather, it’s that one day an injury could stop me from even getting to the start line. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game for most athletes. Some are unavoidable, but training hard, combined with not allowing yourself enough recovery time, can be […]
Fitness
How to Incorporate Interval Training on Your Home Fitness Equipment
Want to step up your home fitness program this spring? Increase your overall workout calorie burn, challenge your fitness, increase your cardiovascular capacity and make your workouts more involved by including interval training in your weekly training program. Interval training, or simply alternating intense activity with periods of recovery, is a great way to accomplish […]
Fitness
Personal Training
Beginning a new exercise routine can be a daunting task. The variety of equipment, types of workouts, choice of goals and countless other variables can be overwhelming. Maintaining that routine despite plateaus, boredom and discouragement is just as challenging. Fortunately, personal trainers can be effective allies in designing and executing workouts, as well as reaching […]
Fitness
Good Mood Foods
“You are what you eat.” We’ve all heard this adage before, but recent research suggests it may be truer than anyone previously thought. As our understanding of how the human brain processes moods and emotions grows, the link between diet and mood has become steadily more apparent. While many foods are said to affect your […]
Fitness
How To Calculate Target Heart Rate So You Can Get The Most From Your Workouts
One of the most challenging aspects of designing any workout routine is selecting and maintaining the proper intensity. While strength training allows you to judge intensity based on the amount of weight you’re lifting and how many reps you’re able to execute, cardiovascular exercise lacks those clear measurements. However, learning how to monitor your heart […]
Fitness
Spring Training: 5 Tips for Big Results from your Home Fitness Workouts
Warm weather, longer days and the knowledge that swimsuit season is just around the corner all make spring a great time to step up your home fitness workouts. If you’re already using your home fitness equipment regularly, try one or more of these five tips below to take your routine to the next level. Add […]
Fitness
DOs and DON'Ts of Cardio
The many benefits of cardiovascular training are well recognized and understood. But despite the simple appearance of this mode of exercise, there are several common mistakes that people make in their cardio routines that can cause injury or prevent proper recovery. There are also many techniques that could help you enjoy your workout more and […]
Fitness
Could You Benefit from Wellness Coaching?
Losing weight and becoming healthier is generally not just a matter of following a diet and exercise routine. In some cases, a complete change of lifestyle is needed. However, without proper direction and encouragement, making the decisions that will bring you closer to your goals can be a more daunting challenge than sticking to any […]
Fitness
Avoiding Training Plateaus
One of the most frustrating problems that afflicts amateur exercisers and professional athletes alike is the training plateau. This insidious snare can happen at any time and not only stall your progress, but discourage you from continuing to pursue your fitness goals. What is a Training Plateau? When applied to an exercise program, the term […]
Fitness
4 Tips to Help You Purchase the Right Fitness Equipment
Looking to purchase piece of home fitness equipment? You’re not alone. The convenience of being able to work out at home causes many people purchase a variety of products for their home gym, whether it’s one treadmill or an entire line of strength machines. If you have never bought fitness equipment before, it can be overwhelming […]
Fitness
Treat your Baby Right. Getting Fit and Staying Strong During Pregnancy
Now that your exercise habits affect both of you, maintaining a home fitness routine during pregnancy makes a lot of sense. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends being active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days during pregnancy and cites reductions in backaches, bloating, constipation and gestational diabetes as just […]
Fitness
Pick an Event to Add Motivation to Your Home Workouts
Whether you’re looking to participate in a charity run/walk, your alumni basketball tournament or annual softball game, training for an athletic event is a great way to stay motivated and bring new life to your treadmill, elliptical and exercise bike training. Signing up for an event (and paying the registration fee) is often more likely […]
Fitness
Fitness Equipment and the Sound of Silence
An important issue to consider when purchasing fitness equipment for the home is how much noise it will make. A quiet machine will make it easier to enjoy your workouts, whether you like to listen to music, watch TV or just enjoy the peace and quiet. Also, people tend to work out at different times […]
Fitness
Achieve the perfect fit on your exercise bike
If you’re a cyclist, no matter your experience level, you may have experienced that tingling or a numbness in your glutes mid-workout. Or perhaps you’ve fallen victim to hyperextension because of improper pedal positioning. Instantly, your motivation deflates and you cut your bike workout short by 10 minutes. Thankfully, these are avoidable situations. Read on to learn […]
Fitness
Getting More from the Heart Rate Sensor on your Home Fitness Equipment
National Heart Health month may be over, but there’s no reason to lose focus of conditioning your ticker. Most Horizon Fitness equipment models include a heart rate monitor to make keeping track of heart rate during your workouts quick and convenient, but are you really getting the most from this feature on your treadmill, elliptical, or exercise […]
Fitness
Two Hearts, One Great Home Workout
If you’re a mother-to-be looking to improve the chances of a healthy heart for your new addition, you can start with a strong pre-natal exercise program. Although you should certainly talk with your doctor about your prenatal workout plans, the old rules of no impact and keeping your heart rate under 140 no longer apply. […]
Fitness
Achieve the perfect fit on your exercise bike
You’re in the middle of your indoor exercise bike workout when, suddenly, you experience tingling or a numbness in your glutes. Or perhaps you’ve fallen victim to hyperextension because of improper pedal positioning. Instantly, your motivation deflates and you’ve cut your bike workout short by 10 minutes. Does this sound familiar? Thankfully, this is an […]
Fitness
Heart Healthiest Home Workouts
February is American Heart Health Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but a positive lifestyle, including regular use of your home fitness equipment, can go a long way towards preventing the 2200 deaths per day caused by heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently launched […]
Fitness
Use Mind and Body to Take your Home Fitness Workouts Further
Complementing your cardio workouts with strength and flexibility training will make sure you get the most from your home fitness routine. Using your treadmill, elliptical, or recumbent bike will help you to burn calories and keep your heart in great shape, but adding strength and flexibility training to the mix let’s you keep your body […]
Fitness
Making your Home Fitness Resolutions a Reality
We’re nearly a month into 2012. Have your New Year’s resolutions fallen by the wayside? There’s still time to pick back up where you left off. Including your Horizon Fitness exercise equipment as part of your New Year’s fitness resolution is a great way to jump start or reinvigorate your at-home workouts. Beginning your New […]
Fitness
Ten Ways to Stick to your New Year’s Resolutions
Want to guarantee your placement among the successful who stick to their New Year’s Resolutions this year? Follow these tips to make sure your changes are permanent. 1. Don’t put it off. Start thinking about your resolutions early and look forward to the changes so that you can avoid letting just one more day, week, […]
Fitness
Have Yourself a Mindful Little Christmas
Whether you’re satisfied with your progress using your home fitness equipment or are stressing over trying to squeeze in workouts between holiday activities, finding balance both in and beyond your workouts is tough during the holidays. Although the practice of mindfulness has its benefits (ranging from reduced anxiety to lowered cancer risk) any time of […]
Fitness
Defeat Holiday Nutrition Pitfalls
After using your Horizon Fitness equipment all year, you’ll want to avoid undoing your hard work during the holidays. Unfortunately, research shows that most people gain about a pound over the holidays and fail to lose it in the following year. The good news is that people who are physically active experience less holiday weight […]
Fitness
Cross Train to Balance Your Home Fitness Equipment Workouts
If you’re using your home fitness equipment regularly, you’ve got yourself covered in the cardiovascular department. But have you found a way to round out your routine? A balanced fitness program includes three components – cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility training. The benefits of a well-rounded routine consist of: • Injury prevention and recovery […]