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 […]

target heart rate
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 […]

Fitness

3 Tips to Help You Recover From and Avoid Injury

It’s a sad truth that most regular exercisers find themselves recovering from an injury at some point, either fitness-related or otherwise. The decision to pull back or push through the pain can be a tough one. When recovering from an injury is your top fitness priority, how do you choose your next step? Here are […]

Fitness

Consider deck cushioning when looking to purchase a quality treadmill

You need the right amount of support when you walk, jog or run, especially if you have sensitive knees and joints. This makes cushioning and deck support one of the most important features of a treadmill. By design, it’s common for treadmills to offer superior cushion and shock absorption to running on concrete or asphalt. The treadmill’s […]

Fitness

Women's Wellness Camp – Day 7, Hiking the Lakes; Nymph, Dream, Emerald (September 24th, 2011)

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. DAY 7 – Hiking the Lakes; Nymph, Dream and Emerald Our last day had arrived. Yet again, we were greeted by a clear blue cloudless sky and warm temperatures. I was so excited, as the hike I […]

Fitness

Women's Wellness Camp – Day 6, Outdoor Yoga & Swimming (September 23rd, 2011)

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. DAY 6 – Outdoor Yoga & Swimming After Thursday’s restful afternoon the women were up, energized and ready for action. Our plan was to spend the day down in Boulder and we were starting the day off […]

Fitness

Add Personal Training to your Home Fitness Equipment for a Winning Workout

If you think Personal Trainers exist only in the realm of celebrities and gym rats, think again. Personal Trainers have become affordable and accessible without ever setting foot in a gym. If your home fitness routine has become a bit stale, or if you’re having trouble getting started using your new elliptical or treadmill, investing […]

Fitness

Women's Wellness Camp – Day 5, Hiking the Rockies / Massage (September 22nd, 2011)

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. DAY 5 – Hiking the Rockies & Massage Having had a slightly easier afternoon the day before the women felt somewhat rested and ready for their first hike of the trip in the Rocky Mountain National Park. […]

Fitness

Women's Wellness Camp – Day 4, Rock Climbing, Trust , Bear Lake (September 21st, 2011)

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. DAY 4 – Rock Climbing, Trust Games, and Bear Lake Walk Already day 4 and the camp seemed to be flying by! We woke up to another perfect sunny Colorado day. Everyone was a little apprehensive ahead […]

Fitness

USDA's MyPlate Provides Dietary Tools To Complement Your Home Fitness Workouts

Ever find yourself wondering just how big your servings of fruit should be? Or how many protein servings you need in a day? In June of 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture replaced MyPyramid with MyPlate to offer the public a better visual tool to use in determining our nutritional needs. You can find a […]

Fitness

Women's Wellness Camp – Day 3, Hiking/Circuit/Yoga (September 20th, 2011)

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. DAY 3 – Hiking the Bitterbrush Trail, Circuit Training & Yoga at Flatirons Athletic Club Our second full day and some of the women were definitely still acclimating to the altitude, especially with our lodging situated at […]

Fitness

Women's Wellness Camp – Day 2, Enchanted Mesa Trail (September 19th, 2011)

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. DAY 2 – Hiking Enchanted Mesa Trail & Cycling Boulder Canyon With the benefit of a good night’s sleep behind us (some of us slept better than others, down side of altitude) we were up just before […]

Fitness

Women's Wellness Camp – Day 1, Travel Day (September 18th, 2011)

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. DAY 1 – Travel Day Three of the women arrived safely at Denver International Airport on Sunday morning. From Denver we took a short ride to Boulder in our 15seater van to pick up the other two […]

Fitness

Inaugural Women's Wellness Camp – Tales of Our Adventures!

by Deborah Leedale-Brown, Fitness, Lifestyle & High Performance Coach This is a 7 Day Blog Series of the Inaugural Women’s Wellness Camp. How It All Began I arrived back in Wilmington last week after spending a wonderful seven days with five amazing, adventurous women. Now having had some time to reflect I want to share […]

Fitness

Home Fitness Equipment Tips for Baby Boomers

Perhaps more than any previous generation, baby boomers are committed to staying active as they age. Although we know that exercise is essential for a long life and physical health, recent research is beginning to demonstrate its importance for maintaining memory and mental health over the long term. Unfortunately, only about half of the baby […]