Years ago, after having my first child, I bought a rowing machine and woke up early every morning, hoping out of bed and straight onto the rower. I needed to lose weight and tone up, but oddly what I found I liked best about rowing is that Zen like state you get from the motions, which is unlike any other exercise machine. It takes a few minutes, but when it comes, you know it. You’re rowing, your whole body undulating, and with my eyes closed, I could see the river ahead I was traveling on, the imaginary river of my own making—sometimes a slim, peaceful waterway, sometimes a wide more vigorous river like the Mississippi, or maybe even across a lake somewhere. But I also could imagine myself rowing through my day, my path in life—waking my baby, making breakfast, reading him books, playing This-Little-Piggy with his toes, even changing his diapers. This was my peaceful time alone when I could imagine the perfect day. Then when things went astray, I was okay. I was peaceful enough to handle them.

I suppose other people can find this Zen like place with cross-country machines, or exercise bikes, imagining themselves bicycling along a road or cross-country skiing in the snow, but there is something about a rower that does this so perfectly.

In my quest to buy my husband and myself an exercise machine (the rower long gone), I’ve been trying out a machine each trip to the gym we joined for his rehab from open heart surgery. I didn’t go directly to the rower, thinking that I knew I liked it already, and I was so new to a gym environment that I never thought I’d be able to close my eyes there, with so many people around. But I started noticing that no one was using the two rowers they have there, and I wondered if I liked it just because it was the easiest to use, or because it’s what I did those early mornings at home. So I went over to it, got myself adjusted, and found out why no one was using it. It’s broken! Both of them! The digital stuff doesn’t work, so you can’t see what calories you burn, etc, which anyone going to a gym will want. Still, it is a great machine, and I worked out fifteen minutes, finding that zone again, feeling all the muscles in my body working out, getting that burn. But closing my eyes in the gym is still too awkward.

So, there is a very good reason to have this piece of equipment at home, or any other cardiovascular fitness equipment at home, because you can close your eyes! Go for the Zen moment. And exercise equipment at a gym is not always working, or up to date, or clean, and the good ones are often being used. Why wait in line to exercise? That doesn’t make a bit of sense, does it? And why have to look at all the other people, when you can exercise and know you are either all alone, or your baby is peacefully asleep in the next room.

Some of us exercise to lose weight, some for the good energy it brings, some to tone up after childbirth, some for medical reasons like heart problems and diabetes, some to become stronger, build muscles, impress ourselves and other, some for a combination of any of these reasons, or other reasons I haven’t mentioned. I want to tone up, but I also need to strengthen my stomach muscles so my back doesn’t keep going out. They say my bad back is because of weak core muscles. But the problem is that I have to be very careful what kind of equipment I can use. The weight machines need to be adjusted each time I use them at the gym, and I need to understand what each does, and how best to do reps, etc. I’m always embarrassed when I have to take the pin out, and leave it out.

What I’m really looking for is a multi-station home gym that does more than one thing, but doesn’t strain anything in my back. As I’ve mentioned in past blogs, I like the elliptical and the stationary bike and the recumbent elliptical, but I’m still trying them out—and I think I may have found the perfect machine, the recumbent cross trainer.

I like the seats on the recumbent. I don’t get sore or slide off, and there’s less stress to my back, and yet I do need to hold in my stomach muscles—my core—to use them. And the recumbent bike has handles that I can pull and push, so I can strengthen my arms at the same time as I work my legs. It’s easy to adjust the seat so it fits my small frame, and to adjust the workout I get. And it is a workout, even though as I watched someone else use it, it looks awfully easy. My legs disagreed with that assessment after my first five minutes, but still I could keep up with the pace after ten minutes. I was able to keep going on the recumbent cross trainer for a full thirty minutes without feeling as if my butt had gone numb.

It’s amazingly quiet, too, quieter than a stationary bike, though those don’t make a lot of noise. I think it’s the quietest machine I’ve used so far. The test will be trying it when my back is bad, which is unfortunately, this week. I just turned around to get something from the back seat of my car and ding, there it went. You may know exactly what I mean. Or you may have a strong core already. But I aim to strengthen my core so this never happens again, which means I have to work out even when I’m aching. So I’m off to test the recumbent cross trainer again. I’ll let you know.

Do you want to lose weight fast? Would you like to know the exercise routines that burn the most calories? If your answer is yes, then you have taken the first step towards getting healthy. Those who do not understand the consequences of their obesity and unhealthiness, have psychological hurdles they must leap over, in order to even find the path towards weight loss and muscle development. An overweight, out of shape man, who fails to recognize his the harm he is doing to his body, is synonymous, with an alcoholic, who denies having a drinking problem. However, if you are reading this article, odds are, that you are not one of the imperceptive, aforementioned people and not only do you realize the true significance of being fit, but you are seeking out ways to optimize your fitness routine.

Now that we have established that you are a reasonable person and you understand that inactivity and obesity are no laughing matter, it is time for you to take the next step and make sure you participate actively in a comprehensive fitness routine, that includes aerobic and strength training. If you want some great advice on how you can enjoy working out more and ensure that you exercise more frequently, listen up, what you need to do is get AT LEAST 1 partner for exercising. Motivation is essential towards any and all fitness programs. People are often motivated to exercise by their yearning for aesthetic perfection. Some people have to train daily as a result of their job. The vast majority of gym members and home fitness equipment buyers exercise because they consciously and sub-consciously understand humans fundamental need for exercise.

Just so you don’t have to scroll back through too many of the blogs on this site to know who I am and what I’m talking about—although if you do scroll back, I think I have some helpful tips—I’m the woman somewhere over fifty years-old, with the husband who had a triple bypass and then after 8 weeks of rehab at the hospital was told he had to keep up with cardiovascular exercise, and all around good eating habits and healthy choices in life. So we joined a gym while we started putting money away to save for one or more of the fitness machines that we use at the gym.

I’ve written about some of those machines, that we’ve tried out at the gym first, and the choice we have each time our membership fees are due to—to keep going to the gym or buy the equipment ourselves. So this blog, today, comes down heavy on the “we need to buy the equipment,” side because although I love the atmosphere at the gym, I just know I will exercise more if I have exercise gear at home – starring at me in the face.

My daughter and her boyfriend came into town for a week, all the way from sunny California. (I’m out here in Ohio.) I thought I’d keep going to the gym while she was here, but it never happened, for several reasons. Who wouldn’t want to go out to tea with your daughter from far away instead of gathering the gym clothes, driving off and spending an hour at a workout, then showering and driving back home? At least 30 minutes total will be spent in the car. Then a few hours there…this is all time I could have spent with her. It seemed the choice was easy. (I offered for her to come to the gym, but that didn’t pan out.)

And I lent them the car for periods of time so she could go visit old friends. I could have asked her to drop me off at the gym, but then she’d have to come back sooner than she was planning, so I didn’t want to do that either. You get the picture: there were plenty of excuses. But If I had just an exercise bike, treadmill, elliptical, or any other fitness machine at my house, I could have worked out for a half hour, and had tea with her, or, while they were away, I could have worked out and showered before they got home. At the end of the day, there are many more daughter coming in town kind of events in life that prevent us from taking the time to drive to the gym to workout.

But here’s the real reason we need to get our own exercise equipment… When I go to the gym, my husband, who NEEDS to exercise (not that I don’t need to, but in a different way), meets me there. I’m his gym, partner. I give him that little extra push to go—to meet me there because if he doesn’t, I’ll know, and I’ll be there all by myself, which he would feel bad about. But because I didn’t go, he found reasons not to also—staying late for something at work, etc. Gyms are good if you have a partner who meets you there every time, to keep you from falling back into old excuses not to exercise. But a home gym, well, that’s so in your face, isn’t it? It says, “You can find a half hour today, can’t you?” So that’s a point for buying an exercise machine. The points are adding up. I’ll try and decide soon and let you all know.

Cardiovascular fitness training is necessary for optimal health. Our bodies benefit from running but running on hard surfaces can do more harm than good to our body. For example, many runners have beat up their knees, ankles, hips, back and other body parts from indiscriminately running outside on rough, hard, pavement. Treadmills can be the source for bodily aches and pains as well. Frequent running on a treadmill can become stressful on your body and even worse, the pressure applied to your joints can build up and cause severe pain, strictly limiting your ability to run for long distances. Stair climbers can put an enormous amount of pressure on your joints too. Running outdoors on anything other than grass can cause significant damage to our body, just as climbing stairs, or running on a treadmill can. Elliptical trainers provide similar cardio results as other aerobic exercises such as climbing stairs and running on the treadmill, however, working out on elliptical’s and cross-trainers significantly reduce the pressure one applies to their joints while trying to lose weight. Elliptical trainers allow its users to exercise while putting almost no pressure on their knees whatsoever. Through providing an impact free, cardiovascular workout, with a wide range of resistance levels, millions of Americans use elliptical machines at home and at the gym.

Impact injuries plague athletes around the world daily. Cross-trainers and elliptical machines became popular in the 1990s as the public needed a way to get a total body workout inside their home without having to bang their knees, hips and ankles up. No matter how sophisticated the suspension system on a treadmill is, runners who like to exercise for long periods of time will eventually due damage to their body from an extended amount of time of applying pressure to their joints. Reducing the amount of injuries caused by in home aerobic activity such as running on treadmills and climbing stairs, elliptical trainers entered the market approximately 20 years ago and have become more and more popular since their inception.

Although some elliptical’s only works out the lower body, the majority of elliptical’s and cross-trainers provide their users with total body workouts, making time spent on the elliptical more efficient and effective than time spent on a stair climber or stationary bike. Calories burn at a much faster rate if you exercise your entire body on an elliptical, versus sitting down in a recumbent bike and cycling for several miles. More muscle groups are targeted simultaneously from working out on an elliptical than almost any other piece of fitness equipment.

Cross-trainers will not only help people decrease their body fat, build lean muscle and have fun doing it, but exercising on cross-trainers also increases motor fitness skills and balance. Developing stronger motor fitness abilities and improving your balance can both be worked on while using the lower body workout on an elliptical, while not holding on to the upper-arms, rails, or whatever else your cross-trainer has to hold on to. Although it will be difficult at first and you may even fall (be careful, have friend with you), once you get the hang of walking/jogging/running on your trainer without holding onto anything, you will be on your way to better balance and stronger coordination skills.

Pricing on ellipticals and cross-trainers can range from $100 to $10,000.00.

Maybe I’ve found the fitness machine that’s perfect for me, the recumbent exercise bike. Watching other people work out on it, it looks easy. Too easy? Is it just for old people? I’m not that old. But I do have a back that goes out now and then, and I figured I should try out the recumbent bike, see how it works, for one of those days when my back is tight but I still want to exercise.

I needed to adjust the seat, pull it up, because, as I mentioned in one of my last blogs, I’m short. It always takes time to do these adjustments, and, once again, a home gym will be the answer. Soon. Very soon. Kings of Cardio has a few deals I’m about ready to spring for, as soon as I’ve done enough testing to know exactly what I want. The recumbent bike was comfortable, once I got everything set, and I started out at the easiest setting, to get my bearings. What surprised me was that it wasn’t like sitting in a recliner. In order to cycle, I had to hold my stomach muscles in, which was good. And it wasn’t quite as easy as I thought. Within minutes, I could feel that burn that the upright bike gave me, but my butt wasn’t as sore. I amped it up and rode for twenty minutes, just as I had done on the upright. To be honest, after twenty minutes my butt was a bit numb. Remember, I don’t have much padding. Placing my towel on the seat helped. The seat is almost flat, so the towel stayed. And I’ve heard there are seat covers that will help, too.

I liked it, even better than the upright, and my legs certainly got their exercise. I walked the track after, to cool down, carrying two light weights, two-and-a-half pounders. I realized after my walk, I could have held the weights as I biked, doing curls. I’ll try that next time.

Well, actually, next time I’m going to try the recumbent cross-trainer, which will exercise my arms at the same time. I saw it too late, just as I was leaving the gym. I didn’t even know they made them. But they do. Onwards to better health!

The continuing saga of a newbie at the fitness gym. A friend of mine told me that walking was just as good as using any of the machines at the gym that work your legs, and she seems very smart, and I like walking, so I did some experiments. I walked for fifteen minutes at a good clip, then got on a exercise bike. I think it was a Precor c846 series. It was an upright exercise bike. The walking felt good, gave me good energy, and because I walked standing straight up and holding two 3 pound weights, I felt I had worked a little on my abs and my arms. Could the bike do the same?

I listened to the same music, even, on my Ipod—Bob Marley, to give me the same beat. I had to lower the seat to the lowest level because I’m short, very short I guess, but the bike seat did get low enough for me, which I was worried about. I didn’t set the resistance, just left it at 1. Still after 8 minutes, the burn in my thighs was quite obvious, and very different than the kind of general burn in my legs that I got from just walking. I was obviously using a whole different set of muscles! It wasn’t easy to do 15 minutes, probably because I am very new to this, and I walked first, so my legs were getting quite the workout, but with the music, and the feeling that I was developing –or strengthening—new muscles, I kept at it. And the machine told me how fast I was walking, how far I went, how many calories I burned, which is helpful. So, I did prove my friend wrong. Walking and working on an exercise bike are not the same thing. I need to do both.

Two days from now, when I go back to do my next workout, I’m going to try the same experiment with a recumbent bike. So, why do they call it recumbent? I guess I’ll have to ask.

Okay, so now I really do have to start saving, because I need/want a Precor ELX 556 Elliptical at home, rather than having to go to the gym to use it. The gym isn’t bad, actually it’s fine, with TV’s you can watch and a track and a basketball gymnasium—although there isn’t a pool. And everything seems clean enough. But the stuff I need to take with me there, and keep on me, is crazy. Bottled water, my keys, my cell phone, my reading glasses (I can’t read some of the controls without them), driver’s license, my gym card, my Ipod, a few hard candies, my tissues. . . My pockets are stuffed full. If I were at home, this wouldn’t be a problem.

But I did exercise, and I suppose having a track there is good. It’s a good place to warm up. I did six laps, then headed to the elliptical, and started out easy at level 1, increasing the level every 7 minutes, till I got through level 4 for only 5 minutes, then went back down to 1 to finish off. It felt like a good beginning to my workout, and I could feel that burn people talk about. It told me that I burned 135 calories. Next I used one of the machines that exercised my arms. I will try to remember the name of it to note down next time. I’m a real beginner here, and could only do twenty pounds, 8 reps, three times. (Do I have that jargon right?) Not much, but you have to start somewhere. As I mentioned before, my husband had open heart surgery and needs to keep in shape, so I’m coming along for the ride, and to get into better health myself.

I worked out on the rowing machine next, but only for 15 minutes. I plan to increase that time by two minutes each time I come—which is three times a week. It would be better to have the elliptical at home, and some weights, because I think I’d be able to exercise at least four times a week then.

It must be true that this kind of exercise increases your energy, because I don’t feel tired right now. It’s 8:30 at night and I feel like I can even concentrate better. Maybe this energy is what’s driving me to write something for this blog—to remind me how good it makes me feel. There’s always that moment before heading to the gym that I think I’m too tired or busy, or have something else better to do. That’s why some fitness equipment at home would be great. It would be hard to convince myself it would take too much time just to drive to the gym. There would be fewer excuses and more exercising.

So, my husband had to have a triple bypass—took veins from his legs and chest, cut him open and filled his chest with ice, held his heart in their hands, and made him all better. I tell you the gruesome details because this is certainly an eye opening event, and keeping one’s heart healthy is of utmost importance. He’d had three small heart in his thirties and early forties, (quit smoking after the first one, and began to eat healthy food, and hiked a lot—but that didn’t do enough). Working your heart, and keeping your blood pressure low, are just as important as eating healthy food.

After the surgery they sent him to rehab, which was basically a room with treadmills and exercise bikes—and doctors and nurses who would hook him up to monitors to watch his heart beat, etc. They had him spend twenty-two minutes on the treadmill first, then 25 minutes on the exercise bike. (Each patient had their own regiment) He wasn’t looking forward to this, never having used exercise machines before this. He thought taking long walks was going to be good enough. But, oddly, he grew to relish the workouts, how he could get his heart rate up and lower his blood pressure. Because of the surgery, he’d lost 12 pounds. With the exercise, he wasn’t gaining any of it back, which was good because he had been about 15 pounds overweight.

Rehab lasted two months, and then summer came on and he thought he could get away with just walking now, around a nearby lake. But this summer was really hot, and the walks became fewer, and we joined a gym. The machines there are the same as at the hospital, and the same as on this website. Strong, high-tech machines that can monitor pulse rates and calories burned and distance, etc. My husband showed me how they work, and now I’m going, too. I worry about the winter, and if we’ll get it together to go to the gym, so we’re beginning to save for an exercise bike and a treadmill. Well, actually, I’m enjoying the rowing machine best, because it seems to really give my core muscles a workout, too.

I’m over fifty (that’s all I’m going to say) and I get tired often. I’ve always heard that this kind of workout gets your energy up, and it’s true. So I’m blogging at this site, just to become familiar with other people’s workouts, and hoping to become familiar with all the exercise machines here, so when we buy one, we can get exactly what we need.

Did you know that Indoor Rowing is a sport? If you didn’t don’t feel bad, 94% of the people we surveyed did not know that indoor rowing was a professional sport either. At the end of the day, most people do not think of using a rowing machine when thy begin their daily exercise routine.

Not too long ago, the common denominator held by most fitness equipment enthusiasts, was the fact that they all had a rowing machine at home, that they could count on whenever they got the urge to workout and people were really into using their fitness rower to shape up. Underneath the bed. In the closet. Upstairs in the attic. Surely somewhere in your home, there used to be a rowing machine and it was there for anyone in the family to use. What happened between then and now? After all, rowing machines still provide an excellent total body workout and they are one of a few exercise machines that truly let the user focus on building strength and getting an intense cardio workout in at the same time.

Treadmills are fantastic, but we certainly do not get a good strength workout in while we run on them. While elliptical machines give us an upper body workout, in my opinion, rowing machines do a far better job in shaping and sculpting our upper body than cross-trainers do. Stair steppers just work the lower half of our body. Exercise bikes are the same as stair steppers in the sense that they only give you a cardio workout. Rowing machines give the user TOTAL BODY WORKOUT. So why in the world have we fell out of love with them? They are still the most financially friendly pieces of gym equipment we can have in our home. Well part of the answer is, people used to love buying rowing machines because they were the affordable and easy to store form of home fitness equipment. Stair steppers were only seen at gyms. Treadmills were big, bulky, and expensive. Elliptical machines and cross-trainers were not born yet. But since then, treadmills have developed to the point at which we can now store them (folding treadmills) with the same efficiency we folded our rowing machines with 20 years ago. Elliptical machines are not as easy to store as treadmills, exercise bikes and rowers, but they have captivated the public to the point at which we do not really care that the best cross-trainers are super expensive and take up a ton of room. With all of the hoopla surrounding the new cyborg looking elliptical machines and treadmills that run up to 20mph, rowers have been moved to the back of our consciousnesses.

Several rowing machines still hover at the top of the food chain when discussing the worlds top fitness machines. For example, the Concept2 rower has posted great sales figures and boasted awesome consumer reviews for the last several years. With a ticket price of $900 and an easy to store frame, there is no wonder why the Concept2 has been such a hit with the public. LifeCore Fitness has manufactured an awesome rower of their own with the LifeCore R100. It has an XL LCD, green & blue lit display, providing users with all the digital feedback they need such as calories burned, heart rate and time left.

Rowing machines are still some of the most effective, efficient, economic and energizing ways to get fit at home.