There’s nothing better than coming home from work and kicking off the shoes, putting on the slippers, right? Or having a whole day at home, never having to put on shoes at all. Those slippers so soft. Isn’t that the best feeling?

But don’t do that. Leave those slippers under the bed. Maybe slip them on for the last half hour, while you’re in your pajamas or whatever you wear to bed. Because you relax too much with those slippers on. If you have to take off uncomfortable shoes when you get home, or, god forbid, high heels, put on your walking shoes, your tennis shoes, something that tells your body that you’re still awake, ready for anything.

Let’s say that you notice a strange bird outside, down the street. Go out in your slippers to take a look? Probably not. In your shoes, yes. Same thing with going outside to say hi to a neighbor. Or even sitting still for too long. Slippers let you sit still longer. Shoes say, get up.

I was surprised to learn this for myself. A few days ago I simply forgot to take off my shoes. I stood up straighter, and found that I had more energy later in the day than I usually did. I did my inside chores with a skip to my step. Only when it was time for bed did I realize what happened. I’d forgotten to put on my slippers.

I’m getting older, and my mind is a little slower. Sometimes that’s not such a good thing. Other times, well, I learn a new lesson. Like this one.

I kept my shoes on the next day. Same thing. More energy. And I didn’t have to take off my slippers when I got on my upright bike. I was ready, and had more get-up-and go. And today, Sunday, I put on my shoes first thing in the morning, not my slippers. What a miracle! I feel more energetic, more alive.

Part of my new found energy probably has to do with the fact that we’ve had the exercise bike now, smack dab in the living room, for almost a month. But I’m telling you, the new no-slippers-until-just-before-bed routine is absolutely helping. Try it.

Sparked by the necessity for a portable and continual power supply, treadmills were developed to generate consistent power supply. Originating as agricultural machines, designed to power butter churns, water pumps and spinning wheels, treadmills have come a long way since their draconian days when they were used by horses, sheep, dogs and mules, to help farmers produce power, rather than help humans get and stay in shape. It wasn’t until 1952, that the University of Washington Dr. Robert Bruce, who was believed by many to be the father of exercise cardiology, along with his colleague, and fellow UW employee Wayne Quinton, developed the first medical treadmill, built to study, treat and diagnose heart and lung disease. This treadmill would be the foundation for what we exercise on today.

When discussing the origins of the treadmill, it helps to understand its etymology. The word “Tread” refers to a person or animal “treading” in place, while the word “Mill”, refers to a machine for grinding. Coming a long way from being used for the same purpose of a windmill, modern day treadmills are great tools for helping people to decrease their body fat percentage, increase flexibility, lose weight, build endurance, gain stamina, reduce blood pressure, and countless other benefits associated with treadmill usage.

Altrhough the treadmills of today can ultimately be traced back to the 19th century, todays treadmills are based off of the models that were built in the middle of the 20th century, rather than the 19th. Once the 1960′s came along, the fitness equipment industry emerged as a function of a public yearning to become healthier and the treadmill boom took effect. No longer were treadmills solely owned and operated by doctors, inventors and fitness gurus, ordinary Americans were intrigued by the health benefits associated with treadmills. Capitalists quickly realized the popularity of treadmills and decided that the commercial production of treadmills, both residential and gym (health club quality), would be an optimal investment. While the fitness equipment industry blossomed, treadmills were pushed by fitness equipment manufacturers such as Tunturi (a bicycle making business based out of Finland) & Aerobics Inc (American), developed several different models of treadmills. Even NASA (National Aeronautics Space Association) jumped on the treadmill bandwagon as NASA used treadmills to train astronauts and get them in shape for long orbits in space.

With features including user-friendly interactive workout programming, wireless heart rate controls, entertainment centers with TV, DVD, Internet & iPod functions, and an aesthetic appeal that resembles modern art more than draconian machinery, treadmills have come a long way since their nineteenth century inception. Fitness equipment companies such as Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac, StairMaster and Body-Solid, have all contributed significantly to the evolution of the treadmill, evidenced by the amount of money, time, and analysis these fitness equipment brands have invested.

If you are interested in purchasing a treadmill, let us educate you on the different parts and controls of home and commercial treadmills. Treadmill parts and products include the running belt, motor controllers, treadmill motors, running deck, frame, treadmill rollers, incline wheels, drive belts, tension motors, braking mechanisms and electronic consoles. In order to simplify things for you, make sure you buy a treadmill that has a solid steel frame, a speed motor that has at least 2.0HP, a running deck that is at least 18″W x 58″L, and an iron-clad warranty that backs up all of these treadmill parts in writing. One good thing about a saturated fitness equipment industry is that you get the benefit of having a wide selection of treadmills to chose from. Whether you are a novice or an expert, there is no benefit in buying a treadmill that is not built well. Always do your homework when it comes to buying fitness equipment such as treadmills in order to prevent yourself from not getting full value for your money.

Often looked past, is the suspension system and the suspension on a treadmill is key toward keeping its users in good health. What good is running miles and miles, while burning tons of calories, just to wake up the next morning, with severe aches and pains, because the suspension on the treadmill resembled more of an asphalt road than a grass field. Certain treadmill features come to mind when considering purchasing a treadmill and many of us look right past the suspension, while analyzing the speed, power incline, exercise programs, fitness tests and its cosmetic appearance.

People love to run in the morning, afternoon, put a reflector on and run at night. Run for fun. Running has an interesting way of making us feel healthier mentally and physically speaking. We sleep better, feel lighter, have more stamina, look healthier and eat more balanced diets when running and daily exercise are like second nature and intrinsic to our everyday lives. Other pieces of fitness equipment such as stair climbers, rowing machines and elliptical trainers are all effective cardiovascular training machines, however, treadmills give us the ability to run for as long, and as fast as possible, while allowing users to truly mimic their natural running and walking motions.

Millions of people take time out of their day to walk, jog or run on a treadmill. After all, the classic workout incorporates warming up through stretching, working with strength equipment, and running on a treadmill. Running on treadmills allow our bodies to look and feel young. Commercial health clubs and home gyms can not be complete without a gym grade, health club quality treadmill. One of the many great things about treadmills, is that they are beneficial for everyone including teenagers, adults, senior citizens, beginners, professional athletes, and even those who are disabled. Daily exercise is necessary, and treadmill usage is essential, for all people that want to burn calories, lose weight, gain speed, build endurance and get in shape.

With the hot and sunny summer approaching, one needs to make sure that he or she adjusts their outdoor exercise routine, in order optimize their fitness training sessions. For those of you who run, bike or swim several times a week outdoors, it will be difficult to maintain your current routine, one the heat is sweltering and your energy is drained. If you are serious about staying on top of your physical fitness and making sure that your body doesn’t fall victim to the scorching temperatures of June, July, August and September, then make sure you have health club quality, home fitness equipment, available to use at home. Perfect examples of what fitness equipment is great include the Life Fitness 95ti treadmill, the Precor EFX 546 Elliptical Crosstrainer, the Body-Solid 3000s LPS Home Gym and the StairMaster 4400PT. Those cardio and strength pieces perform at health club caliber levels. Your body will look and feel exponentially better as a result of having solid home gym equipment at home to use during the summer.

Give the perfect gift for Christmas and know that your friend or family member will love you for it! Why give someone a cutting board, the cliche set of tools, or superfluous clothes, when you can give a gift with so much importance and value as a treadmill or an elliptical. Rowing machines are awesome gifts as well because they do not take up too much space and their are plenty of gym quality rowing machines at discounted prices. Other examples of low maintenance, low cost, and space saving fitness equipment are upright bikes and recumbent bikes. Not only do stationary exercise bikes take up little space and produce highly effective results, but fitness bikes are easy on joints and bones as well. In contrast to treadmills and stairclimbers which can hurth the knees and hips its user, exercise bikes put little pressure on the joints and tendons of the user.

Nothing beats giving someone a present for the holidays that they really enjoy. We all remember when we got a gift for Christmas and it was something that we couldn’t care less about having. Those times are easy to remember because we receive more often than not, superfluous gifts, that have no meaning, or impact on our everyday lives. So give someone something that will change their life for the better. Get you best friend a treadmill instead of a gift certificate to an electronics store. Buy your mom an elliptical so she can exercise instead of buying her a clothing or something else that does not live up to the importance of buying someone home fitness equipment