Choosing the Right Treadmill for You

Convenience, ease and the efficiency of Treadmills have made them a revelation in the health industry. We have gone through such a variety of fitness exercises which either break your back trying to get them right, or are too difficult to master, let alone do them every day. But with a treadmill, you can burn calories the simplest was possible, by walking or running. Which, by the way, are the two most natural exercises you can imagine! You walk when you are a 2 year old, some even before that, and yet when it comes to exercising people turn to complex gym routines and diets to stay fit!

Work schedules, personal security, weather and health status; all make us reluctant to go out doors for walks on a regular basis. So it isn't a surprise that even the world's most advanced societies are facing health dilemmas. People in general don't have time for gym workouts, and those who do are too exhausted by long work days to do them. As for recommenders of walking as an exercise, Treadmills not only make exercise easier, they cut out the obtrusive factors which hinder us in forming routines.

In addition to providing some very helpful bits of information along the way, treadmills provide a wide variety of exercise options. From walking to hill climbing, jogging to running, you can pace yourself as you like so there is something for everyone in the use of treadmills. However, with the market being so overcrowded with a wide range of treadmills, we see a need for guidance in making the best choices for you.

At the moment there are three distinct types of treadmills available on the market. So to pick out the best treadmill for you, let's have a quick look at what each one of them has to offer.

First up is the Manual Treadmill; you don't have to be a fitness guru to understand that a manual treadmill is non-motorized. It's a simple machine with a belt and rollers that you move with your effort. The simpler a machine, the fewer are the chances of things going wrong with it. So that's a positive feature; it will last longer. However, since the treadmill's belt doesn't move itself you can set your own pace, which is not so good for the lazy people who are unlikely to push themselves.

Next, there is the Motorized Treadmill with features to set the pace of your walk, jog or run. You can set your required pace and keep up with it over a period of time to get optimum exercise out of the time you spend on it. Then there are the 'incline' options in some motorized treadmills; these can help you decide the amount of incline you want for your run. The negatives go with the positives though, it's a complicated piece of equipment and when it has problems they are complicated as well. Plus a motorized treadmill is going to be more expensive, compared to a manual treadmill, but with those features, you have to decide for what you want.

Now you can't say you don't have space for a treadmill; Foldable Treadmills have made that excuse redundant. Foldable treadmills can be stored in a negligible amount of space. These are great for use in the office or at home, whenever you take a break. So, if you are facing schedule constraints, or are just too lazy to take up regular exercise, then a foldable option might just be the best treadmill for you.

Frankly speaking, there is no hard and fast rule to determine which type of treadmill is better than the other. Though a comparison of treadmill features does help you decide which one is the best for you. Keep in mind, the treadmill that suits a friend perfectly isn't certain to be even rated as 'decent' for you. So read up some treadmill reviews and choose according to your own situation.

A top factor that will affect your choice would be your personal age and weight. Though some might say that exercise is necessary for everyone, but the mode of exercise has to differ accordingly with the individual traits. A bulky person may need a wider belt or the handlebars may obstruct the usual path of the arm movement, so check the details before you buy. Age matters when you choose as well, especially for older people, the resilience of the deck and the heart rate control are very important. Safety features help every age so make sure that you don't compromise on those. Similarly, whether you opt for running or walking determines not only the top speed you need from your treadmill, but also the size of the belt as well.

You look for a treadmill when you are conscious that you need to improve on your fitness levels. However, your aspirations determine the sort of treadmill you need. If you want to burn as much as you can in good time, trying out the incline options isn't a bad idea at all. Again heart rate interactive checks are very handy to get you to your optimum fitness levels without doing damage to your body. 'Who will be using it?' is just as important as 'how will you use it?', if you buy a treadmill while targeting the fitness improvement of your whole family, then keep in mind any inhibitions that might stop a member from utilizing the treadmill to the full. Chances are if you are willing to spend enough, there will be a treadmill that will suit a diverse group of individuals like a glove!

Long or short workouts determine the quality of motor you need for your treadmill. If you use the treadmill in short bursts the 'peak duty' might not be as useless as you first thought. It can be maintained for a short period of time by the treadmill so perhaps that restriction can help keep your treadmill's price down

How much do you use it? The amount of workout that is likely to be done on your treadmill should affect your choice of equipment. The more you want to use it, the more we would recommend that you go for high quality treadmills. Repairs will even out the price difference between cheap treadmills and high-end treadmills when you compare them in the long run. Consequently, it would be advisable to go for the higher priced quality treadmill rather than a cheap treadmill that would spend more time with the repairman than it does with you!

Choosing Quality Exercise Equipment

It seems like every time you turn on the TV these days, there is another commercial for exercise equipment. The latest and greatest treadmill or the second to none all in one machine are advertised on a daily basis. And why not? Consumers love them. We’re always looking for ways to shape up faster and without as much work. And, that’s just what this equipment claims to do. Work out for just 20 minutes a day, three days a week and you’ll have the body of a supermodel in just one month. If only that were true. We wouldn’t have to put ourselves through the pain of the gym everyday.

If you are looking for some quality exercise equipment though, it is available. You just need to do some research and talk to enough qualified people to learn what equipment will be best for your work out routine. A treadmill works for a lot of people who like to work out in the privacy of their own home. And there are a lot of benefits that can be gleaned from running on a treadmill everyday. This type of aerobic exercise is good for your heart and your lungs. Just be sure to keep tabs on your heart rate so you don’t over do it and put your heart in danger. A general rule of thumb for running is that you should be able to talk semi-comfortably while you’re running. If you can talk without any trouble at all, you’re probably not running hard enough or fast enough. If you can’t talk because you’re busy huffing and puffing, you’re probably pushing yourself too hard. Slow down a bit and take it one step at a time.

There are several other types of exercise equipment available that can prove beneficial to our health as well. A popular piece of equipment these days is the exercise ball. They come in different sizes, so it’s important to determine which one will work for the goals you have in mind. There are many muscles that you can work using the ball. And the balls usually come with a set of instructions that tell you how to use it for different muscle groups. It’s also a great way to stretch your muscles, which is an important factor in every work out.

Some people prefer yoga or Pilates as their main workout. Each of these activities has their own set of exercise equipment as well. Along with the exercise ball, it’s important to invest in a mat. Not only will it give you the comfort you’re seeking when lying on the floor, but it’ll help keep you from getting dirty as well.

"The Versatile Antioxidant Vitamin"

Slice an apple into half, and it turns brown. A copper penny suddenly becomes green, or an iron nail when left outside, will rust. What do all these events have in common? These are examples of a process called oxidation. If the sliced apple is dipped in a lemon juice, however, the rate at which the apple turns brown is slowed. It is because the Vitamin C in the lemon juice slows the rate of oxidative damage.

Since its discovery 65 years ago, vitamin C has come to be known as a “wonder worker.” Because of its role in collagen formation and other life-sustaining functions, Vitamin C serves as a key immune system nutrient and a potent free-radical fighter. This double-duty nutrient has been shown to prevent many illnesses, from everyday ailments such as the common cold to devastating diseases such as cancer.

The water-soluble vitamin C is known in the scientific world as ascorbic acid, a term that actually means “without scurvy.” We depend on ascorbic acid for many aspects of our biochemical functioning; yet human beings are among only a handful of animal species that cannot produce their own supply of vitamin C. Like these other animals, including primates and guinea pigs, we have no choice but to obtain this nutrient through food or our daily diet.

Vitamin C can enhance the body's resistance from different diseases, including infections and certain types of cancer. It strengthens and protects the immune system by stimulating the activity of antibodies and immune system cells such as phagocytes and neutrophils.

Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, helps reduce the activity of free radicals. Free radicals are by-products of normal metabolism which can damage cells and set the stage for aging, degeneration, and cancer. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that vitamin C is being used for cancer treatment. In large doses, Vitamin C is sometimes administered intravenously as part of cancer treatment.



Vitamin C prevents free radical damage in the lungs and may even help to protect the central nervous system from such damage. Free radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron. In this state, they're highly reactive and destructive to everything that gets in their way. Although free radicals have been implicated in many diseases, they are actually a part of the body chemistry.

As an antioxidant, vitamin C's primary role is to neutralize free radicals. Since ascorbic acid is water soluble, it can work both inside and outside the cells to combat free radical damage. Vitamin C is an excellent source of electrons; therefore, it “can donate electrons to free radicals such as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals and quench their reactivity.”


The versatile vitamin C also works along with glutathione peroxidase (a major free radical-fighting enzyme) to revitalize vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant. In addition to its work as a direct scavenger of free radicals in fluids, then, vitamin C also contributes to the antioxidant activity in the lipids.

Optimal health, however, requires a balance between free radical generation and antioxidant protection. One of the functions of Vitamin C is to get and quench these free radicals before they create too much damage.

However, there is research to show that vitamin C may act as a pro-oxidant. In other words, vitamin C, under certain conditions anyway, may act in a manner that is opposite to its intended purpose. This has raised concern among thousands of people who supplement their diets with vitamin C...but that's another story.

"The Social Killer"

Scared to go out to a meeting to speak to a client?  Need to deliver a speech but feel like fainting at the thought of going in front of the class to present?  Scared to attend a social gathering for no apparent reason?  You might be suffering from social anxiety disorder.

    Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a kind of mental disorder where the sufferer experiences a severe or unreasonable fear of social gatherings where there is a possibility that one may get embarrassed or ridiculed.   Most of the time, these anxieties arise from an intense fear of being closely watched or scrutinized - from the simple things like the way they dress, talk or act; to important job functions like performing in front of a crowd, giving a presentation, or finishing an interview for a job application.  This kind of phobia gives sufferers a feeling of being trapped or shut away from the world.

    They say social anxiety disorder is closely related to shyness.  However social phobia differs in the sense that this disrupts normal socializing functions.  It is true that everyone goes through a stage of shyness in their life, overcoming it is a different thing.  When it becomes too much that it interrupts your daily life and relationships to the point where you are sick with worry, it is time to seek counsel.  It is good to know the signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder to be able to determine and treat this said condition before it worsens.

    People with social phobia manifest 2 basic kinds of symptoms: emotional and physical.  The emotional symptoms include: an intense fear of being in situations in which you don't know people, fear of situations in which you may be judged, worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself, fear that others will notice that you look anxious, anxiety that disrupts your daily routine, work, school or other activities, avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment, avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention.  The physical symptoms include: Blushing, profuse sweating, trembling or shaking, nausea, stomach upset, difficulty talking, shaky voice, muscle tension, confusion, palpitations, diarrhea, cold and clammy hands, and difficulty making eye contact.

    Basically, this phobia manifests a symptom of being overly anxious around other people.  Sufferers think that other people are more confident that they are, that other people are better them.  They feel uncomfortable being around people that it makes it difficult for them to eat, drink, work, asking questions, asking for dates, even going to the toilet, when other people are around.

    The good news is that there is a cure for this condition.  For the past 20 years, a combination of talk therapy and medications has proven most helpful to limit the effects, if not cure, this mental condition.  Certain anti-depressants (Paroxetine, Sertraline and Venlafaxine), anti-anxiety medications, and beta blockers are used to help Socio-phobic people to balance certain chemicals in the brain and minimize panic attacks during periods of heightened anxiety.  Talk therapy teaches people with social anxiety disorder to react differently to situations that trigger their anxiety.  The therapist helps the patient confront the negative feelings about social situations and the fear about being judged by others. Patients learn how their thinking patterns add to the symptoms of social anxiety disorder and how to change their thinking so the symptoms begin to lessen.
    To be shy is quite normal, everybody has gone through a similar phase.  Getting past that stage is the difficult part.  Ultimately, it ends up to building your confidence to a certain level for you to be comfortable enough to move normally.  In case you’ve been diagnosed as a socio-phobic, it is nothing to be ashamed of.  With a little bit of therapy, proper medication, and enough support from people who believe in you, you’ll slowly be able to do socialize and function normally within a group without being too anxious.

"The Ever Growing World of Organic Skin Care Products"

We all know that eating food products that contain synthetic additives is not good for our health, especially to our skin. It has been said that if you want to take good care of your well-being, then what you put on your skin can be just as important as what you eat or drink.  According to reports, the chemicals we apply to our skin are absorbed directly into our bodies. It is estimated that an average woman absorbs as much as two kilograms a year per person from cosmetics and toiletries alone. Cosmetics are also becomingly madly high-tech, with NASA scientists developing creams and beauty labs dedicated to researching complex ingredients. These are all lovely for youth-seekers, but sometimes one longs for the simple life, and it's high time to look for alternatives. And that's probably the reason why there are a lot of people that are shifting to organic skin care products.

Organic skin care is an area of the organic movement which has made real progress in recent times, and where previously, there were few options. But now, there is a fairly wide range of grooming products available out there. Organic skin care products are becoming increasingly popular due to concerns about chemicals used in many products. Studies have found that up to 60 percent of creams or make-up applied can penetrate the skin and get into the blood stream. Whether or not this causes health issues, it has alarmed some people and unsurprisingly, the organic health and beauty market is growing rapidly, with sales increasing around 20 percent every year.

In the last few, years organic beauty products have seen a tremendous growth in popularity and demand, since organic skin care products are the ideal option for people who cannot apply chemically enhanced products.
One can find several standards of the word 'organic' as related to skin care and health products. There are accredited certifying organizations trying to set regulations for what constitutes a 100% organic product. How does the consumer know what organic really means? Because we buy organic-labeled skin care and health products, we automatically expects these goods to be 100% free of synthetic and artificial ingredients. But the tremendous growth witnessed by the organic sector in the recent years has also given enough chances to some traders to promote and sell non-organic products as organic. So, products marketed as “organic” can still consist of potentially hazardous artificial ingredients.

Products labeled as 100% organic should not include synthetic ingredients at all nor entail the use of artificial products during the manufacturing process.  product. Thus, the amount of natural ingredients in cosmetics, and other organic skin care products should still be scrutinized.

So, before shopping for organic skin care products, do a bit of research work about the brand. Always go for brands that are committed to provide guaranteed and efficient skincare products so that your skin gets only the best. If we were shocked to discover the dangers of many substances used in our every day make-up, shampoos and bath and shower products, why shouldn't we give ourselves and our Mother Earth a favor, let's go organic!

"Getting Around The Weight Loss Plateau"

The typical human form is capable of achieving a number of incredible feats that seem to suspend or defy the way science tells us things work. Athletes, through sheer willpower, can end up lifting something that their bodies should not be able to without suffering anything worse than muscle spasms. People can adapt to extreme physical trauma caused by a car accident and defy predictions that they'll never walk again. While, in general, these amazing feats are useful in a number of situations, there are physical reactions that some people look upon with quite a bit of disfavor. Among these “disfavored reactions” is something known as a “weight loss plateau.”

Essentially, the “plateau” is a term used to describe a situation where the body has become incapable of losing any further weight, usually due to developing a tolerance for the weight loss pills and methods being used. Essentially, the plateau is hit when the body develops tolerance for the regimen's limitations and practices, thus allowing the metabolic rate of the body to adjust to whatever weight loss pills or techniques were being used. Most diet books decidedly ignore the existence of the plateau, primarily because it can be seen as negating the purpose of the diet and is, therefore, bad for marketing. There are, however, ways to counteract the human body building a tolerance for training regimens and weight loss pills.

The human metabolism, when presented with a pattern, will eventually adapt to that pattern. It is this natural adaptability of the human body that can cause the weight loss plateau, particularly if the person's diet and eating habits have been altered for weight loss. As such, changing the pattern will, once a sufficient amount of time has passed, allow your diet plan or weight loss pills to become effective again. This trick essentially involves confusing the human metabolism, and is often taken as a rather drastic way to get the body back in “diet mode.” There are, of course, several ways to effectively alter that pattern without causing the body permanent harm.

Adding strength and weight training and modifying one's exercise program can also help someone get past the plateau, in most cases. The body will still burn through nutrients during physical activity, though the digestive system's metabolic rate can adapt such that more weight is retained rather than burned during exercise. Increasing the difficulty of the exercises, or changing the movements to target less-developed muscle areas, can effectively force the body to re-adapt. While the body is busy adapting to the changes, it can also start losing weight again. This method is best used with alterations to the person's diet, however, to maximize the effectiveness.

Another trick used to circumvent the problem of the plateau is to make changes to the time frame between meals. The internal clock that the human body's digestive system operates on can be altered to suit one's purposes, provided one executes the proper alterations to one's diet and eating habits. A simple action like altering the schedule of the meals, such as adding more meals but reducing the bulk of each, can have an appreciable effect on altering the metabolic rate. The key concept of this method is to fool the body into burning the food faster, thus getting one's weight loss program and diet back on track.

When considering the options, it is helpful to keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for another person. Some slower metabolisms may require combination of diet program and exercise regimen modifications, while others can get by with merely shortening the break between meals. The critical point is to find a method that works and is effective for a specific metabolism, which can be a time-consuming process.

"Different Types of Anxiety Disorders"

Anxiety is a common occurrence when a person faces potentially problematic or dangerous situations. It is also felt when a person perceives an external threat. However, chronic and irrational anxiety can lead to a form of anxiety disorder. There are different types of anxiety disorder depending on their causes or triggers. 

Common forms of anxiety disorders

Generalized anxiety disorder

A person who has this type of anxiety disorder usually experience prolonged anxiety that is often without basis. More accurately, people with generalized anxiety disorders cannot articulate the reason behind their anxiety. This type of anxiety usually last for six months and often affect women.  Due to the persistence of the anxiety, people affected with generalized anxiety disorder constantly fret and worry. This results to heart palpitations, insomnia, headaches, and dizzy spells. 

Specific phobia

Unlike someone with generalized anxiety disorder, a person who has a specific phobia experiences  extreme and often irrational fear of a certain situation or object. When exposed to the object or situation they fear, people with specific phobias exhibit signs of intense fear like shaking, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and nausea. Common specific phobias include fear of heights, enclosed spaces, blood, and animals. The fear a person with phobia feels can be so extreme that he or she may disregard safety just to escape the situation. 

Panic disorder

Also known as Agoraphobia, panic disorders are characterized by recurring panic attacks which are often unexpected. Symptoms are usually shaking, chest pains, dizziness, fear of losing control, and reluctance of being alone. People with panic disorder are aware that their panic is usually unfounded  and illogical. This is why they avoid public situations and being alone. A panic attack can be so severe that people may lose control and hurt themselves. 

Social phobia

Alternatively called social anxiety, a person with social phobia may exhibit similar symptoms like those of panic disorder especially in social situations. Shaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations may ensue when a person with social phobia finds his or herself at the center of attention or in the company of many people, regardless whether they are strangers or not. 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience anxiety caused by a persistent obsession or idea. They tend to avoid experiencing anxiety by resorting to repetitive actions or behaviors that prevent anxiety. For example, a person who is obsessed about cleanliness may experience anxiety at the mere sight of a vase placed slightly off-center. To prevent anxiety, he or she will clean and organize everything compulsively or without reason. 

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder may occur after a person experienced a severely traumatic event. He or she may relive the experience in his or her mind which causes stress and anxiety. If a person with PTSD comes into contact with stimuli (any object, person, or situation) that he or she associates with the traumatic event, he or she may literally re-experience the event by crying uncontrollably, panicking, or losing control. Subtler symptoms include insomnia and avoidant behavior. PTSD may manifest itself immediately after the traumatic event or even years after. 

Determining the type of anxiety disorder a person has is crucial to seeking treatment and recovery.  Techniques and methods that are used to help a person cope with a certain anxiety usually target not only the management of symptoms but coping mechanisms when exposed to triggers. Only after thorough diagnosis can treatment and recovery for anxiety disorders really commence.