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Have you resolved to lose weight this year? Maybe you’re doing okay in that department but just know that your sedentary lifestyle is no longer acceptable. You want to feel great and look great, but you sure don’t have the time or the money to go off to the gym and buy a membership. What do you do? How about a home fitness program.

Finding a good home-based fitness program begins with a few questions. You’ll need to ask yourself what your goals are and what kind of shape you are in now. Will you need to start very slowly at a beginning level of a fitness program? Will you need low impact exercises? Then comes the budget. What can you afford? But, more importantly, what type of exercise will you be willing to do? If you are an avid walker, you might consider a treadmill, but if you find walking a bore, then not so much.

If you have small children or pets in your house you’ll want to consider the safety factor if your exercise equipment will be accessible to them. You’ll also want to consider the space in which you have to exercise. Don’t let a small space discourage you, however, as there are many fitness videos and equipment that fit even the smallest spots.

Now the fun begins. There is a vast array of exercise programs that can be done at home; some involving larger equipment like treadmills and stationary bicycles, while other fitness programs require just a floor ball and some free-weights. Let’s see if you can narrow your choices down with a little information.

Treadmill – Considered a standard-bearer in the gym world, a treadmill is a great way to get your heart rate up and moving. If you enjoy a long walk, feeling your legs work, while listening to music, this is a good match for you. You’ll want to choose a treadmill that is first and foremost sturdy with a smooth tread action. Then, choose the added features. Check out the safety features and the warranty before making your final decision. Do a lot of price comparison as there is a wide range of options now with treadmills.

Elliptical Trainer – This is a low-impact exercise meant to suit most everyone’s ability. You will adjust the resistance to fit your own level of fitness, then change the intensity as your strength improves. Again, with this sort of exercise equipment, the prices vary depending on the features. Just be sure you’re getting a good, solid foundation and that the manufacturer offers a decent warranty.

Stationary Bicycle – For a low to no impact workout, the stationary bike can hardly be beat. It is actually considered pretty standard in most home gyms even for people who have progressed far beyond the beginner stage in their workout program. However, for a beginner, the stationary bike is a good starting point. Most good exercise bikes have some sort of additional resistance so that you are able to increase your workout intensity as you get stronger.

Exercise Videos Using Resistance and Cardio – Many folks like to start their exercise program by choosing a video. This is an inexpensive way to begin the process of starting and sticking with an exercise program. Many videos offer very specific, timed, and guided exercises that appeal to the beginner. It takes the guess work out of your fitness routine. Most exercise videos include some kind of resistance training, whether it’s a few dumbbells, floor ball exercises, or resistance bands, to build muscle which in turn burns fat. And, if you’re a more expressive personality, you can opt for videos that appeal to your nature, too; videos such as belly dancing and yoga. It doesn’t all have to be sit ups and push ups!

No matter what kind of fitness program you decide on, the only way it will give you the results you want is if you work at it on a regular basis. Be honest with yourself about what type of exercise you will enjoy, and purchase the equipment, whether big or small, that you will have fun with. Challenge yourself to finally stick with your resolution to get in shape and stay in shape!

Don’t let your resolution to lose weight fail because of a boring fitness program. If you dread starting the same old boring exercise routine, come check out FunExerciseVideos.com where you’ll find tae bo exercise videos at great prices and great fun!

How many seniors would think that strength training is more important now than when they were in their 20′s? If they haven’t yet figured it out, they should. Every decade past the age of 25 men and women begin to lose muscle mass. With osteoporosis knocking on the aging population one would think to take a closer look at what are the ways to combat this affliction. It’s never to late in life to start a strength training program. Many senior centers have personal trainers to help those who have neglected their bodies.

Studies have shown that the muscle fiber of those in their seventies are similar to those in their twenties. So there is hope to those frail seniors who are and have been for many years out of shape. Building up a senior’s muscle mass helps cut down of injuries due to falls. Aging effects a person’s balance and flexibility. Stamina wanes. And the muscles surrounding joints become stiff. Pilates is a gentle form of exercise that helps those of any age gain strength in the joint areas as well as throughout the entire body.

Pilates rehab often associated with physical therapists because it is helps strengthen the body’s posture, flexibility and balance. In fact Pilates was first used as rehab therapy. Joseph Pilates, the creator of this exercise, was a nurse in the German army during World War One. It was there that he developed a method of strengthening the muscles of soldiers wounded in the war.

He used springs fixed to patient’s beds thus the first Pilates equipment was created. Interestingly, the soldiers who were given the exercises using these springs healed and recovered faster than the soldiers who did nothing. Rehabilitation meant getting creative with what you had. Pilates develops flexibility in joints and helps to keep them “oiled up” by gently moving the joints through their ranges of motion. This is particularly important for arthritis sufferers. Keeping a full or near full range of motion in the joints is immensely important to all people, but to arthritis sufferers in particular.

Today Pilates equipment has come a long way from those days of springs attached to hospital beds. Now that once apparatus is called a reformer. With other Pilates equipment like Pilates rings and exercise mats along with instructional DVDs on a multitude of Pilates exercises, this exercise form has evolved into the mainstream. Along with exercise balls, and resistance bands one can achieve so much from implementing Pilates exercises into a fitness program.

Rehabbing with Pilates exercises helps weaker muscles get stronger. Pilates strengthens all those smaller muscle groups that support joints. All this helps the body stay strong and works more like preventive medicine. No one wants to suffer through injury. Remaining free form injury especially for seniors is crucial to having a more fulfilling lifestyle.

Most instructors are not trained nor qualified to make a diagnosis for injured clients. Their job is to work in conjunction with physical therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, or anyone in the medical profession. Certified Pilates instructors are there to simply teach. The method in itself is rehabilitative and therapeutic. Most people, no matter their age or level of fitness, can benefit from Pilates workouts. We all have weak links in our muscular skeletal makeup. A Pilates exercise routine is an option to balance out our weaknesses and get us, and keep us, on our feet.

Improving ones strength is easy with quality weight training equipment. Improve your muscle endurance with resistance training products.