Entry bubble Exercising with Gadgets, Gizmos, and Computerized Thingamajigs

By: Ginger | November 07, 2008 | Category: Health

Woman working out with a balance ballI am a firm believer in using gadgets and gizmos to assist me in my daily life, even when it comes to exercising. I have significantly helped the economy with my numerous purchases of exercising equipment and accessories. The government offers up these tips when buying exercising equipment.

Even with all of the exercising gadgets and gizmos, you still need to understand the fundamentals of physical fitness. According to A Guide to Physical Activity, most Americans don’t get enough exercise. If you are embarking on trying to start up a fitness routine, check out these websites for information and inspiration: Exercising for a Healthy Life, President’s Council on Physical Fitness, The President’s Challenge, MedlinePlus page on Exercise and Physical Fitness, and Healthy People 2010.

Collecting workout videos has become my hobby. For me, it’s similar to birdwatching. I currently have a library of 34 workout videos. From the common, curly-haired “Richards Simmons” to the elusive and colorful “Funk Jazzercise” workout, I have them all. From time to time, I use them, but usually they sit around collecting dust.

I own an elliptical machine. Do I use that? Well, sort of. It serves as a training device for my cat! I hang my bathrobe tie on the handle bar and the cat likes to climb up on the step to swat at it. If I could just get her to wear little boxing gloves and a mouth guard, I think she could be a contender. Perhaps she could even win some prize money, so I could buy more exercise equipment!

Recently I made the purchase of a Wii Fit program. It is software that works with my T.V. It comes with a balance board and activities that are supposed to get me moving. Before starting the training, it did a diagnostic on me to establish my fitness age. My fitness age is 58. I am actually 46, so imagine the horror of it! Looking on the bright side, I think I now qualify for senior citizen discounts. Am I using my Wii Fit? A little, but not as much as I thought I would.

No gadget or gizmo will help if it is just left sitting on the shelf and not being used. It still comes down to hard work and discipline, which is exactly what it takes if you are exercising without the aid of gadgets and gizmos.

What are your thoughts on exercising gadgets and equipment? Are they a waste of money or do they really work for you?

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Entry bubble Food, Family, & Football

By: Sam | November 21, 2007 | Category: Home and Family

Colleen likes to say that Thanksgiving is for food, family, friends, and football.  I couldn’t agree more.  Except, I hail from the South where game day is on Saturday.  And this Saturday my GA Bulldawgs play the Ramblin’ Wreck from GA Tech.  With only 70 miles separating the schools, this annual slugfest gives the winner bragging rights at family dinners and neighborhood BBQs for the coming year.

Saturday also marks the last regular season game in college football.  With a season full of surprises (An undefeated Kansas? A 2-9 Notre Dame? ), one common thread is the amount of injuries the players sustain.  From concussions to torn ACLs, there’s not a week that goes by where one of your favorite players or Heisman candidates isn’t sitting on the sidelines injured.

Even though I don’t sweat it out on the gridiron every Saturday, I do try to workout  several times a week, particularly right before Thanksgiving.  And over time, I have succumbed to plenty of my own injuries.  So much so that I no longer associate the word rice with food but instead with rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

Some of my most common injuries are those pesky sprains and strains.  And for as long as I’ve been running, I can never remember the difference between the two.  Thankfully, this great sprains and strains Q & A publication helps me sort it all out and gives me great tips on how I can prevent them.     

Lately, sprains and strains haven’t been the only problems that keep me sidelined from my workouts.  Unfortunately, years of pounding the pavement haven’t been too kind on my knees.  I now try to switch up my workouts with more gentle aerobic exercises like walking or swimming (watch out Michael Phelps).

Feel free to share how you like to say fit, whether it’s by gardening or jogging, and what you do to prevent injuries.  Meanwhile, I’ll be gearing up for Saturday’s showdown in the ATL.  Go Dawgs!!!

| View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: exercise   fitness   football   injuries   sports   thanksgiving   workout