With Christmas just around the corner I have compiled a list of affordable, portable, effective and versatile pieces of fitness equipment that I highly recommend for home use, at the office or on vacation. These are my personal favourite training tools which I use myself and with all of my clients.

1. Kettlebell: These affordable and portable weights will not only increase your strength and endurance but also help improve agility, balance, flexibility and mental toughness. Kettlebells are a durable cannonball shaped weight with a handle, that when put into motion allow for explosive full body movements, building strong, firm, toned bodies.

2. Medicine Ball: Whether carrying, lifting, tossing or catching, medicine balls are a creative and fun way to train alone or with a friend. Most often used during core and abdominal exercises, medicine balls are a safe and effective tool to add to anyone's workout routine.

3. Resistance Tubes: Less intimidating than free-weights and heavy duty machinery, resistance tubing is cheap in cost and can be taken with you anywhere. They fit perfectly in your gym bag, back-pack or suitcase and weigh absolutely nothing. Fit tubes come in plenty of different resistance levels and are differentiated by color.

4. Heart Rate Monitor: The easiest way to ensure that you are getting the most out of your workouts by effectively training in the correct target heart rate zone.

5. Punching Bag & Gloves: Cardiovascular exercise doesn't have to be boring and repetitive. Boxing is a fun way to relieve stress while working up a great sweat and burning off those excess calories.

6. TRX Suspension Trainer: Portable, versatile and durable, this innovative piece of fitness equipment allows you to use your own bodyweight to perform hundreds of exercises for every body part.

7. Aerobic Step: This traditional stepping platform comes with adjustable risers for increasing levels of difficulty. Stepping is a fun and effective way to burn calories and shed fat. Just add weights and shorten the amount of reps to turn this into a killer strength training workout for your legs.

8. Stability Ball: Just sitting on one of these large inflatable balls will activate core muscles for body stabilization. Great for balance and core strengthening, stability/exercise balls can replace your typical weight lifting bench to make all exercises more challenging.

9. Exercise/Yoga Mat: An absolute necessity for all exercisers. Whether you are taking yoga or Pilate's class, using the mat for abdominal exercises at home, looking for a better grip to stand on or help to protect your floor, the yoga mat is for you.

10. BOSU Balance Trainer: You get all the benefits of a stability ball while adding the additional challenges and fun of a balance board. This dual sided half ball, half board is a must have for any fitness enthusiast, regardless of experience or skill. BOSU training will enhance your performance whether it's for sport, recreation or daily tasks.

This holiday season give the gift that keeps on giving. A healthier and happier life is something everyone could use.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_J_Robson

The market for exercise equipment is booming as more and more people become aware of the benefits of exercising and staying healthy.

There is no limit to man's imagination and the makers of the home fitness equipment cater to most every type of need from treadmills to exercise bikes, step machines, weight benches, ski machines, abdominal exercise machines, bars, rowing machines, dumbbells, weights, and so much more. There are special equipments for lower body, upper body, hands, legs and abdomen.

When choosing your fitness equipment, make sure that you have a clear personal program in mind and buy accordingly. You need to buy equipment to fit your budget as well as the space in your home. Take measurements at home and at the stores you visit, research each piece of equipment and its benefits. Some people may have a problem of weight around the abdomen, some the arms or legs; we have no control over the fat distribution in our body and personal fitness requirements vary from person to person. It is always a good idea to exercise using a combination of cardio and weights - the cardio gets the metabolism hopping and the weights tighten up and strengthen the muscles.

Exercise is not everyone's cup of tea and for some of us staying motivated is a huge task. Staying focused on enhancing your well being, improving confidence and self esteem, getting rid of stress and depression are all positive reinforcements. Another way to stay motivated and use your fitness equipment to the fullest advantage is to set realistic goals that you can attain and measure.



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Have you ever had a hard time finding cheap treadmills on the internet? I'll bet you have. Treadmills are some of the more difficult types of fitness equipment to find easily on the web; most of the time you have to go to the store to find these due to the difficulty of shipping large containers of fragile equipment long distances. Most stores will want you to come to their store to pick it up, which if you're like me and have a small car, this is easier said than done. So, today we're going to talk about some of the best places you can get cheap treadmills online, including ones that will ship to you.

The first store you should look at is Amazon. Amazon is one of the top retailers of just about everything related to everything, fitness equipment and treadmills included. If you go on their website you can find a huge selection of some of the newest and hottest treadmills to hit the market. Most of these are going to be found for a significant discount to what you'd pay in the store; after all, online stores like Amazon only have to pay for one place to keep their inventory. Large stores like Wal-Mart have to pay rent on many many stores throughout the country, passing that cost along to you, the consumer.

American Fitness is also a popular choice for people looking for cheap treadmills. Most of their selection is dedicated toward the home user, not toward commercial gym equipment. That means that you'll spend a lot less than what you might expect for a treadmill from them.

At either store, there are solid shipping options to ensure that your treadmill arrives at your home quickly and safely. I hope that this article has helped you in your decision.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_H._Smith

When it comes to soccer rebounders, you can never be too careful. If they aren't well made, they can fall over, seriously injuring those that are using it. Before going into how to find a quality soccer rebounder, let's go into what they are and what they are and are not for.

Most people use soccer rebounders to practice goal kicking or passing. I especially like them for practice goal shooting, because you can see exactly where you're hitting and how the ball is affected by spin. Lastly, if you're a goalie you can see which areas are most difficult for you to defend, and exercise those areas more.

Now, there are two main types of soccer rebounders: the T frame types than stand on long 'legs' to stay upright, and those that are staked into the ground. Personally, I prefer the T frames better. Why? They're much more portable, can be set on a hard surface (such as a parking lot or driveway), and don't tear huge holes in your yard. Also, I try to avoid sharp objects around my kids as much as possible. Also, if the ground is soft, after a few kicks the stake type rebounder will lean, which is very annoying. But, find whichever type works better for you.

If you decide on the T frame type, just make sure that the legs stick out far enough that the rebounder is almost impossible to knock over. Even more importantly, make sure that no one who is going to use the rebounder will climb on it. They are not intended for this, and it can be very dangerous if someone is on top of the rebounder and it falls over.

Regardless of which type you choose, there are a few key points to keep in mind. Make sure that the material will stand up to the elements, so it won't rust over time. While plastics and vinyl are great building materials for rebounders, make sure that the plastic is not brittle, and make sure that the frame is not so light that the wind can move it. If this is an issue, simply buy a few sandbags from a hardware store and put them on the legs. It is especially important that the plastic does not shatter if it breaks, because it will leave sharp edges that will damage a ball or harm the user.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma_Sharp