posted on January 7, 2001 07:41:27 AM new
I'm considering buying either a treadmill or a stationary bike, but I'm not sure which would be best. My main goal is to tone up... the "buns of jell-o" have gotta go.
Has anyone used either of these, or know which would be best?
posted on January 7, 2001 07:49:18 AM new
Well, they say walking is the best form of excercise, so I would say the treadmill. A treadmill is something I've been considering also...
posted on January 7, 2001 08:21:20 AM new
They take up a lot of room and overwhelmingly people who buy them quit using them within a month. A good treadmill cost $700 or so, don't even waste your time on a "bargain".
Much better idea to join a gym. The people around you are a motivator, and using one piece of equipment gets terribly monotonous, why not choose from 300? The social aspect is another terrific reason to get to a gym. IMO far and away a better way to spend your money.
I see exercise equipment at yard sales all the time. Can't give it away.
posted on January 7, 2001 08:27:40 AM new
I find stationary bikes boring. Maybe it's the sitting part, I dunno, I just can't work up a good sweat.
A treadmill, OTOH, is the perfect piece of exercise equipment, I think. You can run or walk at varying paces, go uphill, move your arms. You probably get the best cardio workout on a treadmill. Plus, with a lot of them, they fold up and can be stored under the bed, so you don't have this big contraption in the room constantly.
posted on January 7, 2001 08:43:54 AM new
My choice between the two is the treadmill. I agree a stationary bike is sooo boring. But what I really like are the air type walkers. You can get going pretty good and it's better for the knees.
Of course it is better to go to the gym, but with that the biggest exercise is just getting in the car to go there.
posted on January 7, 2001 08:50:30 AM new
Hello RainyBear,
Walking is less expensive and a far better workout.
In my misspent youth I was a bicycle racer and used a highly efficient version of a stationary bike (called rollers) that allowed me to keep up my muscle tone during the off season and very bad weather.
The problem is that as your heart rate increases and you begin to sweat, perspire, glow you have no air stream cooling you because you are stationary. And being stationary, this type of exercise quickly turns into drudgery.
Treadmills have essentially the same shortcomings.
Instead of buying either, why not try both out at the local health spa or fitness club to see if you want to lay out the bucks to have one in your home?
But back to walking. It can be done virtually anytime and anywhere. Costs virtually nothing in addition to your normal expenses. You can vary the routine by taking different routes. Go to the local park. Drive to a road less used and walk out and back to the car. You can walk leisurely or briskly. You can time your walk. You can also enjoy taking in everything around you. If you work in an office with multiple floors you can use the stairwell instead of the elevator.
Basically, walking provides immense flexibility and is easy to get in the habit of doing.
posted on January 7, 2001 09:33:07 AM new
I've had both. The treadmill takes up LOTS of room. The advantage I like about the stationary bike is that I can read or watch tv while I do it.
Walking or real bikes are great, but I'm not a 'gym' type person. When I can't get outside, I ride my bike and watch the news or read. Set a certain time every day, like during the news, to do it, and it will quickly become a habit.
posted on January 7, 2001 09:49:50 AM new
Have you considered a Pilates machine? I have one, love it. I'm still not bored with it after a year and a half. It folds up and theres no strain on your back. It works too, I lost weight and feel great every time I use it. They have a web site.
posted on January 7, 2001 10:36:32 AM new
Bearmom: You are giving me a big chuckle! I too hang my ironed clothes on my stationery bike - on the handles, of course. It's just perfect for that. And a couple of times a year I actually ride the bike. Adele
posted on January 7, 2001 10:53:35 AM new
There's a health club just across the street from where I work, but, like bearmom, I'm just not a health club type person. I'd rather lone it when exercising. Actually, I'd rather not exercise at all, but my mother's prediction that I wouldn't always be a skinny person who could eat anything has come true!
I work on the 5th floor and for over a month I took the stairs every day. I expected it to eventually get easier, but it never did. As for walking, I honestly don't think I'd do it on a regular basis. I need to be able to set a routine of going downstairs every morning and exercising for a certain period of time before going to work. I just don't think I want to leave the house to walk around in the rain or when it's dark out.
Maybe I'll start going to auctions again and see if I can find a bargain on either a stationary bike or a treadmill. I know I saw some go for next to nothing in the past, but of course that's when I wasn't looking for such a thing.
posted on January 7, 2001 11:01:47 AM new
I used to be an avid runner. Did an average of 50 miles per week. Had to stop because of a foot injury. I tried a variety of exercise equipment at gyms, looking for something that would give me an equivalent rush. I finally settled on a stepper machine.
Whatever equipment you get for home use has to be of high quality. If you're serious about a program you will eventually be using the machine hard. Poor mechanicals and flimsy construction won't hold up. You need something that will allow you to "zone out" and not intrude on your concentration. Such equipment is expensive.
I'd recommend a good Stairmaster machine with a motivation screen. A Precor or similar rower is also a good choice but the stepper will be much better for those buns and thighs.
For best results, though, I have to agree with those that recommend walking. Start slow and easy. Increase distance and pace over time. Stick with a program and it will work.
posted on January 7, 2001 11:15:24 AM new
I have to agree with Xardon, if you're going to get a piece of home exercise equipment, get the best you can afford.
I've been a steady member of a gym for the last 10 years, and it is by far the better investment. The variety that a gym offers is unbeatable, plus there is usually some moral support to be found there as well. Shop around though. You don't want to wind up in a gym where everyone is totally absorbed by their looks.
Over the course of the past ten years, I've had the top-of-the-line Nordic Track, a very good rower, and a cheap stepper. None of them offer any long-term satisfaction, and it's easy to get bored. Gyms are better.
Of any of the machines at the gym, my single favorite is the Stairmaster.
posted on January 7, 2001 11:17:25 AM new
We have a Precor Stepper that we bought around 2 years ago. It cost around $1200, but it is a good quality one, on par with the ones in fitness centers. I would love to also have a treadmill, but the cost and the room we would need for one are prohibitive.
We looked at treadmills before buying the stepper, and the ones we could afford didn't have enough "options" or features. We would have to put in in the basement, so it would be less likely to be used. The stepper is tucked in a large closet in our family room, big enough to actually use it in there.
posted on January 7, 2001 10:48:21 PM new
Exercise equipment? Let's see
Exercise bike came first - that's in the cellar. Then came the skiing machine - gave that one away. Then the stair stepper. That is in the cellar with the bike. Next was the cardio - bike. That was fun but eventually went to the cellar. The weight bench is in the den - it really hurts when you accidentally kick the weights! Moving that to the cellar next week. The treadmill is upstairs, still in use. The ab roller is pretty neat, too.
OK - I vote for the treadmill. Just make sure you buy one that matches the color of your cellar!
OH, and a quick safety tip - NEVER close your eyes while on the treadmill. It will flip over and you will feel like a butthead!
posted on January 8, 2001 08:20:06 AM new
My family went through the best exercise machines ever made. after all that they started to exercise like old dad.
10 min of body stretchs, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1/2 mile brisk walk, 1/4 mile jog, 1/8 mile run, 1/8 mile wind sprint, 10 setups, 10 chin ups 2 hands, 5 chin ups left handed, 5 chin ups rt handed, 10 min. body stretches, hot shower to open skin pores. then cold shower to close skin pores, 1 teaspoon of honey & 4000 mg of Concentrate Fish oil 3 times a day.
posted on January 8, 2001 08:57:08 AM new
We also have lots of *home* exercise equipment decorating our basement. This is largely because the products they sell for home use are inferior to professional equipment. They break, they are lightweight, generally make more noise and are less stable than the profesional equipment found in a spa or gym.
The one piece of equipment that lives upstairs is a professional quality elipse trainer that we all use. It is very stable, quiet and has lots of variable settings. So far we haven't demolished it but I warn you it was horribly expensive. ($4000) My husband also has a gym membership. Personally I am not the gym rat or arobics type but the elipse trainer is great. You can watch the news while doing it. It is very quiet.
Personally I wouldn't waste my money on the home fitness equipment you are liable to find at a sports equipment superstore.
Walking is free and stairs are everywhere. Galoshes and raincoats though cost money.
[ edited by dejavu on Jan 8, 2001 08:59 AM ]
posted on January 8, 2001 09:08:22 AM new
I agree with VeryModern. A gym membership is the best value, and it's a great motivator. There's always someone there that looks so much worse than you, as in "look at THAT heifer, I better keep at this so I don't get like that", AND there's always bodies there that look so much better than yours, "Wow! If I just keep doing this, I'll have buns just like her" (no matter that you're 46, and she's 22!) But as I said it's a good motivator. As for equipment, I also like the stepper, or stairmaster, great for the legs and a super cardio workout. But remember that these pieces of equipment provide aerobic or cardio workouts. It's also important to include a good weight resistance routine in any health program. Weight training is what will slim you down the fastest, and raise your resting metabolism, since muscle continues to burn calories at rest. Good luck!
posted on January 8, 2001 09:14:22 AM new
wow, deja, $4000 bucks??!! That is expensive, and I agree that most of the home equipment just isn't the quality of professional gym equipment. Still and all, for $4000, I think I could get just get liposuction done on my butt and have that fat sucked out forever, not that it wouldn't show up somewhere else later, heh, heh.
posted on January 8, 2001 09:20:34 AM new
KatyD~ yeah, I know, that is expensive but all the CRAP in the basement probably adds up to 4 thousand dollars. Lipo doesn't do anything for your heart or arteries tho 8^)
Lipo is also risky business, depends on the surgeon, you could end up with an even worse looking butt. I'll take the cellulite anyday before lumpy lipo butt!I know a woman with dented legs from early lipo, it looks weird and you are right the fat never comes back (she wishes it would).
posted on January 8, 2001 11:27:50 AM new
A high quality bicycle is my recommendation. Once you get out on the roads or trails in a good bike you'll find yourself enjoying the ride and not excercising.
January is the best time to sell treadmills and stationary bikes, August is the best time to purchase them. New Years's resolutions are a prime influence in the prices.
posted on January 8, 2001 05:47:35 PM new
Dang, and just when I'd just about settled on a treadmill instead of a bike, now I need to think about my knees! They're not great, which is why jogging is out. Is a treadmill really a lot harder on the knees than a bike?
posted on January 8, 2001 05:59:52 PM new
My husband had some trouble with his knees from a bike also. Whatever you do, make sure you have good shoes, and pay attention to how your feet are lined up with your legs. If you point your toes out on a bike or stepper, it puts tension on your knees. Pedal with the balls of your feet, not the arches.
I have some friends who are avid bikers, and they all have special shoes for riding, but they do cross country type trips, not just casual riding.
He likes to alternate which ones he uses at the club, but doesn't like a treadmill at all. I like the stepper, and use the one we have here.
posted on January 8, 2001 08:16:36 PM new
There is an excellent book on exercise for the reluctant athlete-'Miss Piggy's Guide to Life'. She describes the exercises she does daily to stay in her near perfect pig shape.
Dialing the telephone is great for the arms, as is lifting the tea glass repeatedly. Trying on clothes is a great way to trim those hips while trying to wiggle into too tight jeans. Kicking the frog into shape is also a great calorie burner. Nights spent dancing at the local clubs are real fat burners!
posted on January 9, 2001 08:41:19 AM new
RainyBear,
Cycling is much less demanding on one's knees than jogging or running provided that the bicycle is properly set up for you by someone who knows what they are doing (and that unfortunately is often not the person in the bike store).
Walking is still the best aerobic exercise.
If you do decide on giving cycling a try I would suggest that you use local bike paths or trails or failing access to them, the roads interior to a subdivision or roads infrequently travelled that contain ample shoulders. And by all means find others to bicycle with. There is safety in numbers when on a bike as many motorists simply aren't attuned to vehicles smaller than a car while on the road.
Also, while I would be among the first to recommend getting as high quality a bicycle as you can afford I would also be the first to caution you to get the least expensive bicycle possible to use while you decide if cycling is going to be your chosen fitness activity. Once you know you are going to cycle regularly then go for the quality machine.
posted on January 9, 2001 08:48:22 AM new
Well, thanks for this thread.
I am just back from the gym and humbled at what a privilege it is. Both the access to the equipment and the physical ability to use it.
posted on January 10, 2001 05:31:11 AM new
RainyBear,
I suffered an ACL injury a few years ago and the specialist recommended a semi-recumbent stationary cycle. My knee feels great when I get off. There isn't much pressure on my knee because I am semi-reclined. I read and do paperwork while on it, and as I said in another thread, would love to find enough room to put it next to the computer desk to use while I work. It takes up alot of room though. A little over 5 feet long.
On the other hand, I purchased a Walk-Fit a few years before the ACL injury. I can't use it now because the base slants. It kills my knee. Banished to the basement, until I remember to get it to the SA! Never liked it much in the first place.
[ edited by labrat4gmos on Jan 10, 2001 05:33 AM ]
