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By Cliff Koraska, April 7, 2011 4:36 pm

For individuals who are significantly overweight, the thought of losing weight can be a daunting task. There are two keys to weight loss: cutting down the number of calories consumed and increasing cardiovascular exercise.  Weight loss happens when more calories are burned in one day than are taken in.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends between 30 and 90 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three days per week.  For obese individuals, this can be difficult for many reasons. Exercise can be hard on the body’s joints and muscles. The more the body weighs, the greater the impact on those joints.

Exercising in a fitness center or gym can be difficult too as some exercise machines may not accommodate the weight of an obese individual, as many pieces have a weight limit of 350 pounds. If you are serious about weight loss, consider purchasing residential fitness equipment.

Are you significantly overweight? Consider getting your recommended dose of cardiovascular exercise on a Landice E7 Residential Elliptimill. This elliptical trainer features the lowest step-up height of any elliptical on the market, making it easy for users to access. It also has a maximum user capacity of 500lbs.

(Read more about the L7 Residential Elliptimill.)

Elliptical trainers provide a low-impact workout, reducing strain on cartilage and joints. The continuous motion of the pedals provides the cardio and fat-burning benefits of walking, without the risk of injury that can come from walking on hard surfaces. Most elliptical machines also have moving arm handles, allowing an upper body workout as well as a cardio workout.

When beginning your exercise routine, remember these keys:

• Begin with 30 minutes of cardio per workout, even if you have to start at a slow pace.
• As you begin to lose weight, gradually increase speed, intensity and time.
• Add variety to your workout to stay motivated and keep from getting bored.

Always remember, stepping onto the exercise machine for the first time is always the hardest part. Surround yourself with friends and family who will encourage and motivate you on your weight loss journey.

Consult with your physician before beginning any exercise routine.

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By Cliff Koraska, March 31, 2011 9:48 am

As we age, our bones become weaker, and more prone to fractures and breaks. Muscles also lose their strength, which can attribute to falls resulting in broken bones and other injuries. It is important that we continue a regular exercise routine as we age, to help bones and muscles stay strong. Cardiovascular exercise is also important, to help ward off heart disease.

For an elderly individual, a workout does not need to be intense, but a simple walking program is an appropriate weight-bearing exercise to promote bone and muscle strength, as well as cardio health.

When considering an exercise routine for an older individual, it is also important to consider the terrain of the workout location. Choosing to exercise on a treadmill, is often a safer choice than walking outdoors, as falls due to tripping on uneven sidewalks, or rocky terrain are more likely outdoors.

There are 3 specific benefits of the Landice L7 treadmill in exercise for the elderly:

• VFX Shock Absorption – Landice treadmills provide a walking surface that has been deemed “softer than grass,” which is important for users suffering from arthritis, or former knee or foot-related injuries. (Read more about Landice shock absorption in this article.)
• Low Step-Up Height — Landice treadmills have a step-up height of only 7 ½ inches, making it very easy for users to get on and off the treadmill, reducing the possibility of a user tripping when getting on or off of the treadmill.
• Zero Start Speed — Landice treadmills provide a zero start speed, meaning users can access the treadmill and step onto the belt before it begins moving. This is another factor that can help reduce the risk of falls and injury for Landice users.

Please consult your physician before beginning any exercise routine.

For more information on Landice residential treadmills, visit Landice.com.

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By Cliff Koraska, March 24, 2011 4:17 pm

Many pieces of exercise equipment won’t just be found in fitness centers or home gyms, but some are also used in medical rehab clinics for patients recovering from injury, surgery or illness.

Treadmills are often used to help patients return to weight-bearing exercise after injury or surgery. They can also be used to help patients who have had neurological damage or spinal injury learn to walk again.

While Landice Rehabilitation & Wellness Treadmills are often used in training of elite athletes, our treadmills have also been used in treatment of neurological,  post-operative conditions and sports-related injury rehabilitation.

Landice Rehab Treadmills feature zero starting speed, a crucial element in any rehab treadmill. Our treadmills also come fitted with extended parallel medical handrails, VFX shock absorption system and patient-attachable safety lanyards. They are easy for patients to step onto, with a low, 7½” step-up height.

The most important factor of rehab for any patient is the ability to specify rehabilitation to each patient’s unique needs. Landice treadmills offer a variety of customized settings for speed and incline, as well as built-in programs designed to suit the user’s needs.

As rehab patients begin training on a treadmill, prevention of further injury should be a primary concern. Landice treadmills come with VFX Shock Absorption, which is designed to significantly reduce the shock of impact on the body’s muscles and joints.

Researchers at Harvard University studied the effects of stiffness of running surface on performance and concluded that a stiffness rating below 15 klbf/ft is necessary for comfort and injury prevention. Landice VFXPlus treadmills have a stiffness of 7klbf/ft — five times softer than grass.

Click here for more about the Landice VFX Shock Absorption system and to watch a video about shock absorption.

Find all the features and options of our Rehabilitation Treadmills here.

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By Landice, March 9, 2011 11:06 am

Running on the L8

Whether you refer to yourself a competitive or recreational runner, the fact of the matter is, if you’re investing time and effort into your training program, your end goal is improvement.  As a runner, improvement means being able to run faster than you have before over a given distance and/or performing at a level that you were previously unable to.  Although competitive running events are most often the best proving ground for the hard work that you lay down on a week-to-week basis, self assessment sessions can prove to be equally beneficial and are an integral means of evaluating the effectiveness of your training program.

There are a wide variety of ways to assess your body’s response to a given training progression. One of my staple, albeit very simplistic and unscientific, assessment sessions while competing as a long course triathlete, involved my favorite Sunday long run route:  A 25k (15.5 mile) run over undulating terrain.  I’d know that I was coming into “good form” when I could complete the course while running within 10% of my race day goal paces without having to push too hard to do so.  There are a variety of very controlled and precise tests that one can pay for to assess improvement as well; VO₂ max and lactate testing sessions are 2 options that come to mind.  These tests are typically executed within the confines of a laboratory setting and provide a plethora of data for the testing subject.  Unfortunately, they also come with a price tag and can be hard to access in some parts of the country.

A simple, yet very effective means of assessing your aerobic fitness on a month to month basis is by employing the “T20” test.  This test can be carried out on a flat section of road, the track or even the treadmill.  You’ll want to make sure that you’ve kept your training fairly light for the 3 – 4 days preceding the test to ensure that your system is well rested and ready to perform up to its full capacity.

The testing session involves 3 segments:

1. The warm up segment.  Approach this the same way that you would a normal track or treadmill based workout.  See my prior training tips if you are unfamiliar with proper warm up protocol.
2. The testing segment.
3. The cool down segment. Once again, employ the same cool down protocol you would upon completion of a normal track or treadmill based workout.

Equipment: You will need a heart rate monitor and stop watch.

Course & Conditions: You should strive to execute the testing session on the same course and  under similar conditions every time you employ it as air temperature, humidity levels, wind, course gradients, etc. will all have an effect on your ability to maintain a specific pace at a given heart rate/oxygen consumption rate.

Unlike a race, there is no need to run at maximal effort during the testing segment.  Upon conclusion of the warm up routine, the athlete will run for 20 minutes continuously (hence the term “T20”).  The athlete should use the first 10 minutes of the testing segment to gradually build to 85% of maximal heart rate.  In order to do so, he or she will need to gradually increase pace along the way.  If you choose to run on the track or treadmill, a safe pacing strategy would be to start off at your estimated marathon race pace and to then build by 3 – 5 seconds per mile every quarter mile/400 meters until heart rate finally reaches 85% of maximum.  Once you have attained said heart rate, maintain your pace through the end of the 20 minute segment.  Although allowing your heart rate to drift a couple of beats above 85% is just fine, try to limit it to no more than that.  Reduce pace if need-be in order to maintain the goal heart rate along the way.

Upon completion of your cool down, note the amount of distance that you traveled during the second 10 minute segment of the 20 minute run.  Denote this distance, along with the corresponding heart rate, in your training journal.  You would be wise to also denote the environmental conditions that you faced when executing the test and your degree of fatigue leading into the test (i.e. how you felt during your warm up, and during the hours preceding the testing session).

As previously mentioned, for the distance runner, one of the main objectives of one’s training program is to increase the speed at which one can run for sustained periods of time; a key ingredient in your ability to do just that is to increase your running economy.  Simply put, running economy is a measurement of the amount of oxygen your body consumes at a given speed.  Oxygen consumption rates can be correlated very closely to heart rates, as it is the blood that transfers O₂ to the working muscles; as the athlete begins to push harder, the muscles demand for O₂ increases and blood must be pumped to the musculature at a faster rate in order to deliver it.

The T20 test is a very simple and effective means of tracking your body’s response to the training load.  If your training program is an effective one, you should note an increase in pace at the same heart rate every time you execute the T20 test.  My recommendation would be to test every 6 – 8 weeks, but testing every 4^th week is also okay as long as you are not unrealistic in your expectations when it comes to self improvement (for a well trained endurance athlete, an increase of even 1 – 2% in pace per month would be considered outstanding).  If you find that your T20 pace fails to improve after 6 – 8 weeks of solid training, it’s time to re-examine your training program and identify where it’s falling short; this is where a good coach can help of course!

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By Landice, March 9, 2011 10:00 am

Cross training, by definition, is training in a variety of ways to improve overall athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury. Elliptical machines (also known as elliptical cross-trainers) are often used by runners and other athletes to add variety to their training schedule.

An article in Runner’s World Magazine outlines eight benefits of cross training for runners. Many of these benefits are also true for other athletes, not just runners. The list includes:

• Injury prevention – For runners specifically, overuse injuries are common. Cross training can help prevent injury by providing adequate recovery time after injury (preventing reinjury), correct biomechanical irregularities and muscular imbalances.
• Rehabilitation — In the event of an overuse injury, cross training can help an athlete maintain fitness without being further injured or prolonging the recovery process.
• Greater running fitness – Cross training can enhance a runner’s efficiency, increase a runners power and increase the amount of time a runner can spend working out without fatigue or injury.
• Active recovery – While rest is important in any workout routine, studies suggest the athlete who performs active recovery workouts between primary workouts will perform better than the athlete who does not.
• Enhanced Motivation — Performing the same workout routine day after day will get boring, no matter how much you enjoy the exercise. Adding variety by training on an elliptical rather than the treadmill every now and then can help increase your motivation to run.
• Rejuvenation — Reducing training intensity buy working out on an elliptical during the off season, allowing your body to rejuvenate, will help improve performance during the next season
• Enjoying other sports – Training for a variety of sports could help improve performance in one specific sport
• Fit pregnancy — Using an elliptical to train during pregnancy can help a mother stay aerobically fit without the dangers of running or high-impact sports.

No matter what sport you prefer, be it running, rowing, or rock climbing, adding variety to your workout routine by cross training is a valuable aspect of any training routine. While runners use the elliptical to cross train, other athletes, such as rowers, will benefit from cross training on the treadmill. The key is in understanding how to appropriately use cross training to most benefit your exercise routine.

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By Landice, March 2, 2011 10:00 am

If you’ve ever been inside a gym or fitness center, chances are you have seen and probably even worked out on an elliptical machine. You may even have an elliptical set up in your home gym. But do you know what the difference is between an elliptical and a treadmill? Which machine will give you the best workout and burn the most fat?

The bottom line in any fitness plan is this: frequency and intensity of your workout, coupled with your caloric intake is ultimately the determining factor in how much fat you will burn. An equally intense hour spent working out, whether on a treadmill or elliptical will burn roughly the same amount of calories.

One primary benefit of the elliptical over the treadmill is the reduced impact on the elliptical. When choosing an exercise machine, first consider whether or not you can exercise on it without being injured.

Note: You should first consult your physician before beginning any exercise routine.

For individuals who are overweight, the elliptical is a better choice because the elliptical is a non-impact machine, and will build bone density because it is a weight-bearing exercise. Treadmill workouts have the same weight-bearing characteristics, but working out on a treadmill does require impact, which could be hard on knees, ankles and feet.

If you’re looking to burn fat while working out on an elliptical, there are several program options to help motivate you to reach your fat-burning goals. The Landice Executive Trainer Elliptimill comes with 5 built-in programs, as well as time, distance and calorie-burning programs. These programs will adjust resistance and incline based on the information input, such as the user’s weight and age.

If you’re comfortable managing your own workout, select the manual program option, which allows the user to manually set incline and resistance to vary workout intensity and burn more fat.

To burn fat while workout out on an elliptical, remember these key factors during your workout:

• Interval training — Short bursts of high intensity exercise is important in any cardiovascular exercise.  Increase the intensity of your workout for a 1-3 minutes with 1 minute of rest in between.
• Speed — Varying speeds is one method of interval training. Increasing speed will increase heart rate, reaching a cardiovascular workout level while burning fat.
• Intensity — Intensity is a factor of interval training.  Increased intensity by adjusting incline or resistance of the machine.

It is also important to note that it is easy to feel like you are working out harder than you actually are on an elliptical machine.  Use the heart rate monitor to measure the intensity and fat-burning qualities of your exercise routine.

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By Cliff Koraska, February 14, 2011 3:48 pm

Put down the sweet heart candies, chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne. The greatest gift you can give yourself this Valentine’s Day is the gift of a healthy heart … a real one, not a hard candy heart.

According to the American Heart Association, an astonishing 81,100,000 Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease (according to 2006 statistics) including high blood pressure (73,600,000), coronary heart disease (17,600,000), stroke (6,400,000) and heart failure (5,800,000). Not news to celebrate.

The good news is that every day people across America choose not to be included in these alarming statistics simply by slipping on running shoes and spending 30 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical machine.

Benefits of Cardio Exercise

• Cardio exercise such as running and exercising on an elliptical machine strengthens the heart muscle, enabling the heart to function more optimally and efficiently.
• Cardio exercise improves efficiency of coronary blood flow (blood that flows through the heart, keeping coronary blood vessels pliable and functioning optimally.
• Cardio exercise helps in lowering and regulating the body’s blood pressure, allowing the heart to more easily move blood through the coronary arteries.
• Cardio exercise reduces and regulates cholesterol — a fatty, sticky substance that can build up in the arteries, restrict blood flow and cause cardiac arrest.
• Cardio exercise helps the body manage blood sugar levels by stabilizing and reducing the amount of sugar flowing through the blood stream.

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love. Love yourself this Valentine’s Day by choosing heart-healthy habits that promote health. Be sweet to yourself. Your heart will thank you.

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By Landice, August 16, 2010 2:00 am

In our last beginner fitness tip, Where’s your heart? we looked at the concept of heart rate based training and its application during the foundation phase of the annual training plan.  As previously stated, for the beginner runner, the safest and most effective means of determining appropriate pacing objectives during your treadmill based workouts is via the monitoring of your heart rate response.  One of the advantages of owning a Landice treadmill is the fact that you can effectively track your “HR” response via the wireless heart rate chest strap that is included with the majority of the Landice models.

During the first 4 weeks of your build up, you’ll want to limit your HR to 80% of max during any of your workouts (click here to determine how to estimate your maximum heart rate) in order to allow your body ample time to adjust and to the new forms of stress its facing when undertaking a run specific training program.  Never forget this simple principle:  Effective training is nothing more than optimizing the balance between stress and recovery; hard training breaks the body down, and easier training allows it to adapt to the stress and grow stronger. Continue reading 'Aerobic Fartlek Session – Train your heart'»

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By Landice, March 16, 2010 3:58 pm

By Thad McLaurin “RunnerDude”
@RunnerDude_
http://ncrunnerdude.blogspot.com/

Turns out it’s not just doing memory games or working crossword puzzles that help keep you sharp as a tack as you age. Running or any kind of aerobic exercise helps boost your brain size and maintain your brain wiring as you age. Or, at least that’s what the latest research shows. According to an article in the Nutrition Action Health Letter (April ’09), about one in four people in their 80′s (about one out of three in their 90′s) has dementia. Arthur Kramer from the University of Illinois says you can “push yourself back two to three years with six months of aerobic exercise.”

For six months, Kramer had a group of people aged 60 to 80 do either 45 minutes of aerobic exercise (mostly brisk walking) three days a week or 45 minutes of stretching and toning exercises three times a week. The members of the aerobic exercise group showed increases in the volume of gray matter in the prefrontal, temporal, and parietal regions of the brain and the hippocampus (the memory region). Continue reading 'Good News for Runners!'»