Gym Membership

How to Save Money on Gym Membership
Gyms membership generally runs to several hundred dollars over the course of a year (and often more than a thousand). With joining fees on top of this and contracts which are sometimes difficult to get out of as well as the intimidating atmosphere of some gyms and the inconvenience of actually getting there, it can be enough to put you off getting fit entirely.

Gyms actually rely on you signing up and then not turning up very often - that's what 80% of the membership or more actually does. If all the members turned up on a regular basis you would not be able to move. If you've ever witnessed packed machines and crowded locker rooms in January only to find the gym equipment and shower stalls so much more accessible for the rest of the year you'll know that's true.
So if you can't afford the gym or you suspect you'd be one of those funding the regular gym goers most of the year, what's the alternative?
One answer is create your own gym at home where you can get in shape without spending a fortune.
How much would it cost to kit out a home gym?
How about less than $100?
You see, while the kind of equipment you will find at your local gym costs thousands of dollars, there is no need to equip your home like that (unless you want and can afford to). You really just need a few simple items to get fit at home (and there are ways you can get fit without any money at all too).
What kind of equipment do I mean?
Equipment like a simple jump rope, step or rebounder, hand weights, fitness bands and door way bar. There is no need to buy it all - you choose a selection of items which you will most enjoy using and which will cover all aspects of getting in shape: cardio fitness, strength and flexibility.
These days we have become too used to seeking out and paying for solutions (and sometimes when we pay a lot we feel we have done our bit even without doing the work). But it's actually taking action rather than paying for an expensive gym membership which counts.
If you want to join a gym that will set you back a lot of money, why not invest in a little equipment first and promise yourself if you use it regularly for 3 months you will reward yourself with that gym membership (if you still want to go there, that is (chances are you will enjoy working out at home so much you won't bother)). And for those of you who won't make it past the 3 months you are guaranteed to save yourself a fortune in fees.
If you would like to explore the range of options for putting together an effective home gym (including many free ideas) take a look at these low-cost home gym ideas at SimplyFitnessGear.com. The $100 Home Gym Project was started there to make sure that there is information available to everyone on how to set up a home gym no matter what their budget.

By Jan Small

Exercise Plan

Free Exercise Plan - 3 Keys For Those Over 50

Free exercise plan is good for all ages and even better when you can find quality free exercise plans. Throughout life exercise is important for preventing disease, maintaining proper body weight, relieving stress, and continuing or enhancing ones life activities. We are also human, and can be forcefully driven by our sexual needs and aroused at the sight of another's physical state. The appearance of another's body that is utilizing a well developed exercise program can not only be very pleasing to the eye, but also extremely advantageous to the overall health and wellness of the exercising individual.

As we age, the effects of gravity, diet, parties, disease, sport injuries, etc. weigh in (no pun intended) on our physical appearance and health. The American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine (AHA & ACSM) have addressed this aging issue directly by issuing guidelines for those over 65 and those over 50 with disease or function impairment.
Free Exercise Plan Guidelines:
Aerobic Activities
Suggested activity levels include equal or greater than 30 minutes, 5 days per week of moderate exercise OR 20 minutes of vigorous activity 3 days each week. On a scale of 1-10 a 5/6 is considered moderate exercise and a rating of 7/8 is considered vigorous. Your exercise plan may start with less than this, but you will be working toward reaching these minimums.
Resistance TrainingWe all lose muscle as we get older, especially after 50. You will want to follow your free exercise plan to offset this natural muscular atrophy. At a minimum you should participate in 2 days per week of resistance training. You may use machines, weights, bands or even body weight for your exercises. Mixing these exercise options will provide you the best results. You should perform 8-10 exercises for your major muscle groups and perform 10-15 repetitions to get started. Exercise plan progression is important and you will need to change your program every 4-6 weeks to prevent the negative effects of program stagnation. To do this you will want to look for a free exercise plan that teaches you several ways to progress your program.
Flexibility & Balance
Muscle not only atrophy's as we age, but is often accompanied with tightening, reduced joint range of motion and instability. These flexibility and balance issues can affect many of the simple activities of daily living such as household chores or yard work.
For flexibility training, after a short warm up period, perform 10 or more minutes of stretching activities for your major muscles. You will want your exercise plan to attribute two or more days each week to this.
For balance and stability enhancement, your exercise plan should include training options on two or more days each week as well.
Benefits of an exercise plan are great. There are several free exercise plans available of varying degrees of effectiveness. As we age it becomes more and more important to find a well designed program that will assist us in meeting our health needs as well as our physical aesthetic needs/wants. When you find and follow that quality exercise plan you will not only make yourself look better nude, but will alleviate many of the experiences of disease that accompany the ongoing addition of birthdays.

By Tom Bomar

BMI Calculator

BMI Calculator Results
BMI, Body Mass Index, is the most popular and simple way that health professionals use to determine if you are a healthy weight. This article concerns how to interpret your results.
Summary

Body Mass Index:

<18:>25: Overweight

>30: Obese
Calculate Yourself
The calculation is simple, you can do it on a regular calculator. All you need to know
is your height and weight. If you want to use metric measurements, take your
weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in meters squared. If you use inches
and pounds instead, you need to multiply the result by 703 to get an equivalent
result. I am 6' tall and I weigh 180 lbs. 180/(72 x 72) x 703 = 24.4
Underweight
If your BMI is 18 or less, you are considered underweight for your height. My work
here is done. Just kidding.

Being underweight is a health problem, just as being overweight is. As Mr.
Weightless, I am dedicated to helping those at the other end of the spectrum, but if
you are underweight, here are a few tips to become healthier.
Don't try to do the opposite of everything I say to lose weight. You should still be
drinking plenty of water, for example.
This may seem obvious, but EAT MORE. Consume more calories than you expend.
Consume more protein. One main reason you may be underweight is lack of muscle
mass. Resistance training combined with a hefty increase in protein consumption
will put some meat on your bones.
The best way to consume more calories while keeping a balanced and healthy diet is
to order one of our meal replacement products, but instead of using the meal
replacement to replace meals, have a shake between other meals. You will be
getting more calories, more protein, but without imbalancing your intake of other
essential nutrients.
Normal Weight
If your BMI is between 18 and 25, you are considered normal weight for your height.
My work here is done. Really.
Actually, not really. Read the section below "BMI is not Enough" to find out why a
BMI that is in the normal range may not mean that you have no risk of disease. And
let's face it, for beach season you don't want your waistline to be "normal", you want
it to looked "ripped". You can benefit from my articles and products to strip off the
last remaining fat cells that are hiding your six-pack.
Overweight
If your BMI is over 25, you are considered overweight for your height. This is a
dangerous category because most people ignore the dangers. Technically, being in
the overweight category does not seriously predispose you to any health problems.
But that does not mean that you are healthy. And if you do nothing, you may just
slip into the "obese" category where your risks are great for developing heart
disease, diabetes and cancer.
There is a movement these days called "healthy overweight". People may have you
believe that if you can jog a mile and do some push-ups that you are healthy
despite being large. If you can do these things, that's great, but that doesn't make
you healthy. It just means you're not sick yet. The people who believe in the "healthy
overweight" basically want to take away any shame you might feel about your size,
to make you feel better and relieve some of your stress about your self-image. They
say that companies that sell diet products have exaggerated claims and made fat
people believe that any amount of excess fat is unattractive and unhealthy. That
may be true, we all see advertisements that make us feel unattractive compared to
models and actors, and we don't feel as healthy as the athletes we watch in sports.
But let's not kid ourselves: If you have excess fat, you are not as healthy as someone
without it. Fat, especially around the waist, is a health risk, and it does you no good,
unless you find yourself in the arctic. If you're a healthy overweight, lose some
weight and you'll be a healthier normal weight!
In some cultures, even in America, being overweight is a status symbol. Having a big
belly tells everyone that you make so much money that you can afford lots of food.
It also says that you don't do manual labour or work with your muscles because
your brain is all you need for your job. I think in most cultures this image is going
away, because the muscular superhero look that I'm helping you attain shows just
as much success in a different way.
Obese
If your BMI is over 30, you are considered obese. This is the category that is most
associated with hightened risk for all sorts of diseases. Risk is not a guarantee, you
might live to be 90, but the chances are slim.
I won't go into all of the health problems you are exposing yourself to, because I've
written another article about that. Read all about Obesity Statistics and Dangers on
my website.
I don't think anything more needs to be said. If you are obese, you need to start
losing weight right now to reduce your risks. Would you rather be dead? I don't like
scaring people, but I am scared for you.
BMI Alone is Not Enough
One important fact to consider is that BMI is based only on height and weight.
Therefore, BMI is not the best measure of your health. It is attractive because it's
fast and easy to calculate, not because it is perfect. If you have been lifting weights
and have a lot of muscle, your BMI may say you are overweight even though you
have little health risk. That is because your big muscles increase your weight, not
body fat.
To get a truly accurate picture of your health risks, you can try one or more of the
following other indicators.
Percentage bodyfat is the best measure. You cannot do this yourself without special
equipment. A doctor or nutritionist must do one of three tests: 1) use skin calipers
to measure "skin fold" at four or six points on your body, or 2) submerge you in
water to calculate your volume, or 3) use a device that measures BIA (bioelectrical
impedence analysis) by running a small electrical charge through your body.
Generally, men should have less than 18% body fat, and women less than 23%.
Another good indicator of health risk related to weight is waist-hip ratio. Stand with
stomach relaxed and measure the narrowest part of your waist, and divide that
number by the measurement at the widest point of your hips/buttocks. For women,
this number should be less than 0.8, for men it should be less than 0.95. If your
ratio is higher, then you carry excess fat around the waist, which carries a higher
health risk. However, this only really applies if your BMI is already over 25.
If your BMI is over 25, it is time to take action to improve your health. If your BMI is
over 30, you are already at risk for many diseases. Start one of our programs today.

By David McCormick