I’m really a fan of the elliptical machine, in case you haven’t noticed by the elliptical machine reviews we’ve posted on a couple different models here. Ellipticals are my favorite piece of work out cardio equipment because of their ability to help elongate the legs as well as keep them lean instead of bulking them up, like I feel the treadmill does for me.

I limit my use of treadmills because of my body’s personal tendency to get bulky in the quad area and when I walk or run, I tend to use this muscle the most. That’s just me though, I know tons of people, men and women alike, who love what a treadmill does for their body and their fitness level.

I love ellipticals, but I really have a love for ellipticals with moving arms, because they allow me to work on my three biggest trouble spots all at once. Those trouble spots being by thighs, buttocks, and my arms. My arms tend to not get very toned and firm easily, and they do tend to retain fat liek the other parts of my body do when I gain a few pounds, so I love a machine that can target it all at once.

Moving arms on an elliptical, versus the kind with just rails on the side for gripping that don’t move, can mean a lot more challenging workout as well. Just take the test for yourself. If you’ve ever used the one with moving arms, try working out on an elliptical machine without using the arms, and you will see that you do not get out of breath as quickly.

So in addition to getting better muscle toning allover, you also get a little better cardio workout when the elliptical has moving arms. If you prefer to move your arms but are on an elliptical without this feature, then just move your arms in a running motion on your own, and you can simulate this by yourself then.

Yep, that’s right, a video game, aka the demise of children and adult’s desire and enthusiasm to get outside or off the couch and go get some exercise, may actually be one that is responsible for getting more adults and children moving. The Wii, by a video game maker that seemed like it might have been all but beaten by the likes of the Xbox and other fierce competitors in the world of video gaming, has brought a revolutionary aspect to the world of gaming, which traditionally involved a whole lot of sitting and inactivity by its devotees.

The Wii uses an interactive theory where the user actually has to move in the motions that it wants it’s virtual character to go in. I’ve actually played two games on the Wii gaming system so far (I don’t own one, this was at my boyfriend’s parents home, who own the system), tennis and bowling. Both of them actually required extensive use of your arms, which had the controllers strapped in sort of to your hands.

You had to make sweeping motions with your arms/hands to get the character to make the necessary moves to knock down the bowling pins and to make the tennis racket connect with the virtual ball. I must say, it was fun. Only problem with those game is they don’t get your legs moving, but as I understand it there are also pads that you can play games on where you move your feet as well available.

Not bad entertainment, plus you also get a little exercise, like you do with that Dance Dance Revolution game as well.

It’s a well established fact that physical fitness is definitely the way to overall health and wellness. Physically fit people enjoy so many health benefits including the warding off of disease and even less emotional issues such as stress, anxiety and depression, that it’s no wonder there is such a push toward physical fitness today.

Heck, even our government is getting involved in the fight to make more citizens physically fit by making it easier for people to walk and run on the local streets and sidewalks, as we talked about a few posts ago where a town was trying to make it’s locale a little more exercise friendly to encourage residents to enhance their physical fitness and engage in activities that are life and health enhancing.

A new study has come out that includes the anti-storke benefits of physical fitness for both men and women alike, that is implying that even moderate physical fitness, meaning no killing yourself at the gym for hours on end per week, but about a half hour or so a day of moderate activity like walking briskly, can increase your odds against a stroke, which it was just found has almost tripled in middle aged women recently, a disturbing new statistic.

The statistics are very promising amongst men and women who were categorized in the cardio “fit” group, because they had about a percentage in the 40′s less risk than those that were not categorized as moderately physically fit in the other group who did not perform the exercise necessary to classify them as moderately fit.

This just goes to show you that a little concentration on physical fitness sure does go a long way, and in the end, it can definitely mean not only the difference between life and death, but also make a huge difference in the quality of life you have while you are still around! It only further reinforces my belief that everyone needs to get on a regular exercise regimen.

It struck how hard it is for mothers to work out the other day when I read an article that, while it may have exaggerated the whoas a bit, claimed that women with children barely have time to urinate, brush their teet and comb their hair, let alone work out. I know some of my friends that have children would happily agree with this, but some – usually the ones with only one child, may disagree and say that they still feel they have enough time to work out.

Even they say that this time is squeezed out of their already tight schedules though, so I think it’s safe to say that kids definitely make working out a little harder to squeeze in, unless you’re rich and have a nanny or can hire someone to watch Jr. while you go to the gym. Most of us aren’t that lucky, so we’re forced to be a bit more creative when it comes to having kids and also keeping our bodies in shape and our minds at ease.

One of the best suggestions I can think of, if it’s doable, is that a working mother try to maybe squeeze in some kind of workout into her lunch time at work. This is what I do actually, because I have such a busy schedule even after I get off my regular 9-5 job. It works out well, because not only can I blow off steam so I can return to work refreshed and rejuvenated, but I can also get the exercise out of the way so I can get other things accomplished when I get home at night.

Like I said, this of course would be the ideal scenario for mothers, but it’s not always plausible. Maybe they don’t have a workout facility close, or even better, a workout facility at work. An option then would be to trade the pumps for some tennis shoes and go fast walking or jogging on your lunch hour. You could always pack a healthy lunch and take your brown bag outside and eat it under a tree after your work out.