Exercise bikes are still very popular pieces of equipment in the home fitness field. Although treadmills has taken over the number one sales spot, exercise bikes still get plenty of attention. No doubt, many people are drawn to them because of the familiarity of design. What can be simpler than the design of a bicycle? And riding a bicycle has very good health benefits as we all know.

But which exercise bike is best for you? Actually, the first question to ask is which exercise bike type best for you? You need to answer that question because there are two main types or styles of exercise bikes available for sale. One is the upright bike and the other is the recumbent bike. The upright style looks most like a normal bicycle with a seat and handlebars, and pedals underneath. The recumbent style of exercise bike can look completely different, with a seat that you actually lay in while you work the pedals out in front of you. Either type of exercise bike seems to perform well when it comes to giving you a good thorough cardio workout. So the choice is actually a matter of preference rather then effectiveness.

But which models seem to be rated the best overall? There have been several independent reviews made of exercise bikes over the years, and lots of consumer reviews are available online as well. By going through them, you can get a good feel for both the models that you want to buy, and those that you should stay away from. We have made a search of these available exercise bike reviews and ratings, and here are some recommendations that we can make based on our findings.

1. The Life Fitness C3-5 upright and the Life Fitness R3-5 recumbent bikes are extremely well reviewed and rated highly by almost everyone. In general, Life Fitness exercise bikes seem to get good ratings anyway. But these models enjoy particularly good ratings. They are both packed with features like 20 levels of resistance, an integrated heart rate monitor, and 10 pre-programmed workouts that you can choose from. Another great feature is that they are very solid and sturdy, supporting up to 400 lbs., meaning that even some of the largest consumers will be able to safely use them. And Life Fitness also stands behind their products with a very solid warranty.Expect to pay about $1800 for each.

2. Another manufacturer that gets very high marks in many exercise bike reviews is Schwinn. Of course, Schwinn has been in the bike business for years now, and is no stranger to the exercise bike field. Perhaps one of the best features about Schwinn exercise bikes is how much you get for the money. They don’t tend to come loaded up with all the bells and whistles, so if you want all of that you probably need to look elsewhere. But what they do give you is a solid machine for a very good price. For instance the Schwinn 113 upright and Schwinn 213 recumbent models only cost around $600, but they still have a 300 lbs. weight capacity, 16 resistance levels, and 10 programs to choose from, making it a great value in the exercise bike genre. Expect to pay about $600 for these models.

There are other exercise bike manufacturers and models that have received positive ratings and reviews. For instance,Tunturi exercise bikes have also been rated highly many times in the past by both product reviewers and consumers alike. But the two models we listed above seem to rise to the top of most exercise bike ratings and reviews on a consistent basis, and we feel that they would be a good choice for almost anyone.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including fitness. You can find exercise bike ratings and the best exercise bike by visiting our Home Fitness website.

It is recommended that adults over the age 35, who never
have exercised before, obtain medical clearance. This is
necessary for the protection of the individual’s health and
from any fitness professional’s legal perspective. Also, the
questionnaire consent/waiver form in Appendix A should be
completed for further legal protection and for the medical
doctor’s perusal.

VALUE OF A STRESS TEST

A stress test should be completed by all mature adults and
individuals age 35 or older who are sedentary. Individuals
who possess one or several coronary risk factors, such as
high HDLs, a smoker, high BP, or if the individual has not
seen a physician within the last 5 years should undertake a
stress test.

A stress test becomes even more crucial for those over 65
as it is difficult to determine the over 65’s tolerance for
activity. It also is necessary to determine presence or
absence of myocardial ischemia (a temporary deficiency of
blood supply to the heart caused by an obstruction), either
prior to an exercise program, while in relatively good health,
or as a post-coronary test to indicate damage levels and a
therapeutic program. A stress test is not a substitute for
complete history and yearly physical examinations, but it is a
viable test that can pick up on problems that would preclude
a person’s participation in an exercise program or indicate
required modification of a program in accordance with
physical problems.

Fitness professionals or physicians should explain in
advance to the individual to be tested what is involved. This
helps to increase motivation and for the individual to
exercise for longer and with less anxiety. The individual will
need to:

-Wear proper clothing (tracksuit) and comfortable running or
walking shoes.

-Refrain from eating for 2-3 hours prior to the test, so that
digestion does not interfere with optimal blood flow.

-Refrain from smoking for at least 1-2 hours, since smoking
can impair cardiovascular capacity.

WHAT OCCURS

The stress test conducted by the physician can be
performed with a motorized treadmill, bicycle or arm
ergometer. Often if the individual suffers from lower body
maladies, or if a return to work after an illness involves
strenuous upper body activity, the arm ergometer may be
used to produce a more accurate test.

The stress test is designed to challenge the body to a safe
but necessary level to reveal irregularities that are unlikely to
show when at rest. Usually an undiagnosed heart disease
appears only during vigorous exercise. The narrowed
coronary arteries may supply enough blood to the resting
individual, but, as oxygen needs rise, electrocardiographic
abnormalities indicate a problem. The physician will look
for evidence of ischemia and its effects in rhythm
disturbances (tachyarrhythmias or bradyarrhythmias), aortic
and mitral valve disease, significant hypertension, and
myocardial disease.

The stress test usually will not take more than 10 minutes.
Exercise for longer will measure endurance rather than
aerobic capacity (VO2max). During any physical activity, the
body responds as follows:

-Heart rate increases

-Systolic BP increases

-Diastolic BP remains the same or decreases

-Cardiac output increases

-Systemic vascular resistance decreases

-Coronary blood flow increases

-Myocardial O2 demand increases

The client is tested at 85-90% of predicted maximal heart
rate, although some doctors do not advance the test this far
as they feel it is unnecessary to do so - usually as a safety
precaution. Doctors even may stop the test once the client
reaches his or her target heart rate. There is one serious
drawback to this approach. There is variability in maximal
heart rate of individuals within each specific age group. For
example, the predicted heart rate of a 60-year old at 85%
maximum heart rate is approximately 132 bpm. Because
there is a standard deviation, some individuals being in
better health and others in worse health for any age group,
or at least less tolerant to exercise strain, it is possible that
some people may have a maximal heart rate well above or
below 132 bpm. If an individual’s heart rate is above or
below the age-specific level, the result will be unreliable in
that it is difficult to determine the safety or severity of the test.
The strain may not be enough, or too much. Therefore, it is
necessary for the physician to motivate the client safely to
his or her limits to determine the proposed intensity of the
exercise program, and for the client, or the client’s personal
trainer, to know at what level the body was stressed
sufficiently.

VO2max is another important consideration of the stress
test and this correlates well with physical fitness at least in
a cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular sense. The amount
of oxygen consumed by the myocardium is dependent on
oxygen demand: heart rate, contractility, and wall tension.
The individual will exercise until the oxygen demand by the
myocardial cells exceeds the ability of the stenotic coronary
artery to deliver oxygen. In other words, exercise continues
until the coronary reserve has been exhausted. At this point,
ischemia is induced and exercise must be terminated.
During the exercise test, if the individual experiences
pectoral angina, intense dyspnea or unusual changes on
the electrocardiogram, or significant rhythm change due to a
heart block or ventricular disturbance, an unsupervised
exercise program may be contraindicated.

The test may be stopped for reasons other than reaching a
VO2max upper threshold or having chest discomfort;
fatigue, dyspnea, and musculoskeletal problems may
cause the mature adult to discontinue exercise. The test
also will be terminated if the blood pressure drops as the
work increases. Blood pressure is recorded before the test,
at an exercise peak, and at recovery. Diastolic BP should
remain constant, but could increase slightly because of
anxiety. It then could decrease once the test begins.
Systolic BP usually increases by 60+/-25 mm Hg in males
50-64 years of age, and by 40+/-20 mm Hg in women in the
same age group. For example, if the systolic BP fails to
increase, or initially increases then drops by more than 20
mm Hg during exercise, then it may indicate severe left
ventricular dysfunction. Should the systolic blood pressure
fall more than 30mm Hg, then an unsupervised exercise
program may be contraindicated.

Sometimes the stress test shows heart complications
when, in fact, extrinsic factors are responsible, and this will
cause a false-positive result. These include:

-Hypertension

-Fasting

-Drug use (e.g., antidepressants) - the physician will take
into account the effects of any medication the individual may
be taking

-Malfunctioning ECG recording equipment

-And a host of other minor heart complications that should
not stop an individual from participating in an exercise
program.

It will be up to the physician to remove the causative agent
and re-test the patient. This especially is necessary to
discover if the patient is asymptomatic or has the potential
for a high exercise capacity. A false-negative test resulting
from an extrinsic factor is even more disturbing as this
would indicate failure to diagnose the presence of abnormal
coronary arteries. It then is up to the physician to rely on
other test procedures and for the individual or the fitness
professional to monitor progress carefully and to supply the
physician with any information in regard to physical difficulty
during exercise.

If the test is performed properly, and there is a negative ECG
response to exercise, the test does not indicate coronary
disease necessarily. Rather, it implies a risk factor that
must be taken into consideration when an exercise program
is created, and that there must be close monitoring of the
individual’s health and fitness level.

CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR A STRESS TEST

-Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)

-Uncontrolled congestive heart failure

-Acute inflammatory cardiac disease, e.g., active rheumatic
heart disease, myocarditis

-Acute asthma or pneumonia

-Blood pressure greater than 240/120 mm Hg and
uncontrolled

-Acute renal (kidney) disease

You may publish this article in your newsletter, on your web
site, or other publications, so long as the article’s content is
not altered and the resource box is included. Add byline and
active link. Notification of the use of this article is
appreciated, but not required.

Exercise bikes are still very popular pieces of equipment in the home fitness field. Although treadmills has taken over the number one sales spot, exercise bikes still get plenty of attention. No doubt, many people are drawn to them because of the familiarity of design. What can be simpler than the design of a bicycle? And riding a bicycle has very good health benefits as we all know.

But which exercise bike is best for you? Actually, the first question to ask is which exercise bike type best for you? You need to answer that question because there are two main types or styles of exercise bikes available for sale. One is the upright bike and the other is the recumbent bike. The upright style looks most like a normal bicycle with a seat and handlebars, and pedals underneath. The recumbent style of exercise bike can look completely different, with a seat that you actually lay in while you work the pedals out in front of you. Either type of exercise bike seems to perform well when it comes to giving you a good thorough cardio workout. So the choice is actually a matter of preference rather then effectiveness.

But which models seem to be rated the best overall? There have been several independent reviews made of exercise bikes over the years, and lots of consumer reviews are available online as well. By going through them, you can get a good feel for both the models that you want to buy, and those that you should stay away from. We have made a search of these available exercise bike reviews and ratings, and here are some recommendations that we can make based on our findings.

1. The Life Fitness C3-5 upright and the Life Fitness R3-5 recumbent bikes are extremely well reviewed and rated highly by almost everyone. In general, Life Fitness exercise bikes seem to get good ratings anyway. But these models enjoy particularly good ratings. They are both packed with features like 20 levels of resistance, an integrated heart rate monitor, and 10 pre-programmed workouts that you can choose from. Another great feature is that they are very solid and sturdy, supporting up to 400 lbs., meaning that even some of the largest consumers will be able to safely use them. And Life Fitness also stands behind their products with a very solid warranty.Expect to pay about $1800 for each.

2. Another manufacturer that gets very high marks in many exercise bike reviews is Schwinn. Of course, Schwinn has been in the bike business for years now, and is no stranger to the exercise bike field. Perhaps one of the best features about Schwinn exercise bikes is how much you get for the money. They don’t tend to come loaded up with all the bells and whistles, so if you want all of that you probably need to look elsewhere. But what they do give you is a solid machine for a very good price. For instance the Schwinn 113 upright and Schwinn 213 recumbent models only cost around $600, but they still have a 300 lbs. weight capacity, 16 resistance levels, and 10 programs to choose from, making it a great value in the exercise bike genre. Expect to pay about $600 for these models.

There are other exercise bike manufacturers and models that have received positive ratings and reviews. For instance,Tunturi exercise bikes have also been rated highly many times in the past by both product reviewers and consumers alike. But the two models we listed above seem to rise to the top of most exercise bike ratings and reviews on a consistent basis, and we feel that they would be a good choice for almost anyone.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including fitness. You can find exercise bike ratings and the best exercise bike by visiting our Home Fitness website.

When was the last time you consumed soda? Most likely, it wasn’t that long ago. You may even drink several cans or bottles each day. In the U.S, carbonated soft drinks are a huge business. Every year, they generate more than $50 billion in annual sales.

Two companies - Coca-Cola and PepsiCo — dominate the soda market. They are in a constant battle for the market share of the product - a conflict known as the “Cola War.” Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually for advertising. Not surprisingly, the companies are always looking for new markets. And, increasingly, they are directing their attention to adolescents and children.

For decades, schools have allowed soda to be sold in on-site vending machines. So, generating income for schools from the sale of soda is not a new policy. However, in the early 1990s, pouring-rights contracts emerged. These put a different spin on the sale of soda in schools. And, over the years, they have increasingly gained in popularity.

In return for the exclusive sale of one-company’s product, pouring-rights contracts give school districts large lump-sum payments and extra payments and/or gifts over a period of five or 10 years. The contracts provide additional incentives for consumption levels that surpass quotas. So, they tend to encourage the consumption of higher amounts of soda, even by the youngest students. In one of the most extravagant contracts, a 53-school district in Colorado, gave up its Pepsi vending machines and signed an $8 million, 10 year agreement with Coca-Cola that included cash bonuses when sale targets were exceeded and a new car for a senior with high grades and perfect attendance. But, even the smaller contracts tend to be generous. The goal is to create brand loyalty among young people - a loyalty that could continue throughout their lives. Without a doubt, administrators in cash-strapped school districts have a litany of reasons to be enticed. But, adherence to the contracts may be taken to extremes. For example, a Georgia student was suspended when he wore a shirt with a Pepsi logo to a student government-sponsored “Coke Day” rally.

So what is contained in a typical soda that may be found in a school vending machine? A 20-ounce screw-top plastic bottle of soda has 275 calories. While there are other ingredients such as flavorings and caffeine, the soda is primarily sugar and carbonated water. High in calories and zero in nutritional value, it is the quintessential “junk food.” The Center for Science in the Public Interest refers to soft drinks as “liquid candy.” Since the bottles have screw-tops, the liquid may be sipped throughout the day, thereby bathing the teeth with sugar and upsetting dentists. While it is unclear how many sodas a typical student might drink in one day, one is not a bad guess. Just one a day means 1925 empty calories per week. Heavy users drink more than one soda per day. Children who begin drinking soda when they are still young tend to increase the amount they consume through adolescence into young adulthood. Many children drink more soda than juice or milk. While juice and whole milk contain about the same amount of calories as soda, they contain useful vitamins and minerals. Juice and milk are far better nutritional options.

Although the relationship cannot be proven conclusively, soda consumption correlates with obesity. Children who drink sodas take in more calories, are fatter and have worse diets than those who don’t. If you need to lose weight, start by replacing sodas with water, fat free or 1% milk, or 100% juice (but not too much).

Copyright © 2005, by Weight Loss Buddy Press

Joey Dweck is the founder of http://www.WeightLossBuddy.com committed to helping you find a 24/7 buddy who will not only help you lose weight but who also will get you to change to a healthy lifestyle. You choose your own diet and your own exercise regime, and we find you a buddy who literally will stick with you through thick and thin. Signing up for a buddy is free. Simply go to http://www.WeightLossBuddy.com or call 1-877-BUDDY-UP.

One of the most important things to keep in mind if you feel that you weigh too much is that fitness is not directly related to your weight. Of course, your weight will have some effect on how fit you are, especially if you’re exceptionally overweight. However, this is not nearly as significant as most people would guess.

In reality the only real way to tell how fit you are is to see how much exercise you can do. You will find that if you begin an exercise program and begin to increase your fitness significantly, your weight will come down.

If your goal is to not only lose weight, but to keep that weight off, and to keep it off in a natural way - not using some fad diet - then you should look at increasing your overall fitness level, and the level of exercise you get everyday. Diet and exercise go hand in hand, diet will not be truly effective without exercise.

If you diet without increasing your daily exercise then your body will begin to burn muscle tissue, you will lose weight but you will lose your strength and fitness also. If, however, you start out by exercising more, you will be building and toning your muscles. This in itself will make your body burn more fat, you will lose weight while getting fitter and working on your figure simultaneously.

If you get exercise on a regular basis the fact is you will be fitter than someone who gets no regular exercise, regardless of your weight. Taking this into account you should start exercising more when starting any new diet plan, this will get the most from your new diet.

If you want to really improve your fitness, then you’ll need to do more than just a little bit of exercise. Also, you’ll need to do more than just one type of exercise. You’ll need to do both cardiovascular exercise as well as some basic strength training.

For your cardiovascular exercise - which is basically any type of exercise that increases your heart rate by considerable amounts - you should work on being able to exercise for a longer period of time than you could before.
This will enable you to build up some stamina.

You will also probably want to do some strength training exercises as well. While these will not increase your stamina necessarily, strength training exercises will still have a major effect on how fit you feel and will help you to tone your body.

Of course you don’t need to be lifting weights! A small amount of strength training that doesn’t even need equipment can make all the difference in your strength and confidence.
You can do this exercise in the comfort of your own home.

In the end the most important factor in your fitness is whether or not you can do as much exercise as you’d like to be able to do. If you can then you are fit, if not then regardless of your weight the road to fitness need not be difficult, all it takes is a little determination.