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Posts Tagged ‘exercise’

Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitors

July 1st, 2011

So I’m sure undoubtedly you have heard that fitness training the good way is by training inside of your heartrate zones. If you wish to increase aerobic, anaerobic, lactate threshold and or VO2max fitness it’s vital to train at different heart rates. It really is without saying then that you might want a pulse rate watch able to detecting your heartrate during training. Based upon your style of training you’ll need a heartbeat monitor utilizing a chest band or one without. How should you make this decision and which are the differences you could possibly ask, I want to help.

Chest strap Pulse Rate Watch Reviews. Heart rate monitors with chest band are designed for constantly and flawlessly detecting your heart beat during exercise. The monitor has a chest band and watch – with no chest strap the watch cannot detect pulse.The chest band is engineered with an electrode fitted inside. Whenever you position the strap around your chest with the electrode at the breastbone it detects your hearts electrical transmission (heart beats) and transmits in the watch.

If you are a cyclist and want to train the heart rate way you might need a monitor possessing a chest band since your hands typically are not free (you need your hands free for just a few seconds or longer with strapless watch). If you are a runner, sprinter, weightlifter, swimmer or some other athlete where your hands can be available you’ve got the choice: chest band or strapless.

Strapless Heart Rate Monitor Reviews. Heart rate watches without chest band work because of a patented technology to sense heart rate with only a watch. The way it operates is the sensing technology is built in to the watch with a sensor on the back of the watch and sensor at the top of the watch. However, they only work when you use the hand with no watch to touch and hold the sensor on the topside. As soon as you execute this you’re essentially closing the electrical loop allowing the technology in the watch to detect your heartbeats.

The steps to making your decision? The watch most suitable for you is within your affordability and training method. It genuinely depends upon if you want continuous live monitoring of your heart or if checking you pulse rate at different instances will suffice. The strapless monitors usually are cheaper than the chest strap ones. The chest strap can be uncomfortable and annoying but obviously enables continuous monitoring.

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Where’s my tea….Nah I’m going to ride a new Mountain Bike?

March 23rd, 2011

Getting into Mountain Biking at an older age than most I found that buying my first mountain bike was a very daunting task. Not knowing that much about mountain bikes for the first 30 years of my life made me feel a little bit wary about visiting a bike shop in case my lack of knowledge became embarrassing, not to mention this combined with a lack of thousands of pounds in the bank might lead me to buying a mountain bike that would make me a humiliation when off road riding with mates.

The very first thing I learnt is that if you scout around, there are lots of older types of the apparently “better” mountain bikes floating about on cycle shop websites at hugely discounted prices and what’s better yet is that some bike retailers sell 2nd hand or ex-demo old model mountain bikes for even less. Like this I actually could possibly be sure that when I eliminate my mountain bike while in front of friends chances are they will assume that I happen to be riding mountain bikes for a while (well providing the from the year the model arrived) plus I would have a superior quality mtb (whether or not a little old) that also would look like I’d cared for it.

The matters that worried me about purchasing a mtb from off of the internet was that the size of the bike would be totally wrong for me personally, knowning that surely investing in a mountain bike from an actual store would be easier to see whether it fits properly. This developed into another unnecessary worry, since almost all websites (well better one’s anyway) have half decent mtb sizing charts, so that all I’d to undertake was dig the tape-measure out and measure away, there it is, I knew what exactly size mtb I desired.

Choosing the mountain bike was also a tough one, as I have no idea which models are supposed to be good, or cool, or anything. So again, thanks to the power of the internet, I searched for mountain bike message boards, forums, blogs, online mountain bike magazines. This also helped me learn all of the necessary mountain bike lingo, so that I now look like a complete pro when out riding.

Now all of my friends are envious. I own a super awesome mountain bike and also managed to pick up some cheap, cool looking mountain bike clothing to go with it and now that I know all of the mountain bike lingo too, I can talk about mountain bikes with the rest of the mountain biking nerds, and appear like I know more than they do. Brilliant.

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Vitamins Supplements, Can You Afford Not To Take Them In Today’s World?

March 18th, 2011

Making the choice to include vitamins supplements to your daily diet is taking the right step towards insuring that your body is fulfilling it’s nutritional needs. Unfortunately, most of the foods we eat today undergo many different types of processing such as canning, refrigeration, freezing, dehydration and antiseptic processing before we even consider purchasing them at our local market. With a simple trip to the grocery store it is easy to see that nearly all of the foods on the shelves with the exception of the fresh produce section have been processed. I am not saying that all processed food is bad for your health, in fact many packaged foods have been enhanced in some way to include nutritional supplements and fiber that processing has naturally stripped away. Just how valuable that method of enhancement is to our bodies is another story. Toxins, preservatives and food additives take the place of the natural source of vitamins and minerals that were once naturally found in all of our food. With that thought in mind, how can we not consider adding vitamins to our daily routine?

Vitamins and minerals are crucial to our health. They not only ensure proper growth and formation of healthy red and white cells in the body, they also provide key nutrients necessary to keep muscles and fibers in the body strong and healthy. It is a sad fact that most everything we eat today hardly meet the proper nutritional guidelines set fourth in the healthy foods pyramid. Recent shifts in societies hectic lifestyle has more and more people eating on the run. Fast food has replaced healthy home cooked meals. This may result in more cases of vitamin and mineral deficiencies among a larger group of people. This harsh fact can eventually lead to chronic health problems.

That is why vitamins supplements play a vital part in our lives. Taking supplements will provide the extra nutritional boost needed to stay healthy. Although, there are still a few people out there who think that spending money on vitamins in this stressful economy is not a value. I guess they rather spend their money on medical bills and doctors prescriptions. If only they knew that investing in their health is the best value of all.

Nevertheless, the easiest way to stay in shape is to watch what you eat. A balanced diet that includes all food groups is the best advice. It is a good idea to consume all foods in their most natural form. Food that comes boxed, canned or freeze dried does not come from mother nature. Of course, organic food is the most natural and has the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals. These days most every supermarket does their best to carry a large variety of organic foods at the lowest possible price.

Taking vitamins supplements is the smart way to ensure your health. Eating well and including vitamins to your daily diet will keep your defenses high. Have you heard that old truism – An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

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Massage Chair Review: Human Touch HT 7120 Massage Recliner

December 26th, 2010

This product review is of the HT 7120 massage chair recliner by Human Touch. We will review this massage recliner in 5 separate categories including the following: warranty coverage and customer service, comfort and ergonomics, ease of use, key features and massage therapy. Each category can earn up to 20 points for a total possible rating of 100 points. The HT 7120 is a mid range massage chair in the $2,000 to $3,000 range.

Warranty Coverage and Customer Service: When purchasing a big ticket item such as a massage chair, you need to make sure you are comfortable with the warranty coverage. There is a wide range of warranty coverage with massage chairs. Human Touch provides you with 3 years for the structure, 1 year for parts and 90 days labor and parts shipping expenses. This is a rather light warranty compared to the industry. Customer service is very good and competent. We give Human Touch a 12 in this category.

Comfort and Ergonomics: This is a well designed massage chair. The massage recliner is very comfortable to sit in when not being used for a massage. The head support pillow is detachable and adjustable for different users. The armrests are sufficiently padded. Human Touch has a unique controller for the chair. It has functions on two sides which is simple and easy to use. The leg ottoman cannot be extended which is a drawback, but you can adjust the massage well width. This is a unique feature for this recliner line. The HT 7120 rates an 18 for ergonomics.

Ease of Use: The massage chair industry is always adding features into chairs which is outstanding. The counterbalance to many features is ease of use. With so many new features, figuring out how to take advantage of them can be frustrating. The HT 7120 comes with a very well designed remote control. It is slim remote and has controls located on 2 sides of the remote. The remote is descriptive and fairly easy to use. There is no remote stand, so the remote tucks away in a pocket. The only cumbersome operation is flipping the leg ottoman, but other than that we give the HT 7120 a 19 in ease of use.

Key Features: The interesting features in the HT-7120 are the compression massage and the channel width adjustment in the leg ottoman. The compression massage is based on sports massage therapy. It is a combination of stroking massage and a rocking motion. The stroking massage helps to elongate muscles and also applies firm pressure for deep tissue relief. The rocking motion helps to loosen the spinal joints and relieve pressure. The channel width is adjustable in the leg ottoman. This is a nice feature allowing for the pressure to be adjusted to better accommodate your calves and feet. We give this recliner an 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: The HT-7120 comes equipped with 3 pre-set programs, 5 manual massage programs and 3 level height controls for your back. The 3 pre-set programs are sore muscle relief, energy rejuvenate and auto-demo. The 5 manual programs are rolling, kneading, compression, percussion and vibration. There are heating elements built into the lower back or lumbar area to soothe lower back pain. There is a full body stretch mode which decompresses your spine. The feet and calves are massaged with the rotating leg ottoman. This is a therapeutic massage chair with effective massage therapy. We give the HT 7120 a 19 in massage therapy.

So how does the HT 7120 rate overall? We give this recliner an 86/100. The main area of concern is the short warranty per the industry average. This is a well designed and constructed massage chair and we don’t necessarily understand the short warranty. The massage chair boasts some excellent massage therapies with the compression massage. You get lower lumbar heat controls and a stretching function. If a mid range model is something you are considering, then the Human Touch HT 7120 may be a good massage chair recliner option.

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Tips On Buying A Massage Chair Online, Home Shows Or Fairs

November 11th, 2010

If you are feeling out the market for massage chairs, then consider going to a Home Show or County Fair. You may find massage chair vendors. We have had many clients buy massage chairs at Fairs, for instance, and then only have a series of problems. We checked into a number of these venues as mystery shoppers posing as serious buyers. Based on input from our customers and our own firsthand look, we offer 5 tips to avoid mistakes, so you get the best massage chair to meet your long term needs.

1. Massage Chair PC Boards are Important: Massage chairs use computer software and pc boards to run the massage chair. The pc board or motherboard is the key board that runs the major functions of the chair. The sub boards are important as well. Ask where the pc boards are from. You want them from either Japan or Singapore. These have advanced chip foundries to make top quality boards. Shoddy electronics will make parts of the chair to malfunction or not work at all. This requires expensive service calls to have replaced down the road.

2. Beware of Over Generous Warranties: Many of these vendors promise very compelling warranties. The question is: Will they be here tomorrow to honor that warranty? One way to find out is to ask the salesperson if they have independent internet dealers, (That doesn?t mean their own website or E-bay!). Or even better, do they have retailers that have physical brick and mortar locations (preferable a known chain store). If not, then chances are they may never answer your call down the road for help. (The number you have reached has been disconnected and there is no new number–beep!).

3. Our Massage Chair is From Sanyo’s Factory: One of the more interesting sales claims we came across with surprising frequency is that their chair is from a major brand’s factory. The salesperson says they get their massage chair from them. I guess we are supposed to think that Sanyo is going to private label their chair to a guy who sells at a home show? The interesting thing is his price. Why is it so low compared to the real Sanyo. It doesn’t make sense to us and shouldn’t make sense to you either!

4. Jack of All Trades, Master of None: Beware of vendors at fairs and home shows that sell everything but the kitchen sink. This is a sure sign of a one man importing machine. Now, I have a healthy respect for the entrepreneur, but one must specialize. I have seen booths with a couple of massage chairs along with a million other gadgets. It is like a one man flea market. These guys import everything and anything, especially what they just got a good deal on. Seriously, who knows what massage chair will be on the next shipment? They are armed and dangerous. Use Extreme Caution!

5. I Can’t Believe The Deal I Am Getting: Always remember, you get what you pay for. There were few peddlers that offered a $5,000 massage chair for $1,500 and came with a 5 year warranty. Wow! We couldn’t believe it. This chair is made in Panasonic’s factory! We tried to do the math. Free shipping, long warranty and cheap price. They can’t be making any money! How could we resist? Most likely we would have bought into a series of frustrating future problems and be left with a boat anchor in our living room.

With the help of our customers, we offer you these nuggets of advice when shopping at a home show or county fair. There are many excellent massage chairs at these events. It is a great venue to take a break and try one. You will find the major manufacturers at these events and can take advantage of their special show price. Just make sure if you are seeing too good of a deal, then dig a little deeper to avoid some of the pitfalls we point out for you.

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Massage Therapy Performed By Massage Chairs Save You Thousands

August 28th, 2010

With health care costs on the rise, everyone is looking to save money. Health care is looking to automation to help offset expenses. Most industries transition from labor intensive to capital intensive. Now we are seeing the potential of massage therapy transitioning to capital intensive or the use of machines/equipment. With the rise of massage chairs, many massage techniques can be delivered effectively with these chairs. How is money actually saved in this situation?

Let us take an example. We go to get our massage at the day spa. First, we need to call them and schedule a time. We are going to have travel time to go and come back from the massage. There is also the total time involved. Massage time is the bonus time the rest of the time can be considered the cost involved. The massage is not free, so we must pay for the time of the massage and a gratuity. If we go 3 times every month, by the end of the year we are spending thousands.

Maybe you see a chiropractor. A chiropractor may adjust you and then put you through various therapies to stimulate and relax your muscles. You may need to do stretching and other activities to help you heal. Health insurance may cover some of these costs or if you are lucky all of these costs. The effectiveness of chiropractor visits is in the beginning. The chiropractor sets you on a course to recovery. In time, the effectiveness of the visits will start to diminish, but the cost is still the same or rising. Again, these bills can run you hundreds of dollars per month which turns into thousands of dollars per year.

Traditional massage therapy has been delivered by humans for centuries. Certainly this is a fantastic method to receive massage therapy. However, massage chairs now provide an alternative that delivers effective massage therapy. These therapeutic recliners range in price from $1,000 to $7,000.

We do interesting things when we compare. We look at things in the short term. I see the price of getting a massage as $75/hour and think that is cheap compared to a $3,000 massage chair. Is it really cheaper? Let us find out. My massage costs $75/hour plus gratuity which at 15% is $10.00 for a total of eighty-five dollars. How many hours of massage therapy do I get for the cost of a massage chair? Let us divide the $3,000 by the $85/hour. We get 35 massage therapy hours.

The massage chair cost is equivalent to 35 hours of massage therapy performed by a massage therapist. How long are massage chair rated to last? Typical massage chairs in the $3,000 range are designed for 1,000 to 2,000 hours of life. Let us take the lower number of 1,000 hours. How much does an hour of massage therapy cost on a massage chair. $3,000 divided by 1,000 gives us $3/hour of massage therapy! The best part is you do not have to tip the massage chair. You can pay a massage therapist $85/hour or $3/hour for a massage chair.

The real economics of the massage recliner is that it is a vastly superior value to traditional massage therapy. Obviously, getting a massage from a masseuse has its advantages beyond just the economics. But massage chairs also have some major advantages of availability and accessibility. Not to mention the overwhelming economic advantage. There certainly is tremendous value over the long run with a massage chair.

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New Traits In Recliners

July 27th, 2010

There are a lot of exciting new developments happening in the world of recliners. Most of us are familiar with the famous hand operated lever located on the side of the recliner. You can now find recliners with powered recline features. Many new recliners also have a variety of other therapeutic options including heat, air massage and even vibration massage.

There are a lot of exciting new developments happening in the world of recliners. Most of us are familiar with the famous hand operated lever located on the side of the recliner. You can now find recliners with powered recline features. Many new recliners also have a variety of other therapeutic options including heat, air massage and even vibration massage.

A variety of upholstery options include leather, micro suede, and other traditional fabrics. Many of these fabrics are selected for long-term use, beauty and durability. These fabrics have also been refined to where many are very plush and comfortable to the touch.

Recliners are designed to be comfortable by allowing you to recline to a comfortable angle. There are now recliners that offer powered recline the chair back and the raising of the leg rest. This makes it easy to set the position and change at the touch of a button.

The recline function of these chairs has been automated with motorized controls. Recliner is may use one or two motors depending on their design. In most cases the recline function for the chair back and the leg rest can be controlled easily.

Many recliners now come with built-in remote controls. These remote panels allow you access to the recliners automated features. You can activate these features to increase your enjoyment of your relaxation time.

You can also find air compression massage technology being integrated into recliners. This lets you get a relaxing compression style massage. Specially contoured airbags are used to provide a gentle squeezing action.

You will now start to find vibration massage being integrated into many recliners. This provides a great way to get deep tissue relief. Different programs are being developed using pulsing, rhythmic and other vibro motions for great relief.

While you are relaxing in your recliner, why not listen to music on the built-in MP3 player. You can download music into your recliner and listen to it while you relax. Headphones are usually included to start your enjoyment immediately. Just think how nice it is to relax to your favorite music in your comfortable chair.

Another feature you find in recliners is heat. Heat is a great way to convert your body. It is also used extensively in sports to enhance blood flow and reduce swelling. Besides heat just feels good on a cool night.

Recliners are changing from passive to more active. A variety of new features are being added to provide therapeutic treatments. This is a great way to get relief from minor aches and pains while you relax in your comfortable chair.

The recliner is finally getting updated into the 21st century. Why not have a recliner that is more than just passive. These advanced recliners are able to provide you with a number of soothing treatments and therapies while you relax and enjoy. Check out what is new with recliners now.

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