Shane Williams
Buyer, Sporting Goods
through Break on
EXERCISING ON AN elliptical machine is generally
considered low impact, and it
can be less stressful on your
knees, hips and back than
running. Elliptical machines
are typically equipped with
movable handles that let you
exercise your upper body as
well. And regardless of your
sport of choice, cross-training
with an elliptical machine
can help keep you fresh and
prevent overload injuries.
The FreeMotion Elliptical
we’re introducing this year
(Item #594121) has many of
the same great features as
last year’s model, with a few
significant upgrades.
As with that model, you
get adjustable stride, soft-touch upper-body grips, iPod
compatibility and an EKG
grip pulse sensor.
New features include a
fan to keep you cool while
exercising and an improved
backlit display, and the number of preset workouts has
increased from last year’s 16
to 30 this year.
The FreeMotion also
features adjustable Gel Dot
pedals and is
compatible with a
wireless chest
heart-rate device.
On an apples-to-apples feature-to-feature basis,
we think we have
the best value in
the marketplace
at $599. C FreeMotion Elliptical
MEDIA BAKERY
Six ways to climb past
a fitness plateau
By Mark Allen and
Brant Secunda
WHAT DO YOU do when, after
the first few months of a new eating or exercise regimen, you hit a
place where you’re not making
progress, your motivation is flagging and you feel discouraged?
Don’t worry. It happens to
everyone. Here are six simple
ways for you to get reenergized
and refocused on your health
and fitness goals.
decreased willingness to take on
new endeavors. If you’re stuck in
the same old eating and exercise
habits, get out of that rut by
clearing away the stress in your
life. Increase your sleep; seek out
lighthearted people and fun
activities; reduce your intake of
caffeine, sugar and alcohol; and
get more sun and fresh air.
Reducing stress helps you regain
the motivation to change.
1. Visualize success
Numerous studies show
that if you visualize a goal—and
then reinforce it by repeating
that goal to yourself over and
over—you will probably achieve
whatever it is you set out to
accomplish. Visualizing your
success over and over again
allows you to stay involved with
your original enthusiasm. Use
this any time there is a lull in
your motivation.
2. Reflect on your goals
Sometimes the reason we get
discouraged is because we allow
our mood to influence our
actions. Maybe you’ve had a bad
day and tell yourself it’s pointless
to work out, or you convince
yourself it’s too hard. Instead, set
aside a quiet time to
reflect on your goals.
One of the best
times to do this is
when you are trying
to decide what
your next step or workout
should be. You’ll find that the
choices you come up with will be
quite different if the end goal is
what influences the decision
rather than your immediate
mood or life constraint.
5. Fight your fear
Fear is a key reason that we
hit fitness plateaus. By fighting
your fear of failing, you’ll gain a
renewed sense of energy and
purpose. When fear pops up and
tells you it’s hopeless, fight back
by breaking your task into the
smallest steps you can manage—
say, by doing the first five minutes of your workout—so you
will experience yourself succeeding and chase away that fear.
3. Have a structure
Many people respond well to
structure. If winging it does not
keep you on track, make a schedule of your workouts and your
personal goals each week. Hold
yourself accountable to them.
This creates clear, short-term,
week-by-week goals.
6. Ease up
Instead of beating yourself
up for hitting a plateau, be good
to yourself with your exercise.
Recharge with an easier training session than planned. Make
your workout into something
soothing by reducing the intensity, cutting back on the length,
finding a friend to come with
you or picking a route that has
beautiful scenery. C
The Costco Connection
Costco and Costco.com offer a wide variety of workout items, including exercise equipment, supplements, workout DVDs and more.
The National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health
found that stress causes a
Six-time world champion
Ironman Mark Allen and healer
Brant Secunda teach seminars on
fitness, health and well-being and
are the authors of Fit Soul, Fit
Body (
www.fitsoul-fitbody.com).
