Senior Citizens ‘Playground’ Brings Commercial Gym Equipment to the Park

Older people in west London have been provided with a specially-designed fitness centre, taking the principles of commercial gym equipment and adapting it to the older user.

Senior Citizens in London are toning up with the capital’s first ever “pensioners’ playground” designed to help older people get regular exercise. The Hyde Park “playground” is in fact a collection of six pieces of specially-designed machines, modelled on commercial gym equipment, modified to make it weatherproof and imported from Denmark – where such parks are commonplace.

The variants on the more heavy-duty commercial gym equipment include a senior citizens’ version of an exercise bike, cross trainer, a flex wheel and foot wheel to exercise arms and hips, a machine to stretch the legs and sit-up bench.

The novel idea – at least for the UK – was proposed by the local Knightsbridge Association. Spokeswoman Madeline Elsdon told the London Evening Standard newspaper that the association suggested the idea after Westminster City allocated funding to various local projects.

“This is a place for people of my age to get some exercise in the fresh air,” Ms Elsdon said.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who have been showing an interest. There are so few facilities for older people in parks.”

However, it is not just senior citizens that can benefit from regular stint at their very own gym, thanks to the growing number of ways to obtain an affordable “home gym.”

A recent investigation by the Independent newspaper found a wide range of commercial gym equipment designed both for home use and to suit a wide range of budgets. From simple items such as dumbbells, weights and steppers to rowing machines and exercise bikes, there are many items of equipment that can be obtained far more cheaply than you might think, especially if bought second-hand.

It even examined the many ways in which a home gym can be made aethetically pleasing, quoting design guru Philippe Starck, who made the case for stylish commercial gym equipment with typical flamboyance.

“Life is an impossibility carried out,” he told the newspaper. “Better perpetuate it. For this, we have to love life, to love ourselves at least 15 minutes per day. At home, at work. A few exercises and a good posture – elegant, obviously.”

Why not visit http://www.healthclubsathome.com to get your fitness plan going the correct way, by buying quality new and used fitness equipment.

Why choose a Spin / Spinning Bike to get fit over other fitness and gym equipment

Spin Bike / spinning training using Precor, startrac, life fitness, technogym, johnnyg.

Spinning / Spin class training has got to be one of the best low impact ways to get fit and stay in shape, the aerobic advantage to bike riding can be nearly twice twice as beneficial as elliptical or treadmill with impact on joints reduced by over 50%.

Most training can be tailored to most people of various physical ability. The training starts out with basic stretching, core abdominal exercises and goes into proper technique on how to use the stationary bike properly, proper body position, seat adjustments, terminology etc. The workout is split for the beginner at 50/50 Bike to physical exercise off the bike. For the more advanced rider the break goes to 80/20 bike to exercise off the bike. This program can be done as a solo and group programs forming soon.

The pro's of Spining and spin bike training exercise

· greater increase in cardiovascular activity
· overall better fitness
· gain in strength
· better balance and flexibility
· improved endurance and stamina
· greater calories burned
· stress relief

It can be done by all ages, from childhood up even through the adult years when painful aches and pains wont let the joints allow for more stressful exercise like running.

For overall well being and the mind

Getting on a bike and riding is a proven form of stress release. Even if your riding for pleasure or for a specific training goal, consider cycling for weight loss in a variety of ways.

Have a ride of about an hour every day could allow for a one pound a day weight loss.

SPIN BIKE WORKOUT PROGRAM, BIKE YOUR WAY TO A BETTER WORKOUT!

This guide is for a person that is in good shape and has consulted with a doctor before starting any sort of exercise plan or fitness program. If your looking to purchase a used spin or spinning bike why not view the great selection at www.healthclubsathome.com With an indoor spin bike/exercise you can get on your bike what ever the weather.

We have listed some models that are ideal for the complete beginner or the more experienced rider.

InStyle V800 Spin Bike £999 New Fitness Equipment our pre owned price £295 The InStyle V800 Spinning Bike offers a new level of fitness and gym equipment, The superb InStyle range of studio bikes are suitable for the most demanding home or commercial use and are priced including delivery and optional professional installation. All Instyle Aerobic studio bikes are designed and built to take the heaviest club workouts. InStyle were the first to develop a handle bar mounted emergency braking system, together with our own safety pedals. Added to this, Instyle Aerobic Studio bikes were the first to pass the European safety test. The V800 SQ Studio Bike is the ideal bike for the professional fitness centre, with a proven track record in fitness centres, this bike will give many many years of home use. and prices start at only £295

StarTrac Spin V-Bike - New Gym Equipment price £899 our pre-owned price £295 Star Trac V-Bike provides a smooth, efficient pedal stroke and incomparable comfort. Every rider is ensured a perfect fit thanks to its micro-adjustable handlebars and seat- including women with short torsos and men who tower over six feet. A better fit means less stress on the knees & lower back and greater efficiency for the rider. The bottom line? No other bike can compare with the V-Bikes style, fit and innovative component. from only £295.

We have listed an hour long program below to show how varied a training program can be using an indoor spin / spinning bike or indoor exercise bike.

• 5 warm-ups off the bike, this includes stretching and
  loosening up
• 5 minutes of core work, abs and low back work
• 5 minutes warm-up on the bike easy pace both sitting
  on the seat and coming off
  Break down: 2 minutes on the seat 2 minutes off the
  seat, higher intensity and 1 minute warm down.
• 5 minutes of wall pushups, wall
  dips, lunges, squats, jumping jacks, simulated jump
  rope, and knee pushups etc.
• 5 minutes back on the bike, 1-minute warm-up on the
  seat or off, 3minute higher intensity run off the
  seat, 1 minute warm down.exercise
• 5 minute plyometeric same as above boot camp style.
  BREAK 3-minute break for water, bathroom, more
  intensive coaching consultaqtion etc,
• 10 minute interval training on the bike
  Breakdown 2 minute warm-up, 2 minute picking up the
  pace, getting off the seat, 1 minute bringing down the
  pace and sitting on the saddle, 2 minute picking up
  the pace getting off the seat, 1 minute bring in down
  the pace, 2 minute getting off the saddle, 1 minute
  back on the seat.
• 8-minute abs and a set similar to above
  2-minute stretch and loosen down period, congrads you
  survived were done!

HOW TO SELECT THE PROPER SEAT HIEGHT FOR YOU ON YOUR BIKE!

Continuing ths exercise series on Spin bike exercise and enjoyment, probably the most iportant thing is the proper seat hieght for you. If the seat is too low, you won¹t be able to get enough leg extension on the downstroke and your legs will tire out faster. If it's too high, you'll be straining to reach and might injure yourself. Here's a good rule to follow: Your upstroke knee should never exceed hip level, while your downstroke knee should be about 85 percent straight. And don't grip the handlebars too tightly, as this will increase the tension in your neck and shoulders.

Runners have a tendency to think that only the best training occurs in the great outdoors. While



the thrill of running in extraordinary natural settings is tough to beat, there is nothing that



compares to the tremendous training benefits of working on treadmills.

How do I know? I have a history of being a swimmer, then a runner, then a cyclist, and finally a



triathlete. Years of training have added up to good fitness as a triathlete, but along the way I lost



some of my form as a runner. Without good technique for any sport, I knew I would be less



successful, so in the interest of better technique and efficiency, I added treadmill training to my



regimen.



When I started doing triathlon, I was working with a cardiovascular system honed by ten years of



professional cycling, and years of running and swimming before that. I had a massive VO2, and



lots of cardiovascular and physical strength. What I found however, was that my running



efficiency was really compromised from so many years away from running. Riding a bike had



changed my running form. Tight overdeveloped hip flexors and large quad muscles had me overstriding



and landing very heavily on my feet. I did not have a nice neutral body position over my



pelvis and I was landing heavily toward my heels. Essentially, my muscle development led to



some over-striding and really, a loss in stride rate and running economy.



This year I took a bold step into the fitness room by utilizing a treadmill. With my coach, Cliff



English, I looked to improve my running economy by using treadmill workouts. The first move



was improving my leg speed (stride rate). Most cyclists and tri-athletes are familiar with cadence



as a measure of pedaling efficiency on a bike, and the same applies to running. Most successful



runners have stride rates in the low to mid-90s per minute (right foot contacts). The goal is to



have a default quick leg turnover in this range, for all runs regardless of pace, and then increase



the stride length when looking to run at race pace.



Using a treadmill, I appreciated how easy it is to watch my running form in a mirror – I can



ensure that I have foot strikes under the pelvis at mid-sole to forefoot. The feet should only be



touching the ground for a short time, and imagining quick, light, feet is the best imagery for good



run form. The second thing to look for is turnover, counting the number of foot strikes per



minute. The treadmill is great because it encourages quick turnover and a shortened stride, but



also the speed is generated by the machine, rather than the runner, so more emphasis can be



placed on form while running at a quicker pace.



A treadmill can offer training sessions such as hill repeats, fartlek, tempo runs and interval



training. I like the treadmill because of the specificity it offers, similar to a Computrainer for



cycling. If you are going to train with precision, you absolutely need this type of tool. Not only



can you monitor your technique on a treadmill, but you’ll get an exact measurement of pace that



you traditionally only get on the track but with much less toll on the body. In addition, preparing



for heat, humidity, or even altitude (with a hypoxic generator) while at sea level can be achieved



when using a treadmill. For triathletes, a trainer plus a treadmill offers a powerful “one-two



punch” as you can conduct a hard, specific cycling workout on the trainer, then move directly to



the treadmill running at your goal pace off the bike. This specific training will help you develop



a good pace off the bike and make you a very strong runner.



Choosing a treadmill is critical. I went directly to Precor because first, I wanted one fast enough,



and anyone who pushes him- or herself to run sub-40 for a 10km is going to need a treadmill that goes faster than 12 mph. Precor basically stands alone in that category. Second, the Precor



treadmill has a built-in suspension system which allows me to run harder with less toll on the



body… in essence, I can do track intervals without the wear and tear on my body that the track



usually would entail. Third, a simple, intuitive display means that the important information is



right in front of you: heart rate, pace, time and distance (in the units you would like, miles or



kilometers).



Some of my favorite treadmill workouts include:



1. The non-race season tempo/aerobic base development workout



This is a quality base workout. Instead of plodding around at a low heart rate and low pace,



warm up for 15-20 minutes, then do three times 12 minutes at a pace that is about a minute slower



per mile than your actual 10km pace (i.e., if you run a 40:00 10km, you will run at 5:00/km or



about 7:00/miles). Run easy for 2-3 minutes between each 12 minute work effort. Warm down



after the workout for about 10 minutes. As you get closer to race season (and more fit), make



this pace your half-marathon pace (maybe 30 seconds per mile quicker).



2. The in-season tempo workout



This workout is about reinforcing leg speed and efficiency. You will start with a 15-20 minute



warm-up with some 30-second accelerations to your 10km pace. Then run at your half-marathon



pace (maybe 30 seconds per mile off your 10km pace) for 2 x 8 minutes with 5 minutes rest



between work sessions. Then do 4 x 2 minutes at your 10km pace with 1 minute between. Finish



the workout with 10 minutes at an easy pace to warm down. This workout is meant to be still at



about 80% of your max effort, and shouldn’t fatigue you so much you need days to recover, this



should feel good so that you can repeat it again that week, or still train with quality the next day.



Any serious runner will gain extraordinary benefits by training on a treadmill. You can



appropriately train for climate, terrain, distance, and more, with the added benefit of focusing on



your technique in a way you could never do while training outside. Not only that, but the



treadmill can be a tool that will not let you give up. Sometimes the motivation not to slow the



machine down will be enough to push you through that hard session. Using good sense to not go



beyond your limits is always prudent, but having tools to push you to your limits are important.



The treadmill should be viewed as every runner’s best friend, and can improve even the most



gifted runner.

Thanks to: Melanie McQuaid

Optimizing Fitness Using Heart Rate Training Zones

Heart rate training zones help reach fitness and athletic goals more efficiently

The heart responds to exercise by altering the frequency of beats per minute according to the training intensity. An easy way to gain full benefit from an exercise program is to establish heart rate training zones that cover the full range of heart rate responses to exercise. Heart rate training zones bring specificity to training, whether to target improvements in general fitness or weight loss or to develop endurance, speed or power.

Many different methods exist for determining training zones. The most common method is to use a formula for finding the maximal predicted heart rate (Hrmax) and taking a percentage of that heart rate to create five training zones. The most frequently used formula for determining Hrmax is (220-age). Although this is an easy method, research has shown that most people do not have the same actual HRmax as their predicted Hrmax. Exercise testing provides more accurate measurement of an individual’s true Hrmax.

HR training zones can also be established based on the “individual anaerobic threshold” heart rate and percentages of that heart rate. The anaerobic threshold represents a point where the muscles shift from predominantly aerobic (utilizing oxygen to burn fuel) to anaerobic (burning fuel without oxygen) metabolism. Each person crosses the anaerobic threshold at a unique point, depending on the ability of the muscles to extract and utilize oxygen. The anaerobic threshold heart rate is most often determined through exercise testing.

The training zones target specific results:

Using 5 zones enables individuals to gain specific benefits from their training. The following section describes each of the zones and their training benefit.

Zone 1:

• Use this zone to warm-up at the beginning of the workout and cool down at the end of the workout. With warm up, the heart rate increases and blood circulates to the working muscles. This establishes a steady flow of oxygen from the circulation to the muscle cells which enables the cells to extract energy from fats and carbohydrates. Warming up regularly revs up metabolism in preparation for exercise. The warm-up prepares the muscles for the workout and helps to protect them from injury.

• The cool-down returns the body to a normal temperature and helps to clear metabolic waste products from the muscles and the circulation to speed recovery after the workout.

• Spend about 5-10 minutes in this zone at the beginning and end of exercise. The perceived level of exertion for this zone is “very easy”.

Zone 2:

• This zone emphasizes easy endurance and is largely fueled by fat burning. It’s the best zone to include when building endurance at the beginning of the training season. For the first 2-4 weeks of training, zone 2 should comprise 50% of total training time.

• After 2-4 weeks of consistent training, this zone should become part of the warm-up and cool-down phases. Zone 2 workouts also help speed recovery the day after a long or hard workout by providing a light training load to stimulate aerobic system adaptations to the training performed the prior day. In this way, physical and physiologic systems experience alternating hard and easy days, which allows better overall training quality, and prevents injury and excessive training stress.

• Zone 2 is also used during workouts containing high intensity intervals for the recovery intervals between the hard portions of the workout as well as during warm-up and cool down.

• This zone should comprise 10-15% of the total training time. The perceived level of exertion for this zone is “easy”.

Zone 3

• This zone helps build higher intensity aerobic endurance, train fat burning, and strengthen the heart muscle. Including a longer zone 3 session weekly will further help reduce health risks, such as high cholesterol, stress, diabetes, elevated blood pressure and certain cancers.

• After 2-4 weeks of consistent aerobic exercise, zone 3 should comprise 50% of the total training time. The perceived level of exertion for this zone is “moderate”. One should still be able to comfortably converse when training in this zone.

Zone 4

• This zone improves exercise performance by raising the anaerobic threshold, allowing an individual to sustain higher intensity workouts longer and with less effort. For the beginner, even 10 minutes in this zone per week can help advance fitness. Be aware that although this zone helps build fitness, spending too much time at this intensity may actually diminish fitness by creating an imbalance between the aerobic and anaerobic systems, causing endurance to deteriorate. A common training error is to spend too much time in this zone.

• This zone should be introduced only after an aerobic base is established (6-12 weeks of consistent aerobic exercise, depending on fitness level).

• Zone 4 should comprise 10-20% of the total training time. The effort level of this zone is “hard”.

Zone 5

• This zone is used for more advanced individuals with a solid base of aerobic training and / or specific competitive goals. It helps build speed and power for brief intervals at very high intensity. Training here teaches the body to tolerate high levels of metabolic waste products and their side effects.

• This zone should comprise 0-5% of total training time. The effort level of this zone is “very hard”.

• Considerations

• When using heart rate zones be aware that certain factors independent of exercise can affect the heart rate and interfere with training zone accuracy. Stimulants such as caffeine and certain medications, dehydration, sleep deficits, stress and insufficient recovery can alter the heart rate response to exercise.

• Fitness improvements may lead to changes in the heart rate response after 8-12 weeks of consistent training. If perceived effort seems lower at a given heart rate, then it may be time for heart rate zone re-evaluation. In individuals with more advanced fitness, performance may improve with only slight changes in heart rate zones.

Thanks to

Emily Cooper MD - Seattle Performance Medicine