Buying a treadmill can be a lot more confusing than people think until they start researching and shopping around.
Treadmills can be all over the ballpark in terms of price, quality and warranties.
Before you even start the process, here are the top five things you need to consider when buying a treadmill:
1. Know the price points – If you plan to jog, stay away from the cheap department store treadmills. You can still buy a $1,000 treadmill at a high-end specialty fitness store. Here are some general price points for what to expect as you move up the scale:
* $1,000-$1,500 – Walking – light jogging
* $1,500 – $2,500 – intermediate use, average running
* $3,000 – $5,000 – unlimited home use/commercial use. Full running/training and marathons.
* $5000 and up – full-blown commercial use
2. Try before you buy – You should always try before you buy. Wear your sneakers into the fitness store and spend at least 5 minutes on the equipment you are thinking of buying.
If you plan to run on it in your home, then run on the ones in the store you’re interested in. Many of us have used a treadmill in a hotel or resort that doesn’t work right, is broken, or unstable and doesn’t seem to support very well.
Most treadmills look similar and it will be hard to tell them apart by simply walking on them. I’m told the biggest mistake people make in buying a treadmill is not taking it for a proper test “run.”
3. Don’t under-buy your treadmill – Not all treadmills are made for the same amount of use, or even size of runners.
Did you know some treadmills aren’t really designed to be used by someone who weighs over 200 pounds running on them on a regular basis?
Make sure you talk to a qualified sales associate, or thoroughly research online in order to get the treadmill that will fit your needs.
4. Check the warranty! – One of the biggest things to consider is the warranty. There can be a huge difference in this.
Basically, some companies undersell the competition, but they know full well that seven years or so down the line people will be coming back to them to buy replacement parts and/or service and often wind up spending another $500-700 on replacement belts or electronic boards. (There goes the initial “good deal” out the window.) There can be a huge difference.
5. Consider the review source – When reading treadmill reviews online be careful. Many of the online reviews are put up by people working for the specific companies.
I’d advise to only trust a review you can pick up off the table – in a magazine or newspaper.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

When it comes to reducing back pain, strength training, aka resistance training, that strengthens the muscles surrounding the back can have a greater effect than not working out at all or doing cardiovascular training.
Back problems led to 139 million doctor visits in the United States in 2005 at an expenditure of $17.6 billion, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.
With back problems commonplace, fitness trainers and people who make up their own workouts alike are constantly trying to come up with programs to improve back problems.
Research shows back pain relief can come in the form of strength training for many types of problems.
In the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Feb. 7, 2009) an experiment was set up to determine the best method for low-back-pain rehabilitation.
Twenty-seven subjects with back pain were divided evenly into three groups: resistance training, cardiovascular training and a non-exercise control.
* During a 16-week study, the resistance training group performed exercises using dumbbells, barbells and other equipment such as functional trainers.
* The cardiovascular group worked out regularly on either a treadmill or an elliptical machine.
When final data was tabulated from the study, the resistance training group decreased body fat percentage and “improved most musculoskeletal fitness, pain, disability and quality of life outcomes.”
The cardiovascular group showed improved body composition, cardiovascular output and flexibility, but no progress was made with regard to back pain.
“The primary finding was that periodized resistance training was successful at improving many fitness, pain, disability, and quality of life outcome measures, whereas (cardiovascular training) was not,” stated the authors of the study. “This study indicates that whole-body periodized resistance training can be used by training and conditioning personnel in the rehabilitation of those clients suffering with chronic nonspecific low-back pain.”
Obviously, not all back problems have similar causes or ways to fix them. As always when starting a new workout routine consult a doctor or certified trainer first.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

The Debunking Fitness myths: Part III series wraps up today with a look at five more common misconceptions about working out.
1. It’s OK to train abdominal muscles every day.
Your abdominal muscles are as stated – muscles. Like other muscles, they too need time to recover so it’s not Ok to work them out every day. Easy ab workouts are OK to perform multiple days in a row, but if you are working out intensely – multiple sets and reps for 10 minutes or more – then allow a day for recovery in between.
2. To lose weight, do hours of cardio and reduce caloriesThat statement is often repeated, but not entirely correct. You could actually harm yourself by burning the candle at both ends. By cutting calories too much, if it’s below your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), your metabolism can slow down and force your body to want to store fat. If you’re just doing cardio, you will not be building muscle, which burns more calories than fat.
3. If you lift free weights, you’ll bulk up too much.That is simply not true. While strength and resistance training helps you maintain your lean muscle mass, and add some muscle, building substantial amounts of bulk is very difficult.
Unless you’re a bodybuilder following a program designed to increase your muscle mass, odds are you won’t bulk up too much. And even if you are adding muscle, if you are doing proper stretches along the way you should be fine.
4. To benefit from cardio, you have to do it for a long time.Many people say that you have to get on a treadmill or elliptical machine for a half hour to an hour to get good cardio results. That’s simply not true. You can get a good cardio workout in in as little as 15 minutes if you do interval training or go at a high rate. It’s actually better to train hard for a shorter period of time than to slog along at a slow, easy pace.
5. You need to drink a sports drink when exercising to stay hydrated.This is not true unless you are doing vigorous exercise for an extended amount of time, such as running a half-marathon or marathon. You don’t need electrolytes and carbohydrates found in sports drinks unless you’re doing extreme training or competition. Otherwise water is just fine.
No the facts and improve your knowledge by knowing the truth about the common exercise myths debunked in this three-part series.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Continuing with Debunking Fitness Myths: Part II, here are some more common fitness traps you should try to avoid falling into believing.
1. If I don’t sweat, I’m not working hard enough.We are all different in how much we sweat, which is a way for your body to cool itself. Some people are prone to sweat more than others. What you eat may also play a role in water retention.
Just because you don’t leave the gym drenched in sweat doesn’t mean you didn’t get a good workout in.
2. If I’m not sore the next day, I didn’t work out hard enough.How sore you are the next day is not always an accurate indicator of how well you worked out. Actually, for people who work out regularly they probably won’t be all that sore because they are used to the workouts they do.
Focus instead on pushing yourself to acute muscle fatigue during the workout – coming close to failing at your desired rep range or actually not being able to do any more. For instance, if you are trying for 10 reps of an exercise, you shouldn’t be able to perform 15.
3. Do high reps with low weights to get toned.Remember that diet and cardio also play a big role in the definition of muscles. They will burn the fat and allow for definition to be more visible, while lifting weights will shape what you have.
High reps will often burn more calories than lifting heavier weight and lower reps, but will not help as much for building muscle.
4. If I have no energy for physical activity, it’s best to rest.That’s wrong because Physical activity can actually help you feel more energetic. It is smart to plan your physical activity for the times of day when you have the most energy. But even if you feel tired try to exercise and you’ll be amazed at the way it jumpstarts your system.
Start out slow if you’re just beginning an exercise plan, but over time it will help you feel better throughout the day.
5. “No pain, no gain.” Always push yourself to the limit to get maximum benefits.Myth: I should push myself to the limit to get the benefit. After all, as the old saying goes, “No pain, no gain.”
Some muscle soreness after exercising is OK, but exercise shouldn’t hurt.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

More information than ever is available for people who want to learn about exercise or nutrition.
However, a great number of incorrect facts have also been written or spoken about fitness over the years that send people in the wrong direction.
Today is Part I of a three-part series on Debunking Fitness Myths.
1. If I exercise regularly, I don’t have to watch my diet closely.
That is incorrect because people often think they are burning a lot more calories than they really are. If a 150-pound woman burns 300 calories during a 30-minute run, but then goes out and has a cheeseburger, fries and soda for more than 600 calories, she’s lost the benefit of that workout. To lose weight a person must burn more calories than they take in.
2. To protect my knees, I should run on a treadmill.It is true that treadmills offer more cushioning than running on pavement, but any form of running will stress the knee. If your knees are often sore, even running on a treadmill can aggravate them. Look to use lower-impact machines such as ellipticals, road bikes and stationary bikes to preserve your knees.
3. Machines are always safer than free weights.This is a common misnomer. It’s true that machines are a great way to build and strengthen muscle and often easier and safer to use than free weights.
However, if you don’t use proper form on a machine, don’t have it set at the right height or distance or are not properly aligned, you can get hurt just as easily. Be sure to ask personal trainers, research carefully and-or read the owner’s manual very carefully on how to use your strength training machine or functional trainer.
4. Doing ab workouts will get rid of my belly.That is false because the only way to reduce your belly is to reduce your overall body fat percentage. Doing ab workouts will make your ab muscles stronger, but it takes overall training and a healthy diet to see the stomach look better.
5. To lose weight, I should only focus on aerobic exercise.Again, losing weight is not just a one-way street. Combine aerobic exercise with strength training, which helps you reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently. Also make sure to stretch and exercise your core muscles for flexibility, balance, and good circulation.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Many of the regular readers of my fitness blog are also big football fans.
With the first day of fall tomorrow and the heart of football season to follow, I’ve decided to share some of my favorite quotes from the gridiron today.
To lighten things up a little, here’s a 12-pack of my all-time favorite football quotes:
* “I wouldn’t ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was, you know, important -like a league game or something.’
Dick Butkus

* “Most football teams are temperamental. That’s 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental.”
Doug Plank

* “Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.”
Joe Theismann

* “Football isn’t a contact sport; it’s a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport.”
Vince Lombardi (Also attributed to Duffy Daugherty)

* “That field goal attempt was so far to the left it nearly decapitated Lyndon LaRouche.”
Dennis Miller

* “The pride and presence of a professional football team is far more important than 30 libraries.”
Art Modell

* “Football is an honest game. It’s true to life. It’s a game about sharing. Football is a team game. So is life.”
Joe Namath

* “Football is a game played with arms, legs and shoulders but mostly from the neck up.”
Knute Rockne

* *In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard.
Theodore Roosevelt

* “Trying to maintain order during a legalized gang brawl involving 80 toughs with a little whistle, a hanky and a ton of prayer.”
Anonymous referee – explaining his job

* “It was an ideal day for football – too cold for the spectators and too cold for the players.”
Red Smith

* “I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first.”
George Rogers

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

The treadmill is the most popular piece of home exercise equipment for a reason. Almost anyone can benefit from exercising on a treadmill.
Here are 10 reasons why a treadmill is a great investment:
1. Provides an easy to do, efficient aerobic workout. Treadmills are an excellent way for people to try to get back into shape, or begin a new exercise routine, because walking is something most individuals can do regardless of fitness level.
2. As you get stronger and gain more endurance, the treadmill can grow with you. Simply speed it up, raise the incline here or there and stay on it longer.
3. It’s a fairly easy piece of exercise equipment to use.
4. A treadmill has a predictable surface that is much easier to walk or run on than sidewalks, curbs or trails, so the risk of falling or tripping is greatly reduced.
5. You can do other things while on a treadmill, such as watch TV or read, which helps pass the time more quickly.
6. You control the workout. You can program the speed, incline, warm up period, cool down period, and energy exerted, etc.
7. Work out when you want, how you want and for what length you want because you’re in your own home.
8. Different users can use the same treadmill without adjusting any handles, seats or straps.
9. Track your progress with extras such as step counters and heart rate monitors.
10. It’s a great way to exercise and burn calories efficiently.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Here’s one of the best reasons ever for people to be physically fit throughout their lives: It will help prevent cancer.
The worst fear for any American is to be diagnosed with cancer, according to a 2000 survey. Unfortunately, that’s something out of every three women and one out of every two men will hear during their lifetime.
In a report presented to Congress by the American Association for Cancer Research some complex findings were unveiled.
One of the things that jumped out in the report was that prevention and public health efforts can go a long way toward preventing cancer.
Quitting smoking is the single biggest thing a person can do to improve their odds of not getting the dreaded cancer, which had had 17 forms of the disease directly linked to regular tobacco use.
However, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and improving diet is also among the top things people can do to help attain better health.
Dr. Judy Garber, director of the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention at Dana-Farber and president of the AACR, told the Huffington Post that it’s a hopeful time for battling cancer.
“This is a solvable set of diseases,” Graber said, noting that in 2010 more than 570,000 people died of cancer in the United States, but there are also currently more than 12 million cancer survivors.
In order to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, a person can be considered getting enough exercise with as little as 30 minutes of activity three times a week. Even going for brisk walks during those time increments on a treadmill or outside, or riding an exercise bike can make a big difference.
Also, try to make healthier lifestyle choices when it comes to activity, such as planning active family time like going to the park or on a walk instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Even little things such as parking farther away from the door at the store, or using stairs instead of the elevator can help over time.
On a personal note, I’ve found that when I’m in a good workout groove it makes me more inclined to eat well. The two go hand in hand.
After a hard hour-long workout my body is feeling great and craving good food instead of fast food items.
It can all add up to people being physically fit, and now it turns out even warding off cancer.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

My Best Workout Tips wraps up today with some advice for serious fitness buffs who are looking for small suggestions to make bigger gains.
1. Rep it out – The most muscle growth from lifting weights occurs when you work out with 60-80 percent of what you could lift for one maximum rep.
At 80 percent, the average person can do eight reps, while at 60 percent they can do 15-20. Shoot for 6-12 reps when you work out in that optimal range.
2. Fuel up at the right times – Studies show the two most important times to eat are when you wake up and after you train.
Get a good breakfast loaded with carbs and protein. Eat items such as egg whites, low-fat yogurt, or milk and cereal and fruit.
After the workout, remember that it’s extremely important to refuel soon after, when your body’s cells are most receptive to replenishing the energy they just spent.
A premade drink workout shake with carbs and protein will immediately satisfy that post-workout need. Within 1 ½ hours of the workout look to have a healthy meal consisting of complex carbs and protein (chicken breast is a good choice).
3. Take a compound approach – Focus your time and energy on compound lifts – ones that incorporate multiple body parts in one exercise – rather than isolation movements. Examples of compound exercises are squats, deadlifts, clean-and-jerks and bench press.
Also, don’t be afraid to do exercises that are hard. If they were easy everyone would do them and look great. It takes hard work to get in great shape.
4. Vary the workload – Instead of doing the same basic workout routine, vary the exercises, amount of weights and repetitions you do. Variety is the spice of life and also the way to a stronger body.
Perform heavier weightlifting sets some days to build raw strength and muscle and then on other days go to lighter weights and higher reps to counterbalance with muscle endurance. You’ll avoid hitting plateaus as often by creating muscle confusion.
5. Take a break – One of the misnomers some workout novices believe is that hustle is always good in the workout room, just like on the football field or basketball court.
That’s not always true in the weight room. When you’re in the middle of a heavy set of squats or bench presses, there’s no way you should try to whip through the sets. It’s OK to take 3-4 minutes to rest and mentally prepare between “big sets.”

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Continuing with our Best Workout Tips today, here are some more suggestions to maximize your fitness regimen.
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or even advanced fitness guru, you can always learn workout tips that can help you be even more efficient in your training.
* Power up your cardio – Maximize your time by using light weights during your cardio session. Hold a 3- or 5-pound dumbbell in each hand while on the treadmill for a 10-minute brisk walk workout. Alternate doing a one-minute set of shoulder presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions, side laterals, front laterals and standing triceps kickbacks one after another as you walk.
This is a tough challenge that will change things up for you and really get your heart pumping. Add more time to each set as you get in better shape.
* Stay loose during your work day – Sit on an exercise ball while at your desk to strengthen your core.
If your work and-or time allows it, keep dumbbells or exercise tubing at your desk, too, to work in some reps. Take walks on your breaks, take the stairs, park farther from the door and don’t sit too long.
* Plan meals ahead of time – The easiest way to fall off a diet is to not have a meal plan set in advance. I know for me, I’m most likely to go through a drive-thru for fast food if I’m in a hurry and know there’s nothing in the fridge at home. Have a meal plan in advance and it never hurts to freeze leftovers or meals ahead of time to have them accessible in an instant.
* Set yourself up for success – If you have existing workout equipment, get it tuned up. That could mean cleaning it and inspecting your treadmill or home gym or calling a service man or fitness company to make any needed repairs. Get your music in order that will help inspire you during workouts. You could also take stock in what equipment you have and make a decision to add a new piece or pieces to get you going.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com