Yep you read that title correct. NordicTrack’s current sale has more than just the two advertised machines marked down, in fact there are many machines that they have on sale; 2 of these machines being also happen to be 2 of their best ellipticals, the Audiostrider 990 Pro and the A.C.T. Commercial Pro. These are two fantastic machines that have been marked down to a ridiculously low price. Let’s have a brief run-through of both machines.
Audiostrider 990 Pro
This could very well be NordicTrack’s most popular elliptical. It stays current with all of the modern technology being added to exercise machines, and still keeps its great quality. All of the customer reviews on NordicTrack’s site suggest that this is a great machine that is going to save you money and never let you down. People seem especially satisfied with how quiet the Audiostrider is when it 
is being operated. Some of it’s specs include:
- 20-23″ adjustable stride
- 24 resistance levels
- 26 lb. flywheel
- 15° – 40° power ramp
- iFit compatible
- 350 lb. max user weight
You can read another review of this machine here.
A.C.T. Commercial Pro
This is also one of NordicTrack’s best machines, and was actually named a “best buy” by THE Treadmill Doctor! The Treadmill Doctor is the go-to person for information about tons of different exercise machines, and is well known for giving the best reviews. That being said, you know this is 
a quality machine; let’s check out its specs.
- 18″, 20″, 22″ adjustable stride
- 22 resistance levels
- 26 lb. flywheel
- Smaller design to save floor space
- iFit compatible
- 375 lb. max user weight
You can read another review of this machine here.
There you have it; two great machines for a nice, low price. If you choose to buy one of these, you really can’t go wrong with either of them. You should probably act fast though, this sale ends tomorrow! Or look at some of my other NordicTrack coupons!
People tend to workout less when it’s very cold or when the weather heats up. Exercise has been proven to be necessary to decrease depression and increase the feel-good brain endorphins that provide a sense of well-being. Whether it’s warm and sunny or snowing outside, it’s possible to successfully continue a healthy fitness program anytime of the year. Moving a great workout program indoors or outdoors may be challenging, but with a few creative ideas anyone can enjoy the ongoing physical and mental benefits of exercise all year long.
Walking and Jogging: In or Out
Exercising outdoors is a wonderful experience that allows people to experience nature and decrease their boredom. Jogging through the park or walking past the interesting people in the park is a pleasant distraction that increases the stride and quickens the pulse. When the weather becomes too cold and wet to enjoy such times, consider the ease of use of treadmills, and bring nature into the home with music, nature videos and natural sounds. Features on treadmills are available to simulate walking up inclines and can be set for any pace or speed. If you have a hard time exercising indoors, here are ways to stay motivated to run on the treadmill.
Rock Climbing in the Home
For people who are mountain climbers and enjoy their muscles challenged by resistance, many may find most indoor activities tedious. Step up the pace with Pilates, Yoga or a dance exercise. If it’s up beat and demanding, it’s much more likely that people will find it a challenging workout plan for the duration of the indoor season. Most of these exercises benefit the mind as well as the body, boost the immune system and create “feel good” brain chemicals. Since depression is more prevalent in the cold winter months, indoor exercises are very important to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
Bike Riding Moved Indoors
People who love the motion of pedaling in the warm sun of summer can bring the same benefits of biking indoors. Ellipticals act as bicycles and can be used in the home for an excellent aerobic exercise anytime of the year. Most ellipticals include features that can increase resistance and add more difficulty. Bike indoors to music, natural sounds or watch videos about nature. It is possible to continue your healthy outdoor plan by biking indoors.
Invest in Health with Home Gym Equipment
For those who enjoy the diversity of the outdoors, move the variety indoors with a home gym and equipment. Mix up the free weights with a favorite indoor exercising machine, and play up-beat and exhilarating music. Try different exercise routines that target abdominals, upper body and the lower extremities.
Exercise is Important all Year Long
The benefits of exercise are essential to physical and mental health. Many studies show that physical activity is necessary for people to experience improved mood and good health. Continued success with physical fitness and mental health does not have to be seasonal, but with a little creativity, can be experience all year long.
Once you get your elliptical, you want to make sure you are taking excellent care of it. After all, it is quite an investment! Yes, elliptical coupons are helpful, but they still cost more than pocket change. When you spend that much money on something, especially when it’s worthwhile like fitness equipment, you should take very good care of it.
There are a few things you need to do to maintain your elliptical. Here’s a list of the top 5 most important ways to care for your elliptical trainer.
#1 – Don’t Do Anything Stupid. That means shouldn’t be using it incorrectly, jumping on it, tipping it over, using it to hang up your clothes, or a long list of other things. Just use it that way it was intended (this is #1 to make sure people actually read it). If you get bored with doing the same thing all the time, there are several safe ways to change up your elliptical workout.
#2 – Disinfect, disinfect, disinfect. I can’t stress enough to you how important it is to wipe off your elliptical after a sweaty workout. Who knows if you are starting to get a cold and are unintentionally spreading germs?! Every person who uses it after you, like you spouse or kids, will be infected with those germs. Nobody wants that! Also, moist surfaces attract dust and dirt, which can build up and break your machine. Make sure you get each nook and cranny, including the wheels and tiny corners.
#3 – Lubricate the Moving Parts. The owner’s manual often has a recommended brand of lubricant, but usually a general type will work fine. Just make sure you do it regularly, or else the parts will start grinding over time and cause permanent damage.
#4 – Keep All Parts Tightened. If anything starts to come loose, your machine can fall apart beneath you while you’re using it. Not only will this break the machine, but you might break yourself too! Checking your machine regularly for loose parts will save you the costs of a hospital stay and a replacement machine (though after an incident like that, I might switch to a treadmill).
#5 – Repair When Necessary. If a part ever breaks, don’t use it until the machine has been repaired. Otherwise the problem can be compounded and it could break something else (not to mention the possible consequences in #4).
These are the most important tips in maintaining an elliptical trainer. As always, make sure you consult your owner’s manual for more information. Just remember – if you take care of your elliptical, it will take care of you!
It is hot outside! Did you know that July 2012 was the hottest month on record, in over 100 years of record keeping? Pretty crazy! And, you guessed it… When it’s this hot outside, how are you supposed to do your outdoor exercises? Well, that’s where our friend the elliptical comes in. Ellipticals and other exercise equipment can be a lifesaver when the weather is less than ideal.
Now of course using an elliptical is not just like running, so if you are set on running, and you move your workout indoors you will have to get a treadmill! But an elliptical provides more benefits than running alone.
First, it works out different muscles that aren’t used while running alone.
Second, ellipticals are able to provide a low-impact workout, which can be a lifesaver for some people. Pounding the pavement takes a toll on your body over time, but training on an elliptical won’t wear at your joints the way that running does.
Thirdly, you will burn more calories on an elliptical than you will running. This is due to the fact that your arms and the rest of your body are also getting a workout from these machines. When you run, your arms move, but they aren’t getting a workout to the same degree as if you were working out on an elliptical. If you still have any questions about why you should choose an elliptical, just read this informative article!
The bottom line is that if you are going to work out indoors due to inclement weather, you may want to consider getting an elliptical for your workout. This will ensure that you don’t pass out from heat stroke, and it will also protect your joints!
Do you know how many people use the excuse that they are too busy to exercise? Well, let’s be honest. We are all fooling ourselves. It is literally impossible to be so completely swamped that you cannot even find 10 lousy minutes in your day to exercise. Here’s the real excuse; Many people feel that a 10-minute workout session is useless and it would just be a waste of time anyway. This is very inaccurate, though. A 10-minute workout can do more for you than you think.
This article was inspired by another article that discussed the Olympics. It’s funny how watching sporting events on television can inspire some of us to get off our butts and get some exercise in. The Olympics definitely have one of the largest impacts on people, and gyms always seem to be more filled than usual. Recent research says that people were dedicated to exercising significantly after the Olympics, however, within just weeks people had resumed their sedentary lifestyles.
There is a perfect solution to this equation; it is exercising in intervals. This is one of the most time efficient, and successful ways to exercise. It can work for anyone, which means no one can make up an excuse. All it takes is a walk outside or a short bike ride. One of the easiest ways is to exercise on an in-home treadmill or an in-home elliptical, because then you don’t take any extra time driving to the gym or anything. If you’d like to browse through some treadmills or ellipticals, check out this treadmill and elliptical review site, it can be extremely helpful. Also, check out this great article on 5 Elliptical Workouts to Get You Fit.
There are many reasons that people exercise, and exercising in intervals has been proven to significantly lower blood pressure. They have proved this through an experiment done on a group of adults with prehypertension. They had some briskly walk for 10 minutes, three times in one day. They had others that would just exercise for 30 minutes straight, in one day. Then, they had some do nothing at all. The volunteers who exercised for 10 minutes, three times in a day had significantly lowered their blood pressure. Breaking your exercise into three different intervals throughout the day is better than exercising for 30 minutes at once!
This may be good news to some, but bad news to others. Exercising in Intervals would be perfect for anyone who is busy all day long, but has the time to take 10 minutes from their day at least three times. Some other people that have time may feel like they’d rather just get exercising over all at once. This is kind of how I am. I would rather just do all my busy work for the day, and then set aside 30 minutes and just exercise. I feel like it is almost more difficult to find 10 minutes to randomly exercise.
Feel free to exercise in 10 minute spouts, or exercise for 30 minutes all at once. Honestly, exercising at all is better than no exercise. It is important to just stick to exercising and find a routine that you can easily follow. Many of us probably watched the Olympics this year feeling inspired, and then we exercise for a few weeks, and then slowly return to our old lazy habits. Exercising in intervals is just one of the many solutions to this problem. Find any solution that is beneficial to you, that’s all that matters. Remember how easy it is to just exercise at home on a treadmill or an elliptical. You can save money on ellipticals here. It is honestly that simple. Stay inspired and stick to a routine.
Let’s take a break from writing about elliptical reviews and different ways to get fit on an elliptical to talk about a very serious problem with some people these days, the love handles! One thing I can’t seem to understand is why someone would name the most hated part of the human body “love handles”. I can’t speak for everybody else, but if there is one thing I hate most it is the love handles. Luckily, if you have them, you aren’t stuck with them forever! Here are some exercises that can help you get rid of those darn love handles.
So the first exercise is going to be the crunch twist. This is, essentially, just a bicycle crunch. Don’t get discouraged at the word crunch, because we all know that crunches don’t do anything. This is only called a crunch because you are lying down on your back in a similar position. Start with your back on the ground and your chest facing upward. Now lift your legs up so your hips and thighs are at a ninety degree angle, keep your legs and thighs at ninety degrees too. This is, needless to say, a very angular position. Place your hands behind your head so you can cup the back of your head within the net of both hands meshed. Now bring your right elbow and touch it to your left knee, while still keeping your hands behind your head. Then switch and bring your left elbow to your right knee.
This exercise can be performed fast or slow. The best affect comes from regular breathing throughout. It may take a little bit of practice at first, but this is a love handle blasting exercise that will crush even the most abysmal love handles. Next let’s try the side plank maneuver.
The side plank maneuver is done from your side; this one is very difficult and not just for beginners (e.g. people who don’t usually exercise). Lie on your side with your legs stacked one on top of the other, and your elbow directly underneath your shoulder. You should keep your body stiff throughout the entire exercise. Bend your lower knee so your low foot is near your high knee. Now drop your hips down to the ground and lift them back up, while maintaining your position. This one will take some practice but is well worth being able to do. It will work your entire body from the side to side and burn a ton of calories. These exercises for your obliques should be done regularly.
Regular exercise is the key to a healthy and fit body; fitness doesn’t just come from exercising, it comes from a complete lifestyle change. You have to be willing to change your life if you want to be fit. That means dieting and proper nutrition.
