Exercise Equipment-Is It Necessary For A Good Workout
My friend turned me on to watching infomercials on certain TV stations in the evening and all the programs I have seen are about exercise equipment of every kind. Some of those machines have you standing on your head, some evening hanging upside down; others look like the poor fellow is being stretched on the torture rack pretending he is having fun, other channels are also promoting things like machines, treadmills, the elliptical machines and a lot of others.
The message they are broadcasting to the viewer is “yes you can get that beautiful figure back ladies;” and yes man you can have six pack abs and bulging muscles in a matter of days. It is all very appealing because we as human beings are endowed universally with a sense of vanity aren’t we?
Not only the commercialism on TV but there are gyms all over the place that are packed with exercise machines and rows and rows of treadmills with sweaty bodies striving and agonizing to get through their 45 minute exercise program. In fact that is why all these people are agonizing at the gym-they have a plethora of machines..wall to wall exercise machines.
With all the shtick and flippancy of some of my remarks, we must now assume a more serious posture and focus on whether or not these gyms and their exercise equipment are the way to go for those of us determined to get and keep in shape. Are we really just being duped; do we really need them, and can they really do the job?
The simple flat out answer to this question is that you don’t need exercise equipment but the main reason that exercise equipment is so popular is because of its convenience. Most people just won’t exercise without a machine. Think about it-you can go in to your treadmill turn it on and have an intense workout as you’re watching TV or as you are listening to music through your Ipod.
For many people, going to the gym is a social affair. My lady friends sign up together and make it a real gathering place; some men do this also. Quite frankly, distractions annoy me when I’m concentrating on my exercise; I take them seriously. I prefer to keep my social life separate from working out; social isolation is no issue for me.
From one who has at least five different home machines, each targeting a specific body area, his answer is: to each his own. He prefers exercising at home, because going to the gym takes extra time and he doesn’t need the social time. Even though his exercise equipment, the treadmill, elliptical, Ab machine and such is expensive, it’s effective and very much worth it and he enjoys the comforts of home. A gym enthusiast might say: I don’t have the room at home; machines are too expensive and I’m not a mechanic to assemble them; furthermore I need and enjoy the company. So indeed, to each his own.
The trainers at the gym, as well as the instructions with the exercise equipment you buy, advise a routine of aerobics, AB workouts, and finishing off with light weight exercise. Diversity is the key and so are the machines; they are my way to shape up and fly right!
Tags: Exercise
