Prep your skin before you go outside.

Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before going outside. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends reapplying after every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating excessively (like when exercising). Don’t be fooled by a label — no sunscreen is truly waterproof, so slather SPF on as instructed and make sure to use at least two tablespoons worth for your entire body (1 ounce).

Avoid peak hours.

If you work a typical 9 AM to 5 PM job, consider working out before or after work. Try not to workout during the time between 10 AM and 4 PM, which is when the sun’s rays are the most potent. Do you work outside? Try seeking shade during your breaks or move your activity inside, especially midday.

Choose smart clothing

Make your clothes do some of the work for you by choosing fabrics that block harmful rays. Pick out densely woven or bright or dark colored fabrics to protect your skin. Some workout clothes even have sun-shielding properties now. Don’t forget to take care of your eyes by wearing sunglasses and a hat. Read more on how to pick out the right type of sunglasses from WebMD.

Be Mindful of Sun-Risk Medications

Some medications make your more susceptible to damage from the sun, including common prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including antibiotics. The Mayo Clinic recommends asking your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of any medications you’re taking. If you discover you’re on a medication that makes your skin extra sensitive, be sure to take additional precautions when outdoors.

Do you have any tips for outdoor skin safety? How will you be enjoying the sun safely this summer?

There is concern that ellipticals and treadmills pose too many threats for some users. Ellipticals require balance, which may make using the machine nearly impossible for someone who is unsteady on their feet due to age or ability. The impact of treadmills on joints is similarly distressing to many users. For some, these issues can create injury, cause setbacks from an exercise goal or worse.

Here’s where recumbent crosstrainers shine by helping their users achieve low impact cardio. A recumbent crosstrainer eases the user into a slightly reclined or relaxed seated position while they pedal their feet (as if they were walking or biking) and simultaneously pump their arms to get a full body workout. This allows a tough workout with minimum joint impact or strain. The individual can adjust the machine to suit their needs, increasing resistance or selecting pre-programed routines to target different muscle groups.

NuStep is a brand that deserves recognition for their recumbent crosstrainers. NuStep products are often found in physical therapy clinics, senior living communities and health and wellness centers.

NuStep machines are especially beneficial for elderly users or anyone recovering from an injury, users challenged by ailments or chronic conditions and people with physical or mobility disabilities. NuStep gives these users special considerations when designing their equipment and has engineered for easy movement on and off of the machines, instantaneous action and low inertia startup.

This past summer NuStep announced that their top-of-the-line T5xr would be added to the home gyms of each of the participants of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” Season 2 to help contestants meet their goal of losing half their bodyweight or more.

Fitness isn’t just for the fit, or the young, or the “able-bodied”. Fitness is for everybody. It can help protect us from disease, improve our balance and prevent falls, repair our injuries, lift us out of depression and prolong our lives. If an upright elliptical or treadmill or exercise bike isn’t for you, ask a Push Pedal Pull representative about a recumbent crosstrainer.

For our fantastic moms, here are some fun ideas we’ve found to help mix fitness into the frantic pace of your day.

Think of your children like weights…that grow.

Inspiration: The Happy Housewife

Moms often weight lift without even thinking about it — they carry and hold their kiddos all the time, especially young children. We loved this post by Amy Welling where she talked about playing with her kids and using their body weight as a form of lifting. Safety first — these are the most precious “weights” you’ll ever hold. In Amy’s post, she shared how as she worked out, her kids’ increasing weight matched her own increased endurance as she became stronger. What a great motivator for building muscle.

Step to it

Inspiration: Workout Mommy

Feeling short on time? When time is of the essence, and a trip to the gym for a long cardio session just isn’t a possibility, look to the benefits of your own house and if you have one, use your staircase. Be careful and stay at a pace you can handle, but take to those stairs like Rocky and get that heart rate up. Looking to increase the difficulty? Add in a weighted vest for an extra challenge. Try a quick stair workout before the kids are up in the morning or use naptime to your advantage.

Fire up the DVD player and your metabolism

Inspiration: Skinny Mom

If “workout video” conjures up images of women in neon spandex and teased hair, it’s time to give videos another chance. Workout DVDs can introduce variety into a home workout and can be a great option for women who can’t make it to their favorite class at the gym. The biggest perk is that the routine is timed, making it easier to fit into an activity packed day. Try yoga, Zumba, Pilates and more! Wondering where to start? Read this round up of the top DVDs by Fitness Magazine.

Find a kid friendly race

Inspiration: Mom Swim Bike Run

An essential part of keeping up a workout routine is motivation. What better dangling carrot to keep you moving than a race that can involve the whole family? Many cities hold races and walks that are open to all ages. From Kids for the Cure to themed runs and mini triathlons, there are several opportunities to get parents and kids moving together, often for a worthy cause. Sit down with your kids and create a workout calendar, circling the race date. Every day pose a new challenge for “training” and work together to achieve your conditioning goals. This is a perfect chance to teach your children a lesson about fitness and perseverance.

What do you think? Will these ideas suit your lifestyle and needs? How do you like to get workouts in while watching little ones? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

The EFX works for a wide audience, mainly because it can adjust to the user’s ability and needs. The machine offers 20 different settings, which can appeal to all age and fitness levels.

Looking for control over your workout? The EFX offers ramp inclines from 13 to 40 degrees, enabling users to target specific muscle groups. Your workout is what you make it with this crosstrainer. Tailor your workout with resistance levels ranging from 18 watts (level 1 at 20 SPM) to 720 watts (level 20 at 100 SPM). The harder you work, the more changes in your body you’ll see.

Not only can you decide how hard to push yourself on this elliptical, there are many challenging pre-set workout programs to choose from. Looking to tone your legs for swimsuit season? Leg Sculpt Plus is the way to go. Prepping for a tough mudder race? Hit one of the many hills/mountains programs to increase your endurance. Want to distance yourself from a disappointing derrière? Firm up with the glute toner program.

Track your workout with the EFX’s impressive console. Detailed readouts will keep you zoned into your goals, telling you stats like total distance, distance remaining, total calories burned, zone segment strides, target heart rate and more.

Precor products come with a lasting warranty that will protect your investment for years to come.

Visit your local Push Pedal Pull to try out an EFX for yourself. See if this machine can be the start of a healthier lifestyle for you. We invite you to talk to our knowledgeable staff to learn how this machine could help you reach your goals.

Staying motivated can be tough during a workout, and any distraction (talking to a friend, music, television) can help you keep going. But unlike music or television, reading directly impacts your workout. Negatively.

Let’s discuss.

If you’re reading during cardio, you’re not working your body hard enough. Can you imagine running at a good pace on a treadmill while also reading? That would be a major challenge. What usually ends up happening is people slowly walk or lethargically pedal while pursuing their book. If your time is valuable, then you’re doing yourself a disservice by not pushing yourself harder during your time commitment at the gym.

Your book is likely causing you to change your form and posture during the exercise. Because you are trying to see small text, you are probably slumped over your book. This may cause you to disengage your core or strain your lower back. Often reading causes people to hold on to the treadmill during their workout. These adaptations cause your exercise to be less effective.

It can be dangerous. Trying to move your eyes through text while in motion combined with bad posture is a recipe for poor balance, which means you could fall off and injure yourself.  Would you read while jogging on pavement? Of course not.

Books can’t get you get fired up during a workout. Did you know that music has been shown to help people workout harder? Music can help you pace yourself, can brighten your mood and can help you forget about how hard you’re working. Even TV can be helpful during a workout, if you use a show as a time measurement tool. (Try doing intense bursts during commercial breaks for a fun interval routine).

We do love books, but they’re too difficult to read while working out. We know there are many student athletes out there needing to study and bibliophiles trying to get fit. Looking to absorb some knowledge while sweating the pounds away? Download some books on MP3 files for a safer way to bring your favorite authors into the gym.

The raw food movement is gaining momentum. As the name implies, the raw food movement encourages eating food that has not been cooked to improve your health and well-being. Many, but not all people following the raw food movement, are vegetarians.

“Raw foodists,” as the movement’s followers are known, believe that cooking food destroys nutrients, enzymes and healthy, immune conferring bacteria. They also believe that raw food slows the aging process because of the antioxidant content of raw produce. As Americans are become more concerned about processed foods and the origin of what they put on their plates, the raw food movement makes a lot of sense.

Not everyone is ready to go raw. Critics of the movement argue that risks of the diet exceed the rewards. There are several types of foods whose cooked counterparts actually have more health benefits than uncooked.  Examples include stewed tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and asparagus. Read more here. Also, cooking produce also eliminates contamination that can cause very serious types of food poisoning.

Not sure if raw food is right for you? Here are some considerations to keep in mind.

A Wide Selection to Enjoy — A diet of raw plants offers you a great excuse to get creative in the kitchen. There are endless possibilities of the meal and snack options you could make, plus a reason to try out new veggies.

Low Calorie, Low Sodium — For those looking to lose weight, the raw diet would help cut calories. Also, numerous articles stress how much sodium Americans are consuming daily, far above the recommended amount. This diet would similarly decrease sodium intake and lower the risk for heart disease and stroke.

Work Intensive Diet — Going raw means chopping, slicing, blending, processing in a food dehydrator and more. Sure, it’s simple to grab a banana or carrot to snack on, but to make every meal with raw vegetables does require more prep and thought. Raw diets can be a lot of work.

Raw Doesn’t Mean Cheap — Raw foodists are purists that believe the best way to avoid pathogens and chemicals eliminated by cooking is to buy only the cleanest, freshest produce available, which often means organic and beyond organic. While buying local and in-season produce can lower this expense, the cost will likely be higher than what is found in most grocery stores.

The Jury is Still Out — Even though benefits like the high fiber content of fruits and vegetables makes the diet seem like a no-fail solution for healthy eating, it is still hard to judge if this diet is worth it. Read more about the nutritional value of this diet on WebMD and other medically sound sources.

Remember to discuss any dietary change with a doctor before committing to a plan. What do you think of the raw food movement? Would you try this out in your own home?

1. How knowledgeable is the seller?

When looking to buy used equipment, make sure you work with a reputable salesman. You want someone who is knowledgeable about the capabilities of the machine, how it may relate to current new models, and what warranty is or is not available. For this reason, we don’t recommend buying through individuals online.

Any fitness machine purchase is an investment. Don’t shortchange yourself before you buy the machine by not talking to a true professional.

2. Is the machine under warranty?

Here is the major money pit with used equipment. If the machine is not under warranty, you may be facing serious repair costs down the line. Most used equipment is not covered under its original manufacturer’s warranty. This speaks to tip 1 — you have to buy from someone who is knowledgeable about the warranties associated with various types of equipment.

3. If the company you’re buying through offers their own warranty, do you know who will actually service the machine when it needs repair?

We have heard complaints recently of competitors offering their version of a warranty on used equipment, promising to fix any issues that come up. What we have been hearing is that these companies actually end up farming out the repairs to another company and do not complete the repairs in-house. This is frustrating for customers who experience delays and inconvenience once things do break. Furthermore, the company who is outsourcing no longer has control over the quality of that repair or the expertise of the service technology.

At Push Pedal Pull, we do refurbish equipment and provide warranties with those machines. And if something goes wrong with any our refurbished machines, we service it ourselves. We know buying any kind of fitness equipment is an investment, and we feel privileged when someone decides to make that type of commitment with us. We honor that by providing quality, ongoing service. No outsourcing, no excuses.

What questions do you have about buying used equipment? Have you had a positive or negative experience with this in the past?

Teeter makes the only inversion tables certified by Underwriters Laboratories.  UL is a leader in third-party certifications.  Teeter’s manual inversion tables are the only in the world to meet the new inversion table listing (UL 1647) which tests using real-world scenarios for inversion tables, like cycles (inverting down and up), weight capacity and testing for the endurance of ankle supports.

Will the inversion table last?

The company that makes Teeter  inversion tables hires independent engineers to test their inversion tables and compare them against competing brands.  Teeter tables are always rated as easiest to assemble, the longest-lasting and they are also rated as the easiest to use.

Look for key features.

When it comes to inversion tables, look for those that  have specialized features like heat-treated steel, auto-locking hinges, squeak-free roller bearings and accessory upgrades. Teeter inversion tables focus on safety, form and function.

Any Shortcuts?

Be cautions of lighter weight inversion tables,  Lighter tables can usually mean less steel is used to make them. A product that looks fine on the surface might contain shortcuts that compromise quality and user security, such as thinner tubing, cheap components and a weak support structure.

Heavier tables can also be deceiving, features like padded bed frames weigh more, but heavier doesn’t always mean stronger.

How’s the Service?

Does the manufacturer offer a hotline and email address for support?

Also, be sure to check out the product warranty before making a purchase.

Shake off your winter funk by celebrating our “Inspire Others and Win” contest winners. We knew our Facebook friends would have some tips and insight into why we should all push through our cold weather woes and keep our goals going strong. We asked and you answered loud and clear with your best ideas. Our panel of judges chose the top responses. We are proud to share the winning posts with you today on the blog.

Drumroll please…

First prize goes to Patrick Scully, who won a $150 gift card to Push Pedal Pull. Here’s Patrick’s amazing story:

Patrick: Years ago, I lost 40 lbs in 12 weeks. I did it with consistent exercise, a fairly strict diet (30 grams of sugar and 30 grams of fat each day for the first 60 days), and the support of an AWESOME wife. Friends… everyone needs a “Champion” in their corner if they are trying to take down a “Giant”… a Champion and “Cheat Day”. That’s right… every Friday I ate whatever I wanted! Pancakes, pizza, cookies, ice cream… whatever I could stomach, I ate. And I still lost the 40 lbs!

I have never gained the weight back! So I decided to keep that “Cheat Day.” And the AWESOME wife is still around too.

Second prize and a gift card of $100 went to Deborah Kennedy for her story of rediscovering fitness. Way to go Deborah!

Deborah: The year I turned 50, I was at my highest weight and feeling like all was a lost cause. Then, walking to church for school Mass, I slipped on black ice and broke my back. I ended up in a huge brace and was told to be out of teaching for at least a couple of months. I was determined to heal and then reclaim my healthier body weight. While in the brace, all I could do was “walk” so walk I did. I walked three times a day increasing the length and pace frequently. 4 months later, instead of the forecasted 8, I was given a clean bill of health to go back to the YMCA and back to Curves and to do whatever I wanted to. My motivation during those 4 months was, “reclaim my healthy body and put myself at the head of my to do list instead of at the bottom!” I lost 35 pounds in about 6 months and shrank from tight 18′s to loose 12′s!

And last but not least, Cindy Miner took third place, winning a $50 gift card with a quick tip that we all need to keep in mind:

Cindy: My best fitness tip is to pick a time ….say 7pm and every day at that time exercise with a DVD or exercise machine for 10 minutes at least — no excuses!

No excuses indeed! Keep those New Year’s Resolutions going and remember that your health is a commitment that is worth making.

What are your best tips for beating the February frumps? What are you doing to stay motivated this time of year?

It is crucial to the health of our families, communities and nation that we take childhood health seriously. Children who are obese now will have health problems in the future and will be at risk to develop heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis.

In our last post discussing childhood health, we looked at ways to get kids moving and burning calories. After all, the CDC states that being overweight or obese is the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories burned for the amount of calories consumed. It’s no surprise that the foods children eat are tied to their health.

But how can parents make the right choices for their children? Often, this begins with parents making the best food decisions for themselves since children learn by example. Eliminating junk food from the house limits unhealthy eating for children and parents alike.

Parents should consider the lessons they are inadvertently teaching their children about food when the family is dining together. For example, the “clean your plate” approach to a child’s meal may give a skewed view of what it means to be “full” and it teaches nothing about portion control. Also, the habit of rewarding children with snacks or dessert when they have finished their vegetables or have done something good can lead to a misunderstanding of when to eat sweets.

There are many great online tools available to parents who are looking to get their families eating healthy foods.

LetsMove.gov has resources for parents, children, schools and more. The parent portal contains a downloadable action plan for families. It also includes tips for healthy snacks, suggestions for increasing physical activity and ways to reduce screen time.

ChooseMyPlate.gov has an encyclopedia of information around healthy eating, cooking and grocery shopping. Learn how to eat healthy on a budget, get sample recipes and menus and even watch informational videos.

SuperTracker can help families track not only their food intake but also the amount of physical activity they engage in every day. This could be completed frequently as a family, especially if the family has older children, so as to show the importance of balancing caloric intake with calories burned.

Do you have tips for incorporating healthy eating into family life? What are some ways you demonstrate balanced eating and exercise to the children in your family?