The market for fitness and weight loss is a massive, multi-billion dollar industry. There are any number of companies who will be happy to sell you every supplement, no effort exercise equipment and wonder drug under the sun – all guaranteed to help you shed pounds and get buff within a very short period of time. The large majority of such products are a waste of your money and your time. Nevertheless, if you want to lose weight and get in shape, there are some items of equipment which are well worth investing in.
The most important thing of all is to get yourself a good comfortable pair of shoes. Virtually every form of exercise that you may choose to undertake, with the exception of martial arts and swimming, will require you to have appropriate footwear. Walking for example, is a great way to get in shape and lose weight. There are many health benefits in addition to weight loss and it’s perfect for anyone who hasn’t taken exercise for some time and who wishes to gradually ease themselves back into a regular exercise program.
However, if your shoes aren’t comfortable then you won’t be able to keep up your walking program. Be sure to get yourself the most comfortable exercise shoes that you can afford. You can even take advantage of modern technology by using the latest design of fitness footwear which maximizes the efficiency of your walking workout by increasing the amount of work that your lower body muscles do whilst walking normally. Currently, Skechers Shape Ups, Reebok Easy Tones and Fitflops sandals are available on the market, all of which claim to be specially engineered to minimize impact stress and increase your workout’s efficiency.
As you get into your walking routine, or perhaps even progress to jogging, you will probably want to monitor your results. A high quality pedometer is perfect for this. It can display your results in terms of the total distance covered, the number of steps taken, the time taken or the number of calories burned. This will help to keep you motivated.
Be certain to go for a high quality pedometer. You can certainly find some very cheap ones on the market, but paying just a few dollars more for a high quality device is well worth it. Some cheap pedometers can be very inaccurate. A good quality brand such as Tanita or an Omron pedometer will be more accurate and will also be less prone to failure.
A heart rate monitor is also a good idea – although you may not need this at first when you’re just starting your exercise program. Depending upon a number of different factors, including your age and what your goals are, you may wish to keep your heart rate between certain predefined values during your exercise session. You can get heart rate monitor watches which are easy to use and are relatively inexpensive these days.
An mp3 player is another worthwhile investment if you don’t already own one. You can play motivational tracks in order to encourage yourself to keep going. Or, if you prefer, listening to your favorite band whilst you exercise will probably be just as effective. Both the time and the miles will seem to pass much faster when you’re listening to your favorite sounds. You can pay as much or as little as you want for an mp3 player nowadays – but even one of the entry level models will probably help you to stay motivated.
If you want to spend your hard earned cash on the latest and greatest, zero effort ab cruncher or some miracle shake made from ground up Amazonian woo woo berries then go for it. However, the previously mentioned items should be more than enough to get you started – and they will almost certainly be helpful to you in your exercise program.
Boost the effectiveness of your walking exercise regime with Fitflops fitness shoes. They’re scientifically designed to increase the amount of work your lower body muscles perform during normal walking activity. Both women’s and men’s Fitflops are available in a wide choice of colors and styles.