The main complaint of those who run on treadmills is the sense of boredom engendered by this type of training. With the two new consoles launched, Life Fitness wants to offer users a complete solution to overcome this impediment.

In November 2011 Life Fitness announced the launch of the latest consumer cardio consoles with new, engaging, motivating features that will make indoor running much more pleasant than any other treadmill experience you’ve lived before. These are the Go Console and the Track Console.

What do you receive?

Life Fitness Track Console Features:

- iPod/iPhone seamless controls for volume and song selection

- Up to 4 User Profiles available to save individual workout data

- Each profile can create and save up to 3 customized workouts per person

- The Virtual Trainer feature, which can now be synced with their own iPhone/iPod application.

- The HeartSync solution that allows each person to control the workout intensity based on his or her heart rate (Best Feature Ever Developed)

- An Energy-eficient console

Life Fitness Go Console Features:

- Up to 2 User Profiles available to save individual workout data

- Each profile can create and one customized workout per person

- The HeartSync solution

- An Energy-eficient console

Life Fitness added these two new consoles on 10 different consumer equipment products, available for purchase from the beginning of November 2011 at their official website. These 10 products are:

- NEW Life Fitness’ T3 and F3 Treadmills,

- X1, X3, X5 and X8 Cross-Trainers,

- C1 and C3 Upright Bikes and R1 and R3 Recumbent Bike models.

We say this is a triumphant end of the year for Life Fitness. Don’t you think?

At the beginning of November Life Fitness announced the launch of a new Apple Application for their Virtual Trainer system.

What should you expect to receive with this update?

- The Apple compatible application will be available on Life Fitness Elevation Series Engage line of cardio machines and it will permit users to interact with their fitness applications more intensively.

- You will be able to sync your results on your iPhone or iPod with the Life Fitness Virtual Trainer Website.

- You will be able to customize your own workouts and user profiles, keep count of all calories burned right on your Apple product and share your workout updates on Facebook instantly.

- Your iPhone or iPod will have direct connectivity to the Life Fitness Elevation Series Engage cardio products. The application will be automatically recognized by the machine and it will send the workout results directly to the mobile Life Fitness Virtual Trainer.

- A new planned feature (that will be available for a fee) will allow you to have direct access to download expert-recommended Life Fitness programs like 5K Training or Weight Loss. These programs will be launched on the Life Fitness cardio machine consoles in real time.

-Add-ons available will include a library of additional training features, like GPS mapping or music selection.

It is a new future for cardio machines, a future we love here at RunReviews.

If you own a Star Trac treadmill, then this article will be of interest to you for sure.

On December 7 2011 Star Trac announced the End of Technical Support Life For the Following Treadmills:

- ST1000
- ST1200
- ST1600
- ST1400
- ST1500
- All ST2000 Series
- All ST3000 Series
- TR3050
- TR4000
- TR900 (Black Colored)
- TR901 (Gray Colored)
- TR1800
- TR3900
- TR3500
- Pro Tread 5600 (DC drive)
- Pro Tread 6500 (DC drive)
- Pro Tread 6600 (DC drive)

Their announcement includes a note that some replacement parts can still be ordered from their website.

It’s quite compelling when a treadmill producer that appealed to you so much that you purchased their product, maintains a relationship with their customers and therefore, increases customer fidelity.

PaceMaster does it.

What is this Trade-Up program?

PaceMaster clients know that this company has an outstanding reputation for offering repair parts and service for all PaceMaster treadmills. But sometimes, even producers run out of components. What do you do when this happens? Well, if you’re PaceMaster, you discontinue all repairs for some treadmills and show your appreciation in some other fashion.

The PaceMaster Trade-Up Program offers a $ 300 Trade-Up voucher to owners of the following models: 850X, 840X, SX-PRO, ProPlus Auto, ProPlus HR, ProPlus II, ProSelect and ProElite. With this voucher, customers can purchase a new PaceMaster Premiere series treadmill.

What do you have to do?

First, you get the console membrane from your old PaceMaster treadmill alongside the downloadable voucher to your local PaceMaster dealer.

Second, you purchase a new PaceMaster Premiere Series Treadmill from an authorized dealer. This is when you receive a $ 150 discount off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

Thirdly, you send a bunch of documents, such as the voucher signed by the sales person, a legible copy of the sales receipt with your personal information, the console membrane from the old treadmill and the warranty registration card for the new treadmill to PaceMaster, LLC. and receive a check for an additional $ 150.

Sounds quite easy and alluring. If I were a PaceMaster customer, I wouldn’t wait 1 minute longer.

When I first jumped on a treadmill, I was more excited than on my graduation day. It was like I was opening myself to an incredible experience. Incredible, it was. But also painful.

Yeap, my joints and hips were sore for a few long long days. But the greatest loss was that I was afraid to get on any other treadmill for as long as I shall live.

But then the cushioning system came along and my entire sore and pain were history.

Nowadays, all treadmills are backed up with quality cushions, some of them adjustable according to the type of workout you’re about to embark on.

The Landice Orthopedic Shock Absorption system is an example of cushion system that does the job right. It really does provide the ultimate reduction of impact on joints and knees. It’s 7 times softer than running on grass and here is why.

The optional OrthoPlus system incorporates an orthopedic 4-ply, cushioned treadbelt. This orthopedic tuned suspension technology provides a state-of-the-art system that reduces impact on joints and knees.

If you think this is all a bunch of jibba jabba, just get on a Landice treadmill and check it out for yourself. Feel free to return here and share your experience.

To work out or to check the latest news?

To work out or to watch my favorite movie? Or maybe talk to my good old friend over the phone, because he’s left the city and now I don’t have the time anymore to see what he’s been up to?

If you’ve ever wondered any of these things above, you can be all happy and chipper because guess what, now you can do them all at the same time.

Indeed, you can, thanks to Landice WalkStation, not a technologic miracle of the 21st century, but a must have for busy people focused on staying fit.

What’s the buzz all about?

You can now surf the internet, read emails, answer emails, even engage in conference calls right at your WalkStation. It’s a great way of keeping clients satisfied without sacrificing your daily run.

Of course, you can just ditch the work features and use the WalkStation at his highest intensity.

What you’ll get and how do you secure your multimedia hardware anyway?

I’m sure you’ve already seen with your mind eyes how your beloved laptop falls and crushes into small little pieces, leaving you with a right on heartbreak. Well, you can relax. These people thought of everything. You get a LapStrap to keep your laptop in place at an optimum viewing angle, an ErgoKey Keyboard Tray so you can write endlessly and carefree, a PhoneDock Telephone Station so your phone remains in your reach and a TreadMouse Mouse Pad for you to click and double-click more easily.

If your mouse is wireless, even better. Moreover, you can mount your own computer monitor with the optional VESA-D mounting bracket. It accepts up to 24-inch VESA-D 75/100 compatible flat screen computers, computer monitors and TVs.

Yes, it also has iPod compatibility. It connects from the iPod’s docking port to a display’s Yellow, Red and White A/V input jacks.

If you think the WalkStation is worth a try, you’ll see for yourself why this unit is a real dream catcher. It can be attached to any Landice Treadmill.

Protecting users while they are working out on their treadmills never gets old for treadmill producers. This means that they are continuously trying to develop newer, better, faster, more effective shock absorption systems.

It is the case with PaceMaster’s quite unique Tri-Flex Impact Shock Management System , a technological innovation that comprises 3 components that work simultaneously.

This advanced technology offers protection to your joints all the way throughout the workout.

What makes the Tri-Flex so special?

The key with this shock absorption system is that it incorporates a Custom Engineered Tread Deck that flexes every time you flex your foot. Its design produces greater strength in a more flexible ¾ inch deck. Alongside the deck, there are Custom Elastomer

Cushions for an additional shock absorption effect and deflection of impact. The third element is the Aluminum Frame that is much more shock absorbing than steel and also rust-proof.

1 – custom engineered tread deck
2 – custom elastomer cushions
3 – aluminium frame

With the power of these 3 combined, the PaceMaster is able to offer you a stress-free workout experience. I should know. I just bought me a nice little PaceMaster that runs smoothly and carefree.

There seems to be an explosion of incline trainers going on. Companies try to outrun their strong competitors. They are constantly bringing forward better, nicer looking and more powerful incline trainers for potential users all around the world to try, to be impressed and ultimately to buy the new and shiny workout units.

But why should you even consider buying an incline trainer?

Well, let me ask you another question: Do you give a damn about your health? If your answer is Yes, then here is why incline training is good for you.

Among the benefits that incline training offers are losing weight, increasing cardio fitness, increasing muscular fitness and improving appearance.

If you’re keen on enhancing cardio fitness, you must know that lungs, heart, blood vessels, muscle tissue and the oxidative energy system must be stressed. This type of stress is measured by heart rate. This type of stress is what improves function by demanding some of the physiological components involved.

Studies are performed regularly in order to discover how to best use the fitness technology available either inside a gym or right in your home. Dr. Matthew Rhea, Director of Human Movement at A. T Still University, studied the changes that appear at different incline and speed levels. His discoveries show that at 0% incline, only about 20% of muscle tissue was activated in the legs. As incline increased, muscle activity in the calf, hamstring and gluteus increased. It seems that an incline level of 15% activates muscle tissue in the legs and results in a 75% exceed of maximal isometric contraction.

This study also confirms that fat loss is much more intense at higher incline levels. Basically, walking and running at high incline levels really increases physiological demands.

A high physiological demand can also challenge our brain activity. Many creative ideas are generated during hardcore workouts. Advertising professional should try the incline trainer now and then. Marketing reports would be much positive.

Who doesn’t enjoy the likes of a personal trainer? And not just anywhere, but right at your premises! Well, I do. if you’ve reached this article, it’s only fair to presume you do too.

Therefore, what is the X-Card system and what can it do for you?

The X-Card system was designed for people who aim at a healthy weight, body shape and stamina, which is almost everybody.

The Bodyguard Personal Trainer provides you with a wide range of programs, based on your fitness goals and capacity. You are the one to choose how intense the workout will be within 3 available levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each program leads you through your performance with 4 progressive steps of training.

Of course, improvement is mostly achieved by evaluating your performance. With the X-Card, you can rewind up to 60 workouts and print your information.
Moreover, X-Card is a combination of intense cardio and interactivity, which means you’ll be working out up to your boiling point while being displayed graphics, charts and reports of your workout data. It sounds like pretty swell fitness proficiency.

X-Card used to be a mirage for most people interested in improving their fitness level. But not anymore. You get the custom fitness design and the certified personal trainer, all into one small card.

To use it, insert X-Card into your console and press JustGo. Choose out of 5 categories available, Healthy Weight, Body Shape, Energy, Sports Training and Outdoors and go with the flow.

But can you use it on any type of unit? Actually no, only on selected cardio Bodyguard equipment that features the X-Technology.

And now, since we did the talk, you might as well do the walk!

It’s better to prevent than to cure, it’s what they say.

By now, prevention whizzes have come up with several machines that can help runners prevent injuries, common or not. For example, there is the foam waistband which allows you to jog in place inside a swimming pool, which is pretty effective.

Then, there is running with a harness strapped on that supports your body so that there isn’t really any weight put into the workout itself. This usually happens at the therapist’s premises.

It seems like the underwater treadmill is the rising star of prevention, and there is a good reason why.
By now, several rehabilitation centers tried this innovative technology and results show that specialists were successful at rehabilitating injuries from common broken ankles to more serious back damage.

This revolutionizing therapy is based on resistance. To be more exact, we’re talking about the resistance that the water jets at the front of the pool provide. Moreover, this resistance is adjustable, and so is the floor of the treadmill. This feature is useful because it adjusts the load on your body.

And don’t think you’re all on your own. The pool is provided with cameras that record your performance, so that your coaches or therapists can follow you as you run.

The interesting part of this entire process is how your neuromuscular system is actively challenged by the movement of the water. This provides intense core workout.

The reasons why underwater treadmills become more and more popular are a good argument for their efficiency:
- They imitate the biomechanics of on-land movements
- Increase cardio training
- Improve flexibility and stamina
- Tone the muscles
- Strengthen the injured tissue
- Reduce blood pressure

As science shows us, not only it’s best to prevent than to cure, but it is also possible and affordable.

Check these resources:
Woodway Underwater Treadmill

Hydroworx Underwater Treadmill

Hydro Physio Hydrotherapy Treadmills