A Little More on Treadmills and Cardio Rehabilitation

For those of us working at getting more daily exercise, a treadmill is a great way to go. Before Cardio Rehab I had never used one or even thought much about them. Truth is, once I was back on my feet after my heart surgery I really didn't have much trouble disciplining myself to walk every day. It quickly became a part of my daily routine to head out immediately upon getting home from work and before eating dinner. That was until late last month. The cold, icy weather has made footing treacherous and the whole outdoor experience fairly miserable.

At about the same time I was feeling less inclined to take long evening walks I started noticing treadmills on sale in the department store flyers delivered to the house every Tuesday evening. A quick comparison of the cost of joining a gym and the cost of a good treadmill made the treadmill option look more attractive to me. It seemed less expensive, more convenient and if I just didn't use it the way I thought I would I could sell it.

While in Rehab the physio therapist once offered some advice for those of us contemplating buying a treadmill for home.
It should have:

• a motor of 2hp or better
• the stride length of the belt must be long enough for you

I will add one more thing, power incline is a great feature and really a "must have" from my recent experience. I like the pre-programmed work-outs but they and the rest of things like i-pod connections, fans and stuff like that are more a matter of personal preference than critical to getting a good, reliable machine.

After a month of dithering and suffering through the weather I finally committed to buying a treadmill. I chose the model in the picture above, a Tempo 911t. It was on sale for around one third of its regular price and I was comfortable that I was getting a lot of machine for my money.

The nagging issue was, "how to get it home"? These things are big and heavy. The first thing I did was to visit the store and compare the various machines on display. Firstly to reassure myself that I was making the best choice for the money and then to get an idea of just how big the respective machines really are.

Reassured on both points, that it was a good choice and that I could handle getting it into place once home, I got the boys from the store to put it in my car for me.

The machine comes partially disassembled in a huge, flat box bound in yellow nylon strapping. By putting the front seats all the way ahead and folding the back seats down, it fit smoothly into the back of my RAV4 although it was a two man job to lift it in.

Once home I was able to slide it out and walk it by rocking, moving one side a few inches, then the other, in a slow but steady fashion onto the doorstep and into the house.

When inside I was able to lay it on a mat then slide it to where I wanted it to end up. It is recommended that you open the box and assemble the treadmill where you are going to use it.

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box to find tools included as well as well written directions. The trickiest bits are already put together so it was really just a matter of adding the hand rails and mounting the electronics display. Within an hour the treadmill was together and running.

I have it set up beside a window that I can just reach over and crank it open to control the temperature if I get too hot when working out. A television is directly in front so that I can watch a movie when walking. One thing, I have a set of wireless headphones I wear so that I don't have the TV blasting while I huff and puff. I really recommend that.

All told, I got a great buy on a great piece of equipment. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so that I can get back outdoors but in the meantime I'm really enjoying the treadmill. I'm also getting a thousand or so extra steps a day with no fear of slipping and falling.

I'm obviously no expert, but if you are thinking about a treadmill and have any questions, drop me a note or leave a comment. I've done a fair amount of research on the topic in the last few months and will happily share what I have learned.

Steps yesterday: 11890

Smarter Heart Medications Are on the Way

Last week I read about a study done recently that identified more than a dozen genes that control the rate of our heart beat. After comparing the genetics of tens of thousands of people from European and Indian descent, researchers were able to isolate these genes. If you have certain combinations of them you are more or less likely to have heart conditions involving arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is an irregular heart beat.



Anyway, this discovery is the sort of thing that can lead to smart drugs that target specific conditions more effectively and efficiently. It is important because heart disease according to the report I read, kills almost seven million people a year. Half of those people suffer from some form of irregular heart beat.

On another note, I bought a treadmill the other day and have been using it with some regularity. Sorry for the bad pun but just trying to stick with the theme of this post. I bought a Tempo 611T as pictured above.

It was a work out just getting the thing in the house, down a flight of stairs and then wrestling it out of the box and assembling it but it seems well worth it.

The streets and side walks are icy and treacherous for walkers in this part of the world at this time of year so it is nice to get my ten thousand steps in the comfort of my home. It is pleasant to be able to walk away the stress of the day while reading or watching TV and without having to cope with sub-zero temperatures. I do miss the human parade of dog walkers, joggers and fellow heart walkers but spring will eventually come and I can resume my lakeside promenades.

My daughter is trying to teach one of the dogs to use it but he much prefers going out. If you have been thinking about getting one and have a good spot for it in your house I'd recommend it.

Steps today: 5,654 so far but I've been averaging around 11 to 12 thousand since getting the treadmill.