Fortunate Contest

If you’re buying a treadmill, chances are you’ll want to research before you buy. Everyone wants to get the best deal for a discount price. They also want to find the best treadmill to suit their workout needs.

So you’ll probably be interested in looking at various treadmill ratings or reviews. But why are there so many different ratings and which one is the most accurate? Here’s a few things most buyers don’t know about treadmill ratings.

There are really 2 types of treadmill ratings:

1) Consumer Ratings

2) Expert Ratings

User Treadmill Ratings:

Consumer treadmill ratings are done by the layperson who has bought and used the specific treadmill. Many websites allow anyone to go online and post a review of their treadmill.

Customer reviews and ratings can be very valuable when searching for a treadmill - however keep in mind several things:

#1) No treadmill has a 100% perfect track record. Even the BEST treadmill manufacturers sometimes make a dud.

And it’s usually the people that have had BAD experiences that leave negative reviews of their treadmills, not the many that have had good experiences with the same treadmill.

They have every right to do this and hopefully the treadmill manufacturers read these reviews and do something about them. Just remember that one bad review doesn’t prove it’s a low quality brand.

#2) The treadmill industry is growing more competitive each year. And marketing is a huge portion of the treadmill industry since treadmill manufacturers KNOW you’re going to research treadmill ratings before you buy.

So while I’m not making any accusations, I have read ‘customer reviews’ that are clearly NOT written by the average buyer. They sound like they’re written by somebody working for the competition - someone well versed in the art of sales psychology and who knows more about treadmills than the average person. Again, not making any accusations here - just keep this in mind when reading user ratings online.

Rule of Thumb: Use common sense. If it sounds like it’s written by a treadmill salesperson, take the treadmill review with a grain of salt.

Expert Treadmill Ratings:

There are also expert treadmill ratings. These are the ratings written by the experts in the fitness industry. People like Consumer Reports, Runner’s World, Consumer Guide, Men’s Health, Prevention Magzine are just a few out there. These people rate and review various treadmills at various times in the year.

While these ratings are much less likely to be tainted by biased reviewers, here are a few cautions to keep in mind while reading them:

#1) Each rater has a different rating system and may rate treadmills on such factors as price, cushioning, stability, quietness, belt area, warranty, console, electronics, programs, incline and quality of parts.

So while one reviewer may put more emphasis on cushioning the other may put more emphasis on warranty. It’s nothing to get confused over - just understand that different experts value different features. They’ll usually have an area where they list exactly how they rated the treadmills and which features they valued highly in their review.

#2) Expert ratings also usually don’t have time to look at EVERY treadmill brand on the market. Nobody does. We’ve been reviewing treadmills for over 3 years and we still haven’t covered all the brands.

So just because a certain brand isn’t in the ratings, doesn’t make it a poor quality brand. Try to find other reviews on a brand if you can’t find it in your favorite expert ratings list.

One last thing: Many treadmill ratings are also based on comparison to other similarly priced treadmills on the market.

So if you have a $1000 treadmill that gets 5 stars - that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s better than a $2000 treadmill that gets 4 stars. It means that compared to other $1000 treadmills it is one of the best values.

By remembering these things when sifting through treadmill ratings, you’re less likely to be confused. And it will be easier to choose the best quality treadmill for your needs.

Kathryn O’Neill is chief editor for Home Treadmill Reviews, a consumer oriented website focusing on the home treadmill market.

For the latest treadmill brand reviews, buying tips & best buys, visit: www.TreadmillReview.net.

Ever wish you could take harsh words back? Do you wonder how you could have prevented an impending conflict? How could an argument turn out to be a hidden treasure?

We cannot always use the following principles, we are only human, but you will see they work. You will also notice that you can learn from arguments and even diffuse them into mild disagreements.

Firstly, let’s look at the structure of an argument. An argument is a difference of opinion, and nothing more. It is actually healthy to listen to outside opinions and learn from them. Personally, I get tired of hearing my own thoughts and want to hear fresh ideas. Sometimes you can put a “new spin” on a fresh idea and come up with a compromise.

Successful marriages, businesses, and governments are all built on an exchange of new ideas. If someone takes the time to display a difference of opinion, they actually care for you to some degree. For example: If you did not care, why would you bother to open a line of communication? When you do not care for someone, you look at communication, with him or her, as a waste of time.

Some of us look at conversation with a ‘win or lose” frame of mind. If we lose, we must “save face,” and if we win we must savor every minute of victory. This is a big mistake to put your ego in the “driver’s seat.” The ego will never be guided by wisdom, it is too busy protecting, posturing, and thinking about the next victory. Think about your words and how powerful they are to those who care about you.

So, what does this have to do with Yoga? It specifically has to do with Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action and is based upon the universal principles of many religions. Written teachings on this subject can be found within the Bhagavad Gita.

Living for the ego will contribute to your self- destruction. Living for more victories and material, will always leave us feeling a want for more. Look at the incredibly wealthy: Are they happy or wanting for more? Many of them seem very thirsty for true love and heart felt gratification.

However, helping your family friends and associates will leave you feeling gratified, right now. A Karma Yoga practitioner lives for the higher self and the Supreme Being. Sound familiar? It should, since it is a universal principle which we have all been taught.

We cannot always practice understanding, loving kindness, and forgiveness, but we should try each and every moment of our lives.

© Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Copyright 2005 Mary Desaulniers

It is a simple question from a seven year old that starts me on a life review. “Why do you run?” she asks when I stop for lemonade at her make-shift stand, the one sporting a sign that warms my heart: ” lemonaid 10 cents.”

But I can’t answer her. For several seconds, I sip at the cup and smile at her sun-freckled nose.

“Why?” she asks again.

“It makes me feel good,” I reply, tossing the paper cup into the garbage pail, glad that I can slip away without saying more. Her question unsettles me though. The answer I have so glibly thrown at her does not seem to ring true.

Why DO I run?

I have been a runner for 27 years, yet I am hard pressed to say exactly what makes me run. My first turn around the local high school track was motivated by sheer vanity. Having gained over 40 pounds with the birth of my first child, I was determined to make running the means to an end. I shed the pounds, but found in the process of doing so a new enthusiasm. Those were heady late twentysomething days when running seemed more like a cult than a sport–part of the Brave New World of Fitness that made me feel like a colt. It made me feel sleek, toned and fit, filling me with a kind of coltish momentum, as though I were riding the crest of a fast, furious wave.

Ten years later, I was still running, but the momentum had slowed to a trot. With a second child and a full-time job, I found a different reason for running: it was now my way of slowing down the pace, my refuge from the frenetic rush of schedules and deadlines. Feeling more like a cow than a horse, I ran to be still, allowing the rhythm of a body in motion to be a kind of stabilizing grace. During those years of music lessons, daycare and baseball practices, running became my still point in a turning world.

Twelve years later, when my husband fell terminally ill, I ran to stop the pain from swallowing me whole. I ran against the pain and through the pain, sometimes weeping, sometimes cursing as my legs carried me numbly over stones and rubble. When my husband passed away after an eleven month battle against an illness that had the upper hand from the very beginning, I ran to make peace with the pain. Somehow in the echoes of my falling steps, I found a rhythm that seemed at one with the sky–stars suspended in darkness that made brilliant their light. And I realized that there was not much difference between this world down here and the one up there: we leave the way we live because nothing shines brighter than a dying star.

Now in my fifties, I am running more than ever. I can’t help but sense that the question “Why do you run?” seems beside the point. I cannot live without running; it has become as much a part of me as breathing is. I run because running has been the only constant in my life, the only thing that hasn’t changed or has survived despite the change. My children are now grown, my eldest son the father of two. We have new additions to the family, even as my husband has moved to a different peace. I have changed; my hair has greyed and my body has shifted to a more matronly cast. I forget recent events, but my memories of the good old days are etched forever in stone. No longer the colt nor the cow, I have the permanence of time. Change seems no longer a menacing beast because I know I have been blessed–blessed with life in whatever form it takes. And I know I will survive in whatever form I take. I know because there is nothing in this world–nothing– that can beat the beauty of a cool, steady run.

Come to think of it, my answer to the little girl is not quite so glib after all.

Why do I run?

Because running has made me feel good. It does so still and God willing, it will make me feel even better in years to come.

Katie, a 33-year-old mother of two, has been on her share of diets over the years. From Weight Watchers to the Zone to Sugar Busters, she feels as if she has tried them all. While she has had moderate success in losing weight from time to time, she has never found a long-term weight loss solution. Her weight is a point of contention in her marriage; her husband–who also happens to be obese–wishes she were thin, but says he loves her anyway. The two have been separated a number of times, and even filed for divorce once. The stress has caused Katie to begin binge eating again.

There is hope for Katie and others like her who feel as if they’re trapped on the diet carousel. The key to long-term weight loss success may not be the body, but the mind. Research indicates that those who have a positive outlook on life are more likely to lose weight–and stay thin. But how can you have a positive outlook when you’ve been burned so many times before? Is it possible to “will your way” to losing weight?

One technique that has been proven effective in sports training is something called visualization. For instance, a baseball player might visualize his bat connecting with a ball, leading to a homerun. A soccer player might visualize kicking the winning goal in a soccer match. And a golfer might visualize sinking the winning putt in the Masters Tournament.

The same technique can be used by dieters. Visualize yourself as thin. Picture yourself in that dress that is now two sizes too small. Imagine stepping onto the scale and being pleased with the result. Visualize yourself saying “no” to that piece of chocolate cake or that plate of Fettucini Alfredo. These mind exercises can help to spur you onto weight loss.

When people learn they are suffering from cancer, they are encouraged to imagine their cancer cells being destroyed by healthy cells. You can follow the same technique in order to lose weight. That means imagining your fat cells being destroyed by thin cells. Through such a method, you can “think your way” to a healthy weight.

In addition, it is critically important that you maintain a positive attitude. Be forgiving of yourself. If you veer off your diet plan, simply get back on course with your next meal. Don’t spend precious time “beating yourself up” over your failures. Instead, celebrate your successes–in a non-fattening way. For instance, when you reach a milestone–say you’ve lost ten pounds–reward yourself with a trip to an art museum or to your favorite coffee shop (but skip the cream and sugar). Marking milestones will give you a sense of accomplishment, a sense that you are triumphing over food.

Another helpful technique can be prayer or meditation. Some support groups even offer Bible-based weight loss programs that use scripture verses to help inspire. Taking stock of your life and handing your weight loss problems over to a higher power can be cathartic and may give you a sense of peace about your weight difficulties. It has been said that a clear head leads to a healthy body. Try praying or meditating ten minutes at the start of your day. Chances are you will feel refreshed and ready to tackle the weight challenges that come your way.

Yet another technique you might consider is role-playing. Grab your spouse or a friend and ask him or her to act out a situation in which you might be tempted to overeat. You’ll be forced to come up with strategies to fight temptation. This rehearsal could prove to be quite helpful when a real life diet dilemma comes your way. If role-playing works for job interviews, it should be beneficial for your weight as well.

Mind over matter is not just a clever saying. It can actually be the solution to your weight loss problems. By using your brain power, you can develop the techniques needed to make healthy food choices. When your mind and your body are both healthy, you have the best of both worlds.