Saturday, March 15, 2008

THE JOURNEY: Part 5 of 6 - The Gazelle

There are several types of good fitness equipment on the market, but the one I found to be the BEST by far is "The Tony Little Gazelle" - YES I mean the one from the infomercial. The Gazelle is sort of a hybrid cross between a ski machine and a treadmill. It is low impact on joints and back. You can take large or small steps, fast or slow and also work your upper body at the same time! I've been using it for almost 7 years (March 22, 2001) and am up to 3 miles every other day (about 31-33 minutes average for me). It will kick your butt and IS FUN at the same time!

Like I said before, because of my vision and other health issues walking outside is not the greatest way for me to relax or get exercise - it is more of getting from A to B safely. The gazelle gives me a freedom to move in tiny steps or huge strides like a wind sprint. I crank up my music, close my eyes and imagine I'm out in a meadow or running through a forest with no fear of falling! I've never felt so free as when I'm on it! It is incredibly exhilarating!

The gazelle is a great stress reliever for me. I swear I'd have had a white jacket with extra long sleeves or been dead by now if I didn't have this release. It is an investment but if you use it regularly and watch what you eat then it will pay off in the long run with a healthier, happier you!

The bike was a great starting point, but I wasn't toning any muscles. Fat is 3 times bulkier than muscle and your body runs more efficiently with better muscle tone. In the first year I had the gazelle I lost another 40 pounds and over 30 inches from arms, bust, waist, hips, thighs and calves. I lost another 20 pounds over the next 6 months and another 15 inches.

I got mine through "The Shopping Channel" in Canada but they don't ship to USA. I have seen them at Wal-mart and a few other retailers but the quality isn't as good and there are also a lot of imitation products out there. You have to be careful you get the real thing as these others are poor quality and will break in record time.
And in case you were wondering, no I do not get a cut in profits for promoting the gazelle. (I should though as I've convinced at least 1/2 dozen people to try/buy!) It just happens to be something that I believe in and it certainly has worked for me!

Check out these links;
Canada; http://www.theshoppingchannel.com/endeca/search.do?keyword=gazelle
USA; http://www.tonylittle.com/detail.aspx?ID=146

I still use the bike 15 minutes (average 3.5-4.0miles) every other day. I also bought other resistance equipment including; 5 pound hand weights, resistance cords, Ab Gym (no longer available) and the "Easy Shaper Pro", (similar to photo). I do about 20-25 minutes of resistance along with the bike.

I alternate daily workouts by using the bike/resistance one day and the Gazelle the next to get a good variety of cross training.

For info on the easy shaper, please see;
http://www.fitnessquest.com/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=fq/itemdetl.html?item=4-ESU-1227&src=easy_shaper_FQ3208%20

dn

Tomorrow; "Gaining Perspective"

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