Workout Machines

Fitness is becoming more and more of a focus in people's everyday lives, making all aspects of the workout and athletic industry boom in recent years. This ranges from people joining gyms for monthly memberships to buying all types of workout and athletic gear to keep themselves in shape and burn calories. On thing that people have also been purchasing are workout machines, which replicate the machines you can find in a gym. If you have the space, these machines are actually a great deal, as they will save you money paying a monthly gym membership and allow you to be the only one who works out on the equipment. Check out some of the best workout machines listed below and see if any of them work for your fitness needs.

Powertec Workbench

Retailing for around 1500 dollars, the powertec workbench is for people who are real weightlifters and bodybuilders in their spare time but also want a full body workout. There is a combination of resistance exercises and free weights to choose from, allowing you to bulk up or strengthen your longer muscles, or do a combination of both. There are over 12 stations on this workout machine, allowing you to work every muscle group with a wide variety of exercises. Three people can even use this piece of equipment at one time without interfering with each other. However, it is a big piece of equipment, meaning you'll need some real space for it.

Bowflex PR1000

For those who don't want to spend an outrageous amount of money on their home gym systems and just want to stay in shape, the Bowflex is usually the perfect of all workout machines on the market. It only costs around 600 dollars total and offers a ton of different resistance exercises for someone to do on a daily basis. There are over 30 strength exercises and a built-in rowing station that allows you to burn a lot of calories. It also doesn't take up much space of you leave it out and folds away into a small closet if space in your abode is at a premium.

Bodycraft Xpress Pro

This 2100 dollar home gym is one of those workout machines that has a little bit of everything a real workout fan needs, from bench to leg press to a cable station to a lat and curl bar for your arms and back. Parts of the machine, like the leg press, are options that can be left off so you can save money in the long run on the whole set-up. It also comes with a lifetime warranty so you will never have to buy another home gym ever again.

3 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your LED Therapy Light

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a class in LED Light Therapy. What exactly is LED Light Therapy? It is a hand held device that uses specific wavelengths of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) to energize your cells, naturally combating the signs of aging and giving you more radiant, youthful looking skin.

I have to admit going in I was a skeptic! I was thinking (Great one more thing for me to spend my hard earned money on that will find its way to the drawer of misfit gadgets that promised me results and failed)...

However, after sitting through the very in depth presentation, watching the demonstrations and trying the light for myself, I am a believer! I ended up purchasing 2 lights for myself. I purchased a therapy light (I have an Achilles issue that would not go away) and the LED light for wrinkles. Just a quick note about the therapy light (as this isn't what my article is about). The therapy light is AWESOME! After just 2 days of treatments (2 times a day for 30 minutes) I have noticeably less pain in my Achilles and ran a 10K without pain for the first time in as long as I can remember.

Getting back to the LED light for wrinkles. Although I didn't expect to see any results for at least 6-12 weeks, I was pleasantly surprised at how good my skin felt after the very first use! With just a 20 minute session with the light my skin felt softer, smoother, and had a noticeable glow to it (that nice kind of flush you get after a good workout). I could tell that the blood was pumping and my circulation wasn't so sluggish.

I have been using this light on myself for over a week now and I am seeing a marked improvement on a daily basis. Some of the benefits I have been told to expect are as follows:

• Reduction in fine lines and wrinkles
• Increased collagen and elastin
• Reduction in appearance of pore size
• Firming and toning
• Restoration of skin's youthful radiance and appearance
• Soothing gentle warmth

I have, in just over a week actually seen some of these benefits happen before my own eyes! I have a much smoother texture to my skin. It does appear to be more radiant in appearance. The light does have a smoothing gentle warmth that I love, and I do believe the lines around my eyes (crows feet) are less noticeable than they were a week ago.

Considering the manufacturer states that it takes 6-12 weeks to notice improvement I would say we have a winner here!

Now for 3 tips that I think are very important to get the most out of your LED Light Therapy

1. Use the LED light Daily! You can't leave this in the drawer and expect to see results if you only use it once in a while! This device is designed to be used! It only takes minutes a day and there isn't a person out there who can tell me they don't take an hour or more to sit in front of the TV or stalk their friends and Ex's on Face Book! If you know what Kim Kardashian is up to you have more than enough time on your hands!
2. Use your LED Light on a clean dry face after you have applied an anti-aging serum. This is KEY! Using the light on a face with makeup and the day's pollutants will only drive those impurities deeper into the skin and may even cause a break out (Which you will then blame on the light, but are actually your own fault because you don't wash your face... Seriously)
3. Exfoliate! Yes, exfoliate 2-3 times a week (only) to really get the most out of the Light! However, don't you dare put the St. Ives almond scrub anywhere near your face (unless you want to create more wrinkles I could go on for hours about how bad that stuff is, but that my friends is a whole other Oprah)!

Bonus Tip! SUNSCREEN! Apply it, reapply it, and then apply it again! UV Rays are about 90% responsible for the aging of our skin and yet when I ask people if they use sunscreen more than 50% say no! Also, putting on a 70 SPF once in the AM doesn't do squat. You need to apply sunscreen 2-3 times a day (even if you are just driving in rush hour traffic or just walking to your car).

If you are now thinking about running out to get an LED light do keep the following in mind:

• Look for a light made in the USA (quality is better)
• Look for a light that plugs in! (LED need full power to operate correctly a battery powered light immediately drains that battery and will not have the same results
• Do check company return policy (a good company will have a 30 -60 day return policy)
• Have a look on the shopping channels! I have seen some good products on different channels and they usually have a better price)

There you have it, 3 tips and a bonus nugget to get you on your way to a more youthful and radiant appearance. Enjoy!