The motivation to buy fitness equipment and start an exercise programme for the majority of men and women is personal appearance and self-image. So when men walk into our stores they immediately walk over to the multi gyms and weights. For these guys nothing less than a six-pack, bulging biceps and a 42 inch chest will do. The women on the other hand have different goals. They, more often than not, are looking to loose that little bit of wobble around the hips and thighs so calorie burning is upper most in their mind hence treadmills, elliptical cross trainers and exercise bikes are top of their shopping list.
But have they got it right?
Ok in this image conscious society we all want to look good but maybe we should take time a little to consider what our needs are more than our desires.
Let’s take a look at the men. They desire a muscular body. It reflects strength and power and is part of most men’s psyche. Yet 180,000 men a year die from heart disease. What good is a muscular corpse? Now with that in mind it becomes clear that their need is to exercise and strengthen their hearts, the most important muscle in their body. There are of course other factors involved in heart disease, smoking, high blood pressure etc but with the correct exercise many of these risk factors can be reduced and in some cases eliminated. So maybe the men should take a close look at the women’s shopping list.
But that doesn’t mean that the women have got it right either. More women today are developing osteoporosis, a debilitating disease that literally destroys the bones. Yet scientific research has proved that weight-bearing exercises can prevent the onset of the disease and improve the condition in those that suffer from it. Yet most women would run a mile from weight training thinking that it will bulk them up, make them gain weight or hurt them and nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe it’s time to start pumping iron ladies.
In an ideal world both sexes should do both workouts if they wish to achieve optimum health and fitness and the good news is that either will improve overall appearance and a feeling of wellbeing. However the next time you are considering a piece of fitness equipment think carefully what it is that is really important to you.
Need help and advice?
Give the Fitness Options team a call on 0800 4580081 or email sales@fitnessoptions.co.uk. You can also visit our 5000sq ft showroom in Nottinghamshire to see everything we offer and speak to the team. We help you get the right gym equipment for you.