by
Melanie Mendelson
I
often get e-mails from people asking what
exercise machine they need to buy in order
to start exercising. My answer to this is
that no machine can magically make you exercise.
Some
people exercise without any machines or equipment.
Some people buy a machine, and use it for
their workouts. But a huge number of people
buy those expensive machines and end up using
them as clothes' hangers!
The
people who only use their exercise machines
to hang their clothes usually feel guilty
about not using them for their true purpose.
But despite the guilt, most often they can't
overcome their laziness. So the machine just
ends up sitting there, taking up space and
gathering dust. The owners don't get rid of
it for a while, naively hoping that one day
they will use it.
Then
finally one day this machine is sold at a
garage sale for a bargain price... and the
new happy owner takes it away... The new owner
uses it a few times, and then starts piling
clothes on it. And the cycle continues.
Does
it sound familiar?
So
why do people do that? The answer is that
they use the lack of an exercise machine to
justify why they don't exercise. They think
there is an external solution (exercise machine)
to their internal problem (too lazy to exercise).
After the machine is bought, the internal
problem remains. A person who did not want
to exercise without a machine is just as unlikely
to exercise with a machine.
To
avoid the waste of your money and the guilt
trip, do the following:
*
BEFORE you respond to that TV ad pitching
the machine for the entire 30 minutes
*
BEFORE you make that trip to the local sports
store and listen to the salesman's lecture
*
BEFORE you spend hours on the internet searching
for exercise equipment reviews and opinions
.....ask
yourself - will you REALLY use the machine
on a regular basis?
Be
honest with yourself, and you will save a
lot of money, hassles and disappointment.
If
you decide against buying an exercise machine,
that certainly does not mean that you cannot
start exercising right now. There are plenty
of ways to exercise without any equipment.
Some activities you can do are walking, jogging,
rope jumping, stair climbing, dancing, free
weights, pushups, situps and more.
Once
you become more active and start exercising
on a regular basis, you will have a more objective
view on what kind of additional equipment
you need. At this point, you will know exactly
what machine to buy to bring your exercise
program to a new level.
Melanie
Mendelson is one of those select few people
who succeeded in losing weight and keeping
it off. She lost 23 lbs and got down to her
ideal weight, and she reveals all her weight
loss secrets in her special guide. Visit Melanie's
site at http://www.practical-weight-loss.com
