The ICON employs more than 2500 staffs in 9 global locations with the head office at Logan, Utah. The company has firm grips over the fitness industry and conquered the world with several famous brands with specialty fitness, exercise and sports equipment. Founded in 1977 as Weslo, Inc. to manufacture kitchenware and domestic equipment the company expanded tremendously in the eighties when there was revolution in the fitness industry. The famous Weider Health and Fitness took over them in 1988 and expanded the business of manufacturing fitness equipment, but released after two years to a part of Bain Capital, Inc. from Boston. They coined the new name ICON Health and Fitness, Inc. Later the ICON expanded more by acquiring the brand NordicTrack and later FreeMotion Fitness, Inc to add up their range of quality home-in and commercial fitness goods.

The ICON has wide range of fitness equipment such as Treadmills, Ellipticals, Exercise Bikes and Strength Training for both in-house and commercial purpose under several famous specialty brands. They are NordicTrack, ProForm, Weider, Healthrider, Premotion Fitness, Image, Weslo, Epic, Reebok, Gold’s Gym and iFit.

The Weider brand is specialized for strength training equipment. They are trusted over 25 years for manufacturing high quality Weight Benches, All-in-One system and other weight training equipment that will surely give you the Weider quality performance. Kettle Bells, Free Weights, Home Gyms and relevant power training products come under this brand.

The Weider 40lb Powerbell and Weider 20lb Powerbell are weight adjustable kettle bells that can be personalized for various types of workouts. The SpaceSaver® Design increases its utility and a user DVD and Elite Fitness journal is provided with them. As these kettle bells have loose adjustable weight plates they are also used for free weight training. The Weider Powermax is free weight that comes with special door attachment for multiple training processes, movable push-up stand and two Abs and Core straps. The PINK Fitness Workout Kit comes with free weight plates, user manual, journal and accessories for weight training freak ladies.

The Weider Home Gym range has several specialized products such as Weider X-Factor (WXF09) which may be used commercially and comes with lifetime warranty. The in-home version is WXF092 which has been modified over the WXF09 model to house a big seat with seat back. Weider Club Bench, Weider C720 System and Weider Club 8980 W system are other popular home gym models.

The Weight Bench models are Weider 220 W, Weider Club 290 W, Club Sidekick, Weider Club 190 Bench, Pro 250 Bench or Combo Set and the most popular of this category Pro 230 Bench.

Weider’s most popular products are power strength products and Total Body Works 5000 and CLUBTM Inversion System that has advanced features of InvertSelect(TM) and AxisSelect(TM) for adjusting rotation and centre of gravity for practicing excellent inversion exercises, are most popular among them. Others in this category are Weider 290 Power Tower and Weider 390 Power Tower.

Praveen is a professional online writer. Over the years he has helped and guided people in going online as a means of making their livelihood. You can get to know tips from him by reading this guide: Work Online This Way

Fitness boot camps are short and focused training sessions wherein you get to undergo vigorous and rigorous exercises. Many fitness training institutes hold such camps pretty regularly to rope in more customers and hence increase their business. It is often an advantageous opportunity for fitness freaks as it is more concentrated and specific than a normal training session in a gym. On the flip side, it may not be right for all individual needs. Since it is short, fitness boot camps involve stringent work-outs that may get over taxing to some. If you are willing to go for one, you will do well to weigh the options and decide which camp would be the best suited to your needs.

Listed below are three points that you need to consider while choosing the best fitness boot camp:

Set your Goals: Before you decide to join a fitness program, the first task is to determine why you want to join one. What is it that you want to achieve through this boot camp? Is it because you want to lose weight, or is it because you want to get a disciplined fitness training regimen? Once you are clear about your goals, start looking for a camp that will assist you in achieving them.

Research: Look at the features and work out programs that the fitness centers are offering. Run a search on the Web if required. Boot camps comprise of some intense exercises and can be very exhausting. Make sure that it will be alright for your health. You do not want to end up lying on bed after a fit of exercising! Also have a look at the credibility of the fitness trainer who is going to conduct it. If possible, ask for feedback from people already training under him.

Evaluate Whether your Body is Fit For a Fitness Boot Camp: The exercises in a boot camp is often very pain staking. If you already have a torn ligament or a fractured bone, it is best not to go in for one. It might worsen the condition of your health. A good idea is to consult a physician who will help you to determine your body tolerance. If you find that your body constitution does not allow you to indulge in a meticulous session of exercising, do not enroll in a boot camp. Over taxing your body may show negative results. So, always do as much as you are comfortable with.

If you already have a personal trainer, he will be the best person to guide you to the right choice as far as fitness program is concerned. Remember that a boot camp is not a place for light exercising. Don’t stretch your body too far in your attempt to reach your fitness goals. Rather make an informed and well-thought-out decision!

Author operates a Chino Hills boot camp to help local residents get in shape and lose weight.

For weight loss tips and exercise opportunities be sure to drop by his site and blog.

Those who want to perform a fitness ab workout have three options. The first is stretching exercises. This group of fitness exercises is often used as a warm-up for performing routines. Performing neck and shoulder stretches, chest and arm stretches, and leg stretches help prepare body parts that you will use when performing ab exercises. They are crucial in avoiding strain and injury. Your second option is resistance training. This fitness exercise group uses resistance to make a person fit. Some resistance training routines like triceps curls and forward arms race use free weights. Other exercises use exerciser’s own weight. More familiar exercises in this subgroup are crunches and sit-ups.

Apart from stretching and resistance training, you can also use aerobics as a fitness ab workout. Aerobics sessions, running, swimming, and walking are common examples of this group of fitness exercises. Aerobics, which combines stretching and strength exercises with rhythmic movements, is performed longer but with less intensity.

When you select a fitness exercise, be sure to remember the following tips. These tips will enable you to work out your midsection while performing fitness exercises. They are also meant to keep you away from injury. The first tip is to use core muscles to maintain posture. For example, if you want to use running as fitness ab workout, be sure to stand straight when doing it. Maintaining a straight posture will force your core muscles – where abdominal muscles are grouped into – to work and be developed. Proper posture when running means the back is relaxed on the spine and the shoulders are straight. Doing this will strengthen your abdominal and other core muscles.

Also, be sure to breathe well when performing a fitness ab workout. One of the purposes of doing a fitness workout is to burn fat. You will be able to burn fat by increasing the oxygen in your blood, which is done by breathing well. For example, if you are walking, breathe in through your nose and allow your shoulders to expand in the process. Then, breathe out through your mouth. While you exhale, don’t forget to tighten your abdominal muscles. Targeting or contracting abs at this point will give them a workout. You can use this method of breathing for other fitness exercises, not only for walking.

Lastly, be sure to raise the intensity of the fitness workout as time goes by. This same principle is followed in other exercises, especially in doing a fitness ab workout. This means that before you run fast, you must run slow; Before you run slow, you must jog; before you jog, you must walk fast; and so on. Fitness exercises like these are a good way to achieve six pack or sexy tummy you desire.

Adam M. Brown is a fitness expert. For information on correct fitness ab workout, visit http://www.BuildPerfectAbs.com.

Although I’ve worked in fitness centers for over 30 years, in reality, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive health club or fitness center memberships, or the latest fitness center memberships, or the latest fitness equipment, to increase your level of physical fitness.

On the other hand, many people find it difficult to concentrate; say at home, when there are many other distractions. Also, people sometimes find that making a financial commitment increases their chances of following thru long-term.

Fitness centers are designed, built, and equipped to appeal to a broad range of individuals. After all, member ship sales pay the bills.

However, not all centers operate in the same manner. Many require contracts that are legally binding, and require monthly payments, for the length of the contract. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that scenario, in fact it’s very common. The point is, if you’re going to sign on the dotted line, it’s important, that the health club you’ve chosen is right for you.

Location
People make all kinds of excuses not to work out, with proximity to home or work very high on the list. Research has shown that most people won’t travel more than eight miles or eight minutes to work out. Since an exercise an exercise program requires consistency, a convenient location is a must.

Hours of Operation
If you prefer to exercise at a particular time of day, remember to look closely at the day and hours of operation. Also, visit the club prior to joining at the time of day you’re most likely to attend. Is it crowded then?

Equipment and Amenities
With your personal fitness goals in mind, shop around and compare equipment, locker rooms, classes, etc. How about a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam or sauna? Are these in good working order? Have you any interests there?
There should be a wide array of both cardiovascular and strength equipment, as you’ll want to have the opportunity to change your routine periodically, and use different pieces of equipment. That will help keep you interested and motivated.

Cost
Shopping around allows you to compare what you’re getting, to what you’re paying. Newer clubs with newer equipment, a wide variety of amenities, will probably cost more per month, but you never know, so look around. I like clubs that charge an all-inclusive monthly fee, that allows you use of the entire facility. Usually the only additional charge would be for the personal training or massages, which is true everywhere.

Personnel
How were you treated as you looked around? Did the employees seem attentive to members, helpful and friendly? If you want to learn a new machine or piece of equipment, is someone available to demonstrate? You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable asking for assistance in your own club.

While we’re on the topic of fitness center’s employees, pay special attention to the exercise specialists education, experience, and professional certification. Knowing why to do a particular exercise is just as important as how to perform it. Also, are they C.P.R. certified, and is an Automatic Defibrillator available, in case of emergency?

Membership
Certain fitness centers attract a specific kind of member. Bodybuilders are attracted by lots of free weights, as their main purpose in building large muscles. On the other hand, senior citizens are much more comfortable with selectorized machines, and a good choice of cardiovascular equipment. These clubs will have a totally different feel, as the business adapts to the majority of its members, and the fitness center takes on a personality of its own. Make sure which center you’re most comfortable in, before joining.

Cleanliness
There is a wide variation among fitness centers, as far as cleanliness is concerned. My experience has shown that hospital-based fitness facilities are generally the cleanest, which makes sense. Again, you want to be somewhere, that you’re comfortable and safe, and where the owners take pride in their fitness center.
Again, all health/fitness centers are not created equal. Find the one that fits your wants and needs, attend consistently and look and feel better, as you build on your personal fitness program.

Gregory Camp is a Director of Wellness, with 30 years experience in health/ fitness/ wellness with a large non-profit healthcare system in the state of Florida. Would you like to learn about a cardiac and weight loss program that is safe and effective? Learn how to dramatically improve your body imagine and lose the weight that you have always wanted.
http://www.fitnessishealth.com

In many ways, fitness is the same to health. Modern living requires good health and to achieve such state, a person must stay fit. Good health and fitness need to be consistent. When a person is fit, then that person is considered healthy; and if a person is healthy, his or her fitness level naturally goes up.

But if fitness only pertains to health it’s insufficient. Have you heard about the Evolution Theory? It states that only the fit of all species can survive and pass their genes. So fitness is not entirely about health; you should also suit the environment that you live, anytime and anywhere. Therefore, a person should be able to adapt to any environment in order to survive, together with proper fitness exercises.

Oftentimes, people ignore the importance of fitness. They overlook their responsibility to stay fit. Perhaps they don’t know the benefits of ‘anytime fitness’. Life holds a lot of pleasure for individuals; but if you’re always ill you can’t enjoy such pleasures of life.

Is fitness anytime possible? Well, of course it is; I now that I have meat friends that have a workout regime in the morning before they leave for work each morning. You will surely improve your life, look fresher, don’t fear any form of infection, and no worries if your car broke down; at least you get to walk an extra few blocks before reaching your home.

Think of every situation as an opportunity to stay fit and this is the key to fitness anytime. You can make the most out of your independence, have peace of mind, and you’re quite confident that you can handle everything.

Training for fitness focuses primarily on the different groups of muscles of every human being; this results to muscular fitness, aerobic fitness, and increases stability and flexibility. There are other factors to consider before deciding to do a physical activity, like your physical capability. Do check with your doctor before performing any activity that requires physical strength.

Aerobic exercises are of different kinds. You can do running, dancing, swimming, or even cycling. Make sure that you limit your exercise to about 30-40 minutes every day. In order for your muscles to display endurance and strength, focus more on muscular fitness. You can better enhance your muscular fitness if you do some strength training; this will result to an increase in mass of your lean muscles.

Related to your muscle strength’s core are balance and stability. Do exercises that can help in making your muscles tough, especially for your trunk area. With fitness training, you can also achieve flexibility. By doing exercise like pulling and stretching, your muscles can function in its widest possible range. You can try tai chi or yoga, they are great stretching exercises.

Another important factor is eating a well-balanced diet. With all these factors present, you can totally experience fitness anytime and anywhere.

I have been interested in keeping fit all my life and want to pass on to other the joys of working out.

For 24 hour fitness visit HERE

Fitness Combats Chronic Diseases

Fitness is the key to combating various chronic diseases such as heart diseases, osteoporosis etc. Physical activity also helps in managing the blood pressure level and cholesterol level. Maintaining proper fitness will also help in boosting the good cholesterols (HDL) in the body, thus allowing the blood to flow smoothly through the arteries.

Fitness Helps In Managing Weight

Daily fitness regime will help you lose all your excess weight as physical activity helps in burning calories. If we maintain proper fitness level by exercising daily, we will be able to keep our weight under control easily. You don’t even have to devote a lot of time to exercising. Just keep yourself fit by taking stairs and not using elevators, walking during free time and doing jumping jack during the commercials.

Fitness Boosts Energy Level

If you end up tired after doing household chores or grocery shopping, it is an indication that your fitness level is not up to the mark. Carry out regular physical exercises to improve your fitness and in turn, it will enhance your energy level. Physical activity is important as it delivers nutrients and oxygen to our tissues and makes the flow of blood more efficient. Thus, we get more energy to carry out all tasks if we are fit.

Fitness Promotes Better Sleep

Those who face difficulty in falling asleep at night should boost their fitness level by increasing their daily physical activity. Having a good night sleep is important as it improves our mood, concentration as well as productivity. Regular physical activity not just helps one in falling asleep but also deepens our sleep.

Fitness Puts Spark Back In Your Sex Life

Many people often feel too tired to have sex at the end of the day. To counter this problem, fitness and physical activity is the answer. Since fitness makes us feel more energized, it has a good effect on our sex life as well. In fact, high level of fitness can result in enhanced arousal in women and fit men are less likely to face any issues such as erectile dysfunction.

Now that you know that benefits of fitness, it is time to start reaping its benefits for good health and weight loss.

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Fitness Programs for Children with Obesity

Obesity has always been a major problem for a lot of people but over the years there has been a disturbing increase in the number of children who suffer from this condition. This year will bring about continued and focused efforts to address childhood obesity, especially as studies show this condition can cross over to adulthood.

Skilled and Certified Personal Trainers and Fitness Experts

Even as personal training has become more affordable and readily accessible, people are also becoming more discerning of the services that they acquire. There is a growing demand for fitness professionals with credible certification. People don’t take wellness lightly and are unwilling to compromise on the quality of fitness programs that they choose.

Pilates

Pilates continues to be a popular choice because it is not only limited to keeping you in top physical form. It also addresses issues such as injury prevention, improving flexibility and stress management. Not only do you become stronger, you are more relaxed.

Employee Wellness Programs

Corporations continue to extend the benefits that they provide to their employees in the form of a well-devised wellness scheme, and why not? Studies show that wellness programs can increase employee productivity, which in the long run spells benefits for companies as well.

Sweat-It-Out Activities

Strength training, indoor cycling, core training – these are just some of the programs designed to strengthen your body and get the most activity out of you. There are also workouts designed to improve stability such as balance training and the use of stability balls.

Fitness Programs for Seniors

More of the retirement-age and elderly population are getting in on the action to make sure they stay in top form throughout their golden years. A lot of these programs are geared specifically to seniors and baby boomers so people are assured they get the most out of their fitness scheme, plus there are no fears of over-exertion.
Functional Fitness

Simply put, functional fitness is a workout program that improves your capability to do everyday tasks such as doing household chores, gardening or running errands. These exercise activities are not limited to the use of exercise machines and some may even incorporate role playing where individuals do the actual daily tasks.

Sensible Weight Loss

Weight loss programs become more focused on achieving overall well-being as opposed to get-thin-quick schemes. A sensible weight loss program encourages people to eat well as well as incorporate exercise into their daily routine.

Other trends to watch out for this year are the:

Keeping in top shape has always been an important goal for individuals, whether it is for managing stress, keeping old age at bay or simply as a means of looking and feeling good. This year proves no different and while there are new programs to look forward to, there is also a seemingly deeper emphasis on the good old back-to-basics, sweat-it-out programs. Gone are the days when people switched to the pill for a quick fix to their fitness problems. So what does the new year bring to the fitness lifestyle?

Fitness Programs for Children with Obesity

Obesity has always been a major problem for a lot of people but over the years there has been a disturbing increase in the number of children who suffer from this condition. This year will bring about continued and focused efforts to address childhood obesity, especially as studies show this condition can cross over to adulthood.

Skilled and Certified Personal Trainers and Fitness Experts

Even as personal training has become more affordable and readily accessible, people are also becoming more discerning of the services that they acquire. There is a growing demand for fitness professionals with credible certification. People don’t take wellness lightly and are unwilling to compromise on the quality of fitness programs that they choose.

Pilates

Pilates continues to be a popular choice because it is not only limited to keeping you in top physical form. It also addresses issues such as injury prevention, improving flexibility and stress management. Not only do you become stronger, you are more relaxed.

Employee Wellness Programs

Corporations continue to extend the benefits that they provide to their employees in the form of a well-devised wellness scheme, and why not? Studies show that wellness programs can increase employee productivity, which in the long run spells benefits for companies as well.

Sweat-It-Out Activities

Strength training, indoor cycling, core training – these are just some of the programs designed to strengthen your body and get the most activity out of you. There are also workouts designed to improve stability such as balance training and the use of stability balls.

Fitness Programs for Seniors

More of the retirement-age and elderly population are getting in on the action to make sure they stay in top form throughout their golden years. A lot of these programs are geared specifically to seniors and baby boomers so people are assured they get the most out of their fitness scheme, plus there are no fears of over-exertion.
Functional Fitness

Simply put, functional fitness is a workout program that improves your capability to do everyday tasks such as doing household chores, gardening or running errands. These exercise activities are not limited to the use of exercise machines and some may even incorporate role playing where individuals do the actual daily tasks.

Sensible Weight Loss

Weight loss programs become more focused on achieving overall well-being as opposed to get-thin-quick schemes. A sensible weight loss program encourages people to eat well as well as incorporate exercise into their daily routine.

Other trends to watch out for this year are the:

1. buddy system training
2. sport-specific training and;
3. wellness coaching.

Benedict recommends Supplement Centre for your sports supplements from companies like ProLab and Maximuscle. For a lighter exercise why not practice your Golf Swing with Dream Swing.

Exercise helps to forestall diseases. One of the main advantages of physical fitness exercise is that it helps to maintain moderate blood sugar. Some diabetics who follows a regular fitness routine need not take medicine at all. He/she can find that their blood sugar level reduces to a great extent. Physical exercise is also helpful to obese people.

Apart from physical fitness exercise you will also have to take proper care of your diet. Proper nutritious diet together with fitness exercise and proper rest to the body will result in a good healthy life.

Physical workouts are important to maintain a healthy and attractive body. It is also important for your general health and well being. A regular amount of exercise and activity is required for your body to strengthen and stay fit and healthy. This will help you to live longer than you would otherwise do.

The five elements of fitness exercise are:

Cardiovascular survival is the first work out fitness exercise. This means the ability of the body to carry oxygen and nutrients to the tissues in the body. It also means the capability of the body to discharge the wastes from the body over affirmed periods of time. The cardiovascular exercise includes but not limited to running, walking, skating and bicycling. You can do any exercise which helps your body to warm up and your heart going. The cardiovascular exercise is usually practiced as a warm up activity before any workout for the body is done. Cardiovascular fitness exercise helps in improving stamina of the body. They also help in trimming and toning of the legs, thighs and hips.

Muscular Strength:

The second type of fitness exercise is to maintain muscular strength. Muscular strength means the ability of the muscles to wield force for a brief point of time. Muscular endurance is the power of a muscle or group of muscles, to be capable to maintain iterated compressions or to proceed to employ force against a neutral object.

Flexibility:

Flexibility is a crucial type of physical fitness workout. It deals with the body’s flexibility. This refers to the power to move joints and make use of your muscles through the full range of movement. Workouts for tractability are the part of a good physical fitness plan.

Body Composition:

Lastly a physical fitness program or exercise should also consider the body composition. Composition means lean mass and fat mass of the body. Exercise aiming for the body composition is an important part of your physical fitness. You should be able to perform the correct set of workouts for your own body. This will help you to maintain the right composition of body.

Chris McCombs runs a business providing Personal Training in Huntington Beach. At one time Chris was 143 pounds overweight. Chris lost the weight and started his own fitness business Positively Fit Inc. He also runs a Orange County Fitness Boot Camp. You can learn more about Chris at http://www.socalworkout.com/personal_trainer_huntington_beach.html

Eugen Sandow The Non Pareil (1867 – 1925) Born in Germany, Eugen Sandow has often been called “Father of Modern Bodybuilding”. Like Charles Atlas, as a youth, Sandow was a great admirer of Greek and Roman statues depicting athletes and gladiators. Sandow is considered to be a pioneer in bodybuilding because he measured statues to determine exact proportions and then worked to develop his own body parts to match them. In his late teens, while performing in strongman shows, he was spotted and taken on by legendary showman Florenz Ziegfeld. His big splash in America was at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. His intelligence, natural charm, and cultured appearance combined with his astounding physique and strength made him a star. Women actually paid him money for the privilege of feeling his muscles. For the men, he wrote widely on health, fitness, and bodybuilding. He, like Bernarr Macfadden and Charles Atlas offered a mail order course teaching his students how to achieve health and fitness. He eventually opened a progressive fitness club in London which stood in stark contrast to the dank, dark, and sweaty gyms of the day. Through his personality and innovation, he made exercise and physical fitness popular for a broader audience than had previously been reached.

Bernarr Macfadden (1868 – 1955) Born Bernard Adolphus McFadden in the state of Missouri, Bernarr Macfadden changed his first and last names because he felt that the new names had a greater appearance of strength. This was not the only strange activity of the man who advocated regular fasting, and some very esoteric health practices for the day and whose wife called him a kook. He combined his own personal views of fitness training and health practices into an entity he referred to as “Physical Culture” which became the title of his first magazine. He eventually became a bit of a publishing mogul, but was usually considered to be skirting the edges of reality in his obsessive approach to physical fitness. However, he inspired young men like Charles Atlas and brought the idea of health and fitness as a way of life to a broader portion of the public.

Charles Atlas (1892 – 1972) was born Angelo Siciliano in 1892 in Acri, Calabria, Southern Italy. In 1905, his parents emigrated to America with young Angelo. A few years later, he had changed his first name to “Charles” when he won a photo competition in a magazine run by the creator of “Physical Culture”, Bernarr Macfadden. Young Charles was inspired to improve his physique.by Greek statues he saw at the Brookly Art Gallery. His first attempts at fitness was with improvised barbells made of sticks and stones. His observation of animals in the zoo, however, led him to base a series of fitness actions on their apparent means of maintaining their fitness in captivity. He called his discovery Dynamic Tension and went on to market his program to thousands of boys and men. On the path to becoming “Charles Atlas”, he posed for statues of Atlas. Some of which were exhibited in the museum where he found his initial inspiration. At the time of his death, he was still exercising daily and running every other day. His course on Dynamic Tension had been the inspiration for over three million men and boys.

Bob Hoffman (1898 – 1985) Bob Hoffman is considered by many to be “Father of World Weightlifting” and was the founder of York Barbell. He was an athlete, nutritionist, weightlifter, coach and philanthropist. Although an exceptional athlete as a young boy, the mature Bob Hoffman was never a great weightlifter or coach. However, his vision, sense of purpose, and personal belief in the value of weightlifting led him to create York Barbell, a company which was long recognized as the leader in the manufacture of weightlifting equipment and which is still in existence today. while many felt his writings and opinions were “over the top”, his personal bravery and willingness to face adversity was shown not only in his later life as he espoused and defended his positions, but also during World War I where he was awarded three Croix de Guerres with two palms and a silver star from France, The Belgian Order of Leopold by Belgium, the Italian War Cross by Italy, and the Purple Heart by America.

Jack LaLanne (1914 – present) Francois Henri LaLanne, better known to the American public as Jack and considered the “godfather of fitness”, had a widely viewed TV show in the 1950′s. Interestingly, his show was probably seen and followed by more women than men, and he may have been instrumental in promoting the idea that women could “get fit”. Unlike many of the earlier proponents of fitness, Jack LaLanne studied his field very carefully and introduced what he felt his studies told him was the proper way to do things. He is still active in fitness today, marketing a wide line of fitness and nutritional products.

Joe Weider (1922 – present) Joe Weider is probably one of the most easily recognized figures in the field of bodybuilding today. He has been credited with not only being a driving force in the fields of body building and fitness, but has helped the careers of innumerable bodybuilders, not the least of which was a young Austrian named Arnold Schwarzenegger. He began his own fitness career by building his first barbells out of junked car wheels and axles. At age 17, with a stake of $7, he began his publishing career by rolling out the first issue of “Your Physique” in 1939. In 1968, he changed the name of the magazine to Muscle Builder, and in 1982 changed it again, this time to “Muscle & Fitness”. Together with his brother and partner, Ben Weider, Joe Weider founded the International Federation of Body Builders (IFBB). His publications now include such diverse offerings as “Shape”, “Men’s Fitness”, “Living Fit”, “Prime Health and Fitness”, “Fit Pregnancy”, “Cooks”, “Senior Golfer”, and “Flex”. Weider now offers a broad range of books on fitness and bodybuilding, nutritional supplements, and bodybuilding and weight lifting equipment and accessories.

Kenneth Cooper (1931 – present) A doctor (MD) and former Air Force officer, Dr. Ken Cooper is probably most widely known for his book, “Aerobics” which was published in 1968 and which was a driving force in getting me interested in fitness. Dr. Cooper’s down-to-earth description of what he called the “Training Effect” as well as a formatted process by which one could achieve health and fitness coupled with vivid descriptions of what the personal effects would be for someone pursuing a fitness program, made his book a success. In fact, some have speculated that Kenneth Cooper’s simple little book, “Aerobics”, may have been the impetus which put physical fitness into the minds and hearts of millions around the world. Today, Dr. Cooper is the head of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas.

Richard Simmons (1948 – present) Flamboyant is one word commonly used to describe the bouncy, incessantly cheerful aerobics guru, Richard Simmons. It has been estimated that Richard Simmons has helped and encouraged people around the world to lose over 3,000,000 pounds through a combination of healthy eating and energetic exercise. Simmons has produced several programs, such as “Disco Sweat”, “Sweatin’ to the Oldies”, and “Stretchin’ to the Classics” that all include his humor and signature high level of excitement. He has created instructional products and programs that range from gentle stretching for the elderly to highly intense aerobic workouts. My wife, who hates exercise, loves Richard Simmons and actually got to where she could follow some very intense routines although she had to begin by sitting on the couch and just making the hand movements.

Jane Fonda (1937 – present) Many would not recognize the famous star of such films as “Barbarella” and “Coming Home”, and daughter of actor Henry Fonda, as a fitness pioneer or guru. For many years she was better known as an actress with a sexy body, a big name, and intense political views. However, beginning in 1982 and continuing into the mid 90′s, Ms. Fonda released several fitness videos which became very popular, particularly with women. In fact, today, many people who know of Jane Fonda know her more as a proponent of fitness, health, exercise, yoga, and aerobics than as a famous movie star. While Jane Fonda made no immediate contributions to the science of health and fitness, she, like Richard Simmons, was able to elevate its stature among a large female audience and helped make it fashionable to work out, sweat, be fit, AND feminine. Jane Fonda may have helped move the public awareness of the value and virtues of exercise and fitness to the point where many people now consider a physically fit woman to be a sexy woman just by virtue of her fitness.

Well, there you have it. Nine people who in some way positively affected, altered, or enhanced the fields of body building, weight lifting, aerobics, or physical fitness in general.

Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting, yoga, weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life. You can learn more about weight lifting at http://nodiet4me.com/weightlifting.

You can view part of one of Bernarr Macfadden’s works, “Vitality Supreme” at http://nodiet4me.com/physical_culture/

These  sources are explained below:

1. The 3 Most popular search engines.

Google, MSN and Yahoo have their own health portals. While the information available at these places may not be as detailed as you will find in the top health and fitness sites, they are still worth the effort to study and collect valuable data.

a. Google health portal is at: google.com/Top/Health/Fitness

Here you will find 6 websites listed, on health and fitness topics.

b. MSN health website is at: health.msn.com

Comprehensive, is the word to use, to describe this site. So many topics related to health and fitness find special mention and the site navigation is very simple and easy.This site looks very impressive and offers good content on different areas of health and fitness.

c. Yahoo’s health website has a similar URL as MSN. Just change MSN to yahoo

This site has, in addition to well compiled data , has videos to explain the details of health related topics. It is worthwhile Spending some time browsing through the site.

2. Ezines

Some of the ezines on health and fitness are packed with tremendous stuff. Browse through the list of ezines and subscribe to those that appeal to you. You can subscribe to more ezines and unsubscribe to those you are not happy with. At the end you will end up collecting sizable data which you should find pretty useful.

3. Health Portals Of TV News Channels

These websites are broad based about health topics. So details about  fitness specific topics will not be exhaustive.

Popular news channels CNN, BBC , NDTV and other similar sites across the net have their own portals for health and fitness. Browse these these sites and locate the right pages to get the information you are looking for. It doesn’t  take much time.

4. Websites for Senior’s health issues

Senior’s health issues need  special attention. Several sites provide information on this topic.

Check this site: seniorshealthandfitness.com

  The site gives links to some related sites from which you can pick up the information you need. In the case of seniors finding the right communities to be part of is a very rewarding search.

5. Information from other health systems.

Ayurveda health management system, from India, is considered to be one of the oldest and popular health systems. You can learn about how this system addresses fitness issues from the E-books and online courses, that are offered at these websites.They  will take you to the world of fitness from a different perspective. Another category of sites that treat fitness related issues from another angle that is gaining popularity nowadays is natural news. The approach here is natural health and natural living. Even if you have not tried ayurveda or any other natural healing systems earlier, you will be glad that you have learnt something about other health management systems, to improve your knowledge about health and fitness.

6. United States National Library Of Medicine

a. nlm.nih.gov/

This website is a government body and houses the largest medical library in the world. There is an in-house search engine which will get you the search results very fast. A must try website for anyone looking for information on health related subjects. Another website where you should look up is  that of American heart. When you discuss about health matters, the topic of heart will always crop up first. This website explains why regular physical activity is central to proper functioning of your heart. Here is another one; The website at answer bag has a huge community base, has 32 sections on health and fitness and lets you ask  questions which will be answered by experts!

Conclusion.

When you are through with these 6 resources you will be a very wise person–Fitness wise! It is possible you have visited some of these sites already. But, you will be thanking yourself, for being introduced to some of the resources mentioned in this article.

Rangarajan.C is an internet marketer and an off line business Consultant in Marketing and training. For information on a great fitness program, you can visit his blog at: http://www.15minutesadaytofitness.com/blog