Monthly Archives: May 2012

Do Heart Rate Monitors on Treadmills and Ellipticals Really Work?

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We have found that heart rate monitors aren’t perfect on most fitness equipment, but that does not mean that users should not use them! Heart Rate Monitors are tools to help users get a sample or running average of their heart rate.

There are several heart rate tools that can be found on most pieces of equipment or within a fitness store. The most commonly used monitors are those that clip to your ear or finger, grip/touch heart rate monitors, and the EKG/polar heart monitors with chest straps are worn on the chest area. The key to heart rate monitors and their accuracy is to select one based on your location and comfort.

Chest Heart Rate Monitor with EKG Signal

Many avid treadmill and road runners swear that the chest monitors are the most accurate due to the location of use. The chest heart rate monitor is a flexible, comfortable strap that is worn on the chest just below the bust line. The strap has built in electrodes and a transmitter that transmits to the monitor unit.

There are numerous advantages to the chest heart rate chest strap including a more reliable reading, very comfortable to wear, and many treadmills come with the technology to read the output and adjust speeds, incline and target heart rate within the console. In addition, the chest straps tend to have a more accurate reading for the same user on different machines.

The downside to chest EKG chest straps are the ability to be affected by TV’s, computers, electronic dog collars or anything that has an electric broadcast. If users get to close, the interference of electromagnetic radiation from motorized equipment will muck up all readings. Many health clubs choose to turn the chest monitor receivers off due to interference. We have found that if there are several people at a gym wearing the chest monitors you will need to keep your distance of about 2 ½ to 3 feet so that the monitors are not affected.

Electrical Detection of Heart Rate EKG Signal in Hand Area

Most all of us have used the heart rate monitors that collect signals through the hand area. The hand area is obviously much smaller than that of the chest area, but heart rate can be sensed in the palm and fingertips. Generally these monitors are found on the handle bars or grips of the machine and are usually metal.

The fantastic thing about this type of heart monitor is that it is self contained and can be used by anyone without training. Another benefit to the touch heart rate monitors is the ability to use target heart rate programs that the machine will control and maintain a max speed of your choice and a target heart rate of your choice.

The downside is that you must stop moving your hands so that you may get a proper reading. You also do not have a continuous reading of your heart rate, only a reading when placing your hands on the monitors. In addition to the inability to move naturally, there is a short delay in readout.

Besides the issues mentioned above, users also need to be aware that lotions, rings cold hands and the size of the grips all affect the readouts.

Many times users will find that the heart rate monitor is not reading when they are in a public facility. Gyms have a difficult time maintaining the pulse grips due to the issue of sweat corroding the electrodes.

Ear Lobe or Finger EKG Monitors

Ear lobe and finger monitors can come in many styles like a hand held unit or wrist watch style. The other monitor styles are included directly onto the exercise equipment. These monitors have small infrared sensors under a window on the surface of the monitor. The users place a thumb or finger tip onto the window and the sensors detect changes due to the pulsing of the blood in the capillaries.

The Earlobe monitor works in the same way, only with an ear clip.

This type of monitor is great for the ease of use and mobility. The other great aspect is that many people can use these in a gym setting. The downfall is that head movement or major movement can interfere with the proper readouts. Some also feel that the small wire is a bother while working out. The finger and ear lobe monitors also can vary due to a person’s circulation and age; therefore the accuracy is less than other methods.

The Verdict
Most people would agree that heart rate monitors give users a good idea of your heart rate. Please remember, all heart rate monitors are not foolproof for accuracy. The heart rate monitors listed in the link have been tested and found to be as accurate as medically possible by myself and colleagues. The monitors listed can all be purchased independently or many times will be included within fitness equipment.

If you are ever missing the monitor that came with your equipment, or need to repair an existing heart rate monitor, Treadmill Doctor.com offers many of the components to fix most all makes and models.

http://search.treadmilldoctor.com/search?keywords=heart+rate

Polar RS300X G1 Heart Rate Monitor Watch with G1 GPS Sensor (Black)

SAVE a TON of $$$$ with the Right Information!

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We have customers call in all the time with issues that could have been
completely avoided if they had done some research or called us prior to
acting on their well-meaning plans.

Avid treadmill users know the importance of maintaining their treadmills.
Unfortunately, many users have had to learn the hard way on their 1st go
around.

Larry was fairly new to the treadmill maintence game and was cleaning his
NordicTrack 505CST. He had read this was needed monthly. We had gotten
to know Larry fairly well when he was training for a marathon and was
using his treadmill more than average users. We had walked him thru
lubing his walking belt and changing a breaker when it was needed.

Larry observed that the motor hood was a bit worn looking and thought that
it would look great with a bit of Armor All. He began with the 505CST
motor hood, and was amazed at the huge difference it made in its
appearance! Wanting to spiff up the entire machine, he worked his way
over the entire treadmill, including the walking belt.

After completing the cleaning of the NordicTrack 505 CST, he was amazed at
the difference a little Armor All made in its appearance…….

The next day Larry decided to get on the machine as usual. As soon as he
did, he became very aware that the 505CST walking belt was exceptionally
slick! He realized that the more his shoes became coated in the Armor
All; the more he walked, the belt felt like walking ice. Larry got a towel and attempted to clean the walking belt and his shoes. No luck! He struggled for a bit longer with cleaning the coating off and tried to begin walking on the treadmill again. No luck! He could barely walk on the belt, let alone achieve the grip he would need to run.

Knowing that the treadmill belt was going to have to come off for cleaning
or replacement, he downloaded the instructions off of the
TreadmillDoctor.com site for replacing his treadmill belt. He decided
that is was worth a shot to try cleaning it again and invested $1.50 in
change and went to the carwash. He used the pressure washer on the
treadmill belt, and after a few seconds, the treadmill shredded like
shredded wheat cereal. Feeling completely defeated, he calls us to order
a new treadmill belt.

He received the belt quickly and works to replace the belt the day that it
arrives. Larry was pleased to see that the Treadmill Doctor walking belt
seemed to be much sturdier that the OEM belt from NordicTrack (we have a 2
step proprietary manufacturing process for additional durability).

He replaced the NordicTrack 505 CST walking belt without a hiccup, and
learned that shiny does not always mean better!

Do It Yourselfer’s: Treadmill Maintenance That Can Save You A Ton Of MONEY!

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We love the Do it yourself market!

The DIY’ers are our target market at Treadmill Doctor and we love that we can save people a ton of money on their fitness equipment repairs. However, sometimes a well-intended DIYer is misled by bad information they find on the web or by a lack of knowledge. We hope the following story will help at least one of you in your next treadmill repair experience.
John T. is a fantastic customer and has a huge assortment of fitness equipment in his home. He does a ton of the repairs himself, but when he gets stumped he calls us or has one of our guys come out. Knowing he is quite handy, when he calls into our call center he is usually calling for a quick question or to verify his own findings in troubleshooting. EXCEPT for the 1 time he chose to go with his gut!
John has a Proform 525 and had just called to order a new walking deck to replace the existing deck. He was thrilled to find out that our decks are reversible! He was able to save some money! John, excited about the savings, takes the treadmill apart and reverses the deck. We had always instructed John that if you replace a deck you most certainly should replace the belt.
New treadmill deck = New walking Belt
Commercial Treadmills are unique. If a belt or deck is changed, the corresponding part should also be changed. Residential treadmills are used only by the owners of the machine; therefore, users may change a walking belt without changing the deck, but only if the proper maintenance schedule has been maintained and the deck is still in good physical condition.
John, thinking that his Treadmill Doctor deck is reversible assumes the Proform 525 walking belt must be also! So he moves forward with the repair and reverses the 525’s walking belt inside out. He gets it put back together, and Voile! Looks like a new treadmill!
A day later, John starts his treadmill up and begins his workout. A few minutes into warm up, his treadmill shuts down! Puzzled, he checks the breaker, safety key, and outlet….everything is in working order. He was thrilled after checking these common culprits, the 525 starts up again! Within 3 to 5 minutes his machine shuts down yet again! He takes the motor cover off and turns the treadmill on again. He realizes that the thermo switch is opening up and shutting his machine down. John is knowledgeable about wiring and electricity. He decides to bypass the thermo switch. He turns the machine back on and walks a couple of minutes, he is pleased with himself! The machine is going strong for 8 minutes! Unfortunately, a few minutes later he smells a slight odor, and then sees smoke! He quickly shuts the machine down and looks to see what has occurred! Melted wires! The treadmill has over heated and is no longer functioning! Mortified, he calls our service department. He tells Steve everything that has occurred and waits for the diagnosis.
Steve tells John that the first error: no walking belt is reversible,….ever! The 2nd issue is that any bypass of a manufacturer overload protection is a sure fire way to void your warranty and experience “thermal impact” or complete overheating of your internal components.
The result:
After going thru the treadmill, Steve informs John that he will need to order a new Motor Control Board, new treadmill motor and new walking belt…total $349.97

Obesity in American Children: How can we become the role models our children need for improved health and happiness?

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When we were kids there were always a couple of chunky kids in class. I can say this because any given school year I was one of them! We may have teased or chose them last to play on a team, because they were different, odd and usually going thru some weird growth spurt that they themselves were having difficulty in dealing.
Currently, 1 in 3 kids are considered overweight or obese! That is a 3rd of your kids’ classmates! Everybody contributes the weight gain in kids to lack of activity, video games and Internet; which to be sure, those factors don’t help! We as parents are a huge part of the problem! We are not exactly the best role models to our kids, and in turn, our children have no idea how to make regular physical activity a part of their everyday lives.
We as adults have too many choices on how to spend our time. Not sure about you, but personally I have many things I prefer to do than get my regular cardio in daily. Therefore, our children have no motivation to get outside and move. Whether the activity is riding bikes, playing cops and robbers or tag we are not moving as our bodies were intended. Besides the lack of activity, the food choices out there are abysmal! Tackling both issues is too overwhelming, so we just do nothing.
The movement aspect is easier to overcome and a lot more fun to address first. The diet part always seems to fall in place if the activity level is brought about. Most of us don’t want a heavy meal after taking part in a strenuous activity. In addition, our serotonin levels are brought up, making your urge to eat unhealthy foods lower.

A few helpful tips for parents are as follows:

Make sure your child knows that they are loved, important and special regardless of their weight.
Listen to your child. If there is something they are upset or concerned about, talking to an adult is much better therapy than a bag of potato chips. Humans under stress crave “feel good foods”. It is normal, but it can be avoided by reducing that stress with talk therapy, and physical exercise.
Bring the kids with you when you go to the market to shop for food. Learn to read labels, have a contest with yourselves and only shop the outside aisles of the market. Avoid the interior of the store completely. The interior aisles are jam packed with high sugar, calorie laden foods that are causing some of the issues we are currently experiencing.
A pre-adolescent child is not ready for heavy exercise, but riding bikes, jumping rope, bouncing a ball or dancing are perfect activities to start everyone with and move forward accordingly.
All humans need at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. This means adults AND children. You don’t have to get the 60 min all at once, break it up into manageable periods of activity. Most importantly, show your kids that you are following the 1 hour a day rule and expect that they will do the same. Make it a game and log in your activities and times, the winner each week gets to choose a prize, a meal or an outing.
Honestly, if children are given the opportunity to move and play with us as parents, they will choose us over any video game 9 out of 10 times. We as parents can at least take the time to introduce our kids to an hour of no technology every day. Not only are we creating memories, communication and good habits, but adults need to unplug ourselves from society as much as our children.

We will all benefit as parents, as children and as a society.

Is it really possible to walk while you work?

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Currently, a few of my office mates and me happened to be looking at a couple of ideas to lose some additional weight that would be relatively easy, and even better, allowing us to multitask! With the buzz about the Trek Desk we thought …

”how great it would be to finish your workout while you are still at work!”

Bonus: you could skip the gym 1 to 2 times a week and you could save a ton of time!
For someone like myself who is not the most graceful; this seemed like a good idea! We could walk, type, think, and talk on the phone! So a few of us thought we would try it out!
The Trek Desk is pretty cool, because you can use it with your existing treadmill. It runs a little under $500 and is easy to fold up and store if needed. It is so popular that Amazon.com has a difficult time keeping them in stock! It is one of the most reasonably priced treadmill desks on the market and holds up to 55 lbs. Another excellent feature of the Trek Desk….it is adjustable! It is adaptable for someone that is 5’4 up to 6’4. This made it even more comfortable than my current desk!
We got it out of the box and it is a bit heavy. The Trek Desk weighs in at 58 lbs. This treadmill desk is much easier to set up with 2 people, but certainly 1 person could handle it.
One detail that you may want to take a look at on your existing treadmill is the lowest speed setting. Most will run from 0.5 to 10+ MPH, but some start at 1 MPH. Our thoughts are that most people would need to have a treadmill that will go as slow as 0.5 MPH.
We undoubtedly needed this slow speed to get used to the walking and typing portion of the “walk while you work” skill. Once we did this for about an hour the repetition seemed to make the working and walking simultaneously and quite effortless! And this is coming from an A1 klutz!
There are a few other treadmill desks out there ranging anywhere from $250 up to $3K, but this one has the feel of a real desk with the wrap around design and the 3 level file folder, cup holders and the manuscript holder included, you have everything one needs to start walking while you work!

We will keep you posted on weight loss, mood results, and any other fantastic (or funny) incidents that may happen.

M

Sole Treadmills and Ellipticals lower pricing than ever before……for a limited time only!

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Sole fitness, Dicks Sporting Goods Retails locations and Sears are having a HUGE sale on all of their Treadmills, Elliptical and Exercise Bikes!

Moving around the Internet like I do, looking for great buys on fitness equipment I fell upon Solefitness.com! I had heard grumblings about Dicks dropping their brand and confirmed this information just recently.
The meat behind the story is that Sole Fitness and Dick’s Sporting Goods have been in bed together for about 8 years. Dick’s liked the fact that Sole equipment had a good standing in the internet market and the fact that Sole was only sold online, therefore the Dick’s Sporting Goods had the opportunity to be the only retail outlet that a consumer could visit to try out a Sole Fitness piece of equipment! A few years later Johnson Health Tech began courting Dicks Sporting Goods and had a brand spanking new line with a very recognizable name, Lance Armstrong and the LiveStrong Brand! Dicks Sporting Goods Stores, being the smart and savvy company they are, bit and gobbled up the Livestrong Brand. In turn this hurt Sole Fitness and the market share they had with Dick’s.
Sole Fitness, not wanting to lose their share of the pie offered Sears rights to sell their products online and in stores. This did not sit well with Dicks! Sears is also known for undercutting their competition, and did just that! They cut the already low price of Soles Fitness Equipment by 10 to 30%. So, Dicks decided to cut loose Sole from their online and retail locations. Sole was not aware of how mad this would make Momma Dick and with the extra inventory Sole is carrying; the consumers will reap the rewards! Dicks still has some of Soles inventory in their possession (retail stores only), and they are fire selling them to get the products out!
The reason for the huge sale on the Sole direct site and Sears is the surplus they are now carrying for the anticipation of sales thru Dicks Sporting goods.

Now that Dick’s Sporting Goods is done with Sole Fitness Products, they both need to drop product fast and the consumers are going to reap the rewards! Sears and Sole have the F80 listed (normally $1499) listed for $1199! That is 20% under the already reasonable price of a great machine!