by Robert Allen Byrnes
My friend turned me on to watching infomercials on certain TV stations in the evening and all the programs I have seen are about exercise equipment of every kind. Some of those machines have you standing on your head, some evening hanging upside down; others look like the poor fellow is being stretched on the torture rack pretending he is having fun, other channels are also promoting things like machines, treadmills, the elliptical machines and a lot of others.
The message they are broadcasting to the viewer is "yes you can get that beautiful figure back ladies;" and yes man you can have six pack abs and bulging muscles in a matter of days. It is all very appealing because we as human beings are endowed universally with a sense of vanity aren't we?
Not only the commercialism on TV but there are gyms all over the place that are packed with exercise machines and rows and rows of treadmills with sweaty bodies striving and agonizing to get through their 45 minute exercise program. In fact that is why all these people are agonizing at the gym-they have a plethora of machines..wall to wall exercise machines.
My naturally cynical thinking machine is now cranked up: Is all this exercise equipment precisely what it takes to get trim, fit, slim yet muscular? If it is, where do all these trim, fit, slim bodies disappear upon leaving the gym? Out on the sidewalk, it's all hefty, hearty and happy.
Actually, my answer might surprise you. We are not necessarily being duped; no, we don't really need all the exercise machines; but because studies show that most of us won't exercise without the machines, it makes sense to use them to get and keep in shape. Picture this, if you will: you have decided you don't need machines, so you are taking your five-mile run but after that first mile the TV gets mighty heavy and you still have to turn around and carry it home. You see, if you stayed home, you could be on your treadmill and watch your favorite TV program as well.
For many people, going to the gym is a social affair. My lady friends sign up together and make it a real gathering place; some men do this also. Quite frankly, distractions annoy me when I'm concentrating on my exercise; I take them seriously. I prefer to keep my social life separate from working out; social isolation is no issue for me.
So I think it all comes down to each individual person. Even though exercise equipment, like a treadmill, costs a good bit of money if it does its job and keeps you fit how can you put a price tag on your personal health. Personally I have belonged to various gyms and I found it to be too time consuming. Now I have four different exercise machines and love them — they have kept me tone and fit.
I believe that you need to diversify your exercise routine. For example you might have an intense aerobic exercise, then switch to AB exercises mixed in with some light weight training. So it is really up to the individual to choose what he is comfortable with. I personally love exercise machines because they do their job, they are convenient, and I can go in to the other room and do my exercise in private. Believe me it is much quicker than changing my clothes, jumping in the car and going to the gym.
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