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Toys & Games - Buyer's Guides
Which Equipment To Buy
It's important to find the right equipment to suit your needs. If you are a beginner we suggest you buy the one piece that appeals to you most and one that you will enjoy using.
But if you are a fitness enthusiast you will want to know which piece of equipment will help you to develop specific muscle groups. You may already have a favourite sport but need to compliment that by introducing a new routine.
Please refer to our quick reference guide: Muscle Groups And Machines.
We have a range of fitness equipment for all your needs.
Getting Started
By exercising, you'll feel stronger, healthier, and have a lot more energy every day. However, its also important not to overdo it and we always advise you to consult your doctor before embarking on a new exercise regime.
Here are some basic guidelines to get you started:
How often should I exercise?
3 times a week is a good general rule which means a day of rest for every day of exercise.
How long should I exercise for?
At least 20 minutes or until you feel hot and slightly sweaty. As you get fitter you can increase that to an hour or more.
Why should I warm up first?
Starting with some low-intensity gentle movements will prepare your muscles for exercise, meaning there is less risk of hurting yourself.
Why should I warm down afterwards?
Stretching the muscles you've just exercised after your workout will let them rest.
Find out more about Your Heart Rate, Food And Fat Reduction, Stretching and Muscle Groups And Machines.
About Your Heart Rate
Exercise will strengthen your heart and lungs by making them work harder and longer. You can tell how fit your heart is by how slowly it beats whilst you are doing a non-strenuous activity.
As a rough guide only, most people find that their heart beat is about 80 times a minute whilst resting, whereas 60 and below is a very good healthy target to aim for, and 50 and below is the aim for most athletes.
Whilst exercising, your heartbeat will increase, and there is a maximum heart rate above which you should rest. It's best to see a doctor or qualified fitness trainer to discuss this before undertaking any new exercise routine, as everyone has unique circumstances to consider.
Your fitness will improve in the period between your workout sessions as your body recovers and rebuilds so its important to give yourself this rest time. You should always pace yourself, and if you feel tired all of the time, become more vulnerable to colds or your resting heart rate feels high, stop your exercise and consult your doctor.
About Food and Fat Reduction
What you eat is an important part of keeping fit. A healthy balanced diet keeps your body supplied with the energy and nutrients it needs to exercise. Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is a great start - and remember to keep ready-meals, salty, sugary and fatty foods to a minimum.
If a reduction in body fat levels is your primary goal, the best time of day to perform your fat burning training is first thing in the morning, before breakfast. After fasting during the night, your body will use your fat reserves as its first source of fuel, so any exercise done first thing in the morning will burn more fat.
About Stretching
The more we stretch our muscles and joints, the more we can increase the range of motion available throughout our bodies, improving our overall flexibility.
It is important to remember that a muscle that is worked must also be stretched. Stretching immediately after working a muscle will help to restore length and decrease the level of post exercise muscle soreness.
How to stretch:
- Only stretch when your body is warm.
- Stretch only to a mild discomfort, never pain.
- Hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds.
- Rest and repeat the stretch.
Muscle Groups And Machines
Please use this table for a quick reference guide to help you decide which equipment to buy to develop specific muscles:
Muscle Group | What is it? | When do you use it? | Which machines exercise it? |
Gluteals or glutes | The big muscles covering your backside. | When standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, or walking forward. | |
Quadriceps | The ones on the front of your thighs. | When standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, or pushing off to start walking. | |
Hamstrings | The ones of the back of your thighs. | When lifting your feet up when you walk. | |
Hip abductors and hip adductors | Abductors are on the outside of your thighs and adductors are on the inside. | Abductors let you move your leg away from the body and adductors pull it back. | |
Calf and Shin | On the back and front of your legs below the knee. | When you push off to take a step. They're small but can handle lots of weight. | |
Lower back | On the back near the bottom of your backbone. | When standing up straight or carrying something in front of you. | |
Abdominals | Wrapping around the front and sides of your stomach. | When sitting up to get out of bed. | |
Upper chest | Covering the front of your chest. | When pushing at a door or doing press-ups. | |
Rhomboids and Latissimus Dorsi | On the upper and middle parts of the back between your shoulders. | When pulling at a door or standing up straight. | |
Deltoids | Capping your shoulders. These are three parts anterior deltoid (front) medial deltoid (middle) and posterior deltoid (rear). | When lifting things above your head. | |
Biceps | The front of your arm between elbow and shoulder. | When pulling things towards you. | |
Triceps | The back of the arm between elbow and shoulder. | When pushing things away from you | |
Hand flexors | The small muscles in your wrists and fingers. | When gripping,holding and using tools. |
Cycling Diet And Fitness
A really good way to get fit is to cycle, even if its just a little each day. You could cycle at the weekends for leisure or even better you could cycle to work.
Cycling Diet and Fitness Cycle2Work
