Sony Reader at the Gym

[athlonkmf]

I've set my PRS500 on the elleptical while training too, but now that I'm into HIIT-training, I don't really have time to browse through a book.

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by epotter

The one thing I would like for reading while working out is an remote control. For ipods, you can by external controls that are easier to use while doing things like working out. It would be nice if you could have an external control for reader. Just something with a giant, page turn button that would be simple to press while running. I don't think the readers have as much ability to be controlled as the ipods have, so this is probably unrealistic.

The same thing has occurred to me as well. Walking on the treadmill, it's easy enough to turn the page but having a remote would make it easier

[badgoodDeb]

Wink, wink --- that's why the Kindle has such large buttons!

But I don't mean to start a flame war, please!

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Walking on the treadmill, it's easy enough to turn the page but having a remote would make it easier

When I walk on my treadmill, I like to use handweights to get some upperbody exercise, but that is nigh impossible with the Reader. My choice is to not read and use the weights or read and forget the weights. I've chosen to do the latter.

Thanks to the Reader I'm on my treadmill for 1.5-2 hours everyday and doing 5.5-7 miles of walking. Its been good for my health.

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by rhadin

When I walk on my treadmill, I like to use handweights to get some upperbody exercise, but that is nigh impossible with the Reader. My choice is to not read and use the weights or read and forget the weights. I've chosen to do the latter.

Thanks to the Reader I'm on my treadmill for 1.5-2 hours everyday and doing 5.5-7 miles of walking. Its been good for my health.

If you're walking to lose weight, more than 1 hour is actually countereffective...

[moz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

One of the things he comments on is his neighbour who drives to the gym, spends an hour on a treadmill, and then drives home again, and who looks horrified at the suggestion that she simply goes for a walk from home instead

The only benefit I can see is that you can combine watching TV or reading with exercise in a way that's tricky unless you have a tandem bicycle or something. personally, I'd go with that but my partner doesn't want to drive it either

But that does continue to amaze me. Especially when combined with nonsense like "if you exercise outside the gym you undo the effect of the gym".

I ride my bike to work every day, half an hour each way, and that seems to work for my. I'm only slightly overweight and I eat all sorts of junk. But when I go cycle touring I always seem to lose a couple of kg and add a lot more muscle, so I could obviously stand to exercise more to get more benefit. But 5-6 hours a day of aerobic exercise might annoy my coworkers )

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by athlonkmf

If you're walking to lose weight, more than 1 hour is actually countereffective...

I'm curious: what is the basis for the above assertion? Why would it be counterproductive to walk for more than 1 hour to lose weight? Assuming one's goal was to lose weight via the treadmill, how would you know what the most effective time would be?

FWIW, I like to do the Fartlek pattern, which varies my treadmill's elevation between -2% and +9% incline. It is a good conditioning routine.

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by rhadin

I'm curious: what is the basis for the above assertion? Why would it be counterproductive to walk for more than 1 hour to lose weight? Assuming one's goal was to lose weight via the treadmill, how would you know what the most effective time would be?

I can't find a definite testreport as I've read it in several magazines and books. The idea is that for fat loss, muscle mass is most important. And doing prolonged cardio at which your total energy is used up, your body will start using muscles besides fat.
That's because the human body doesn't solely use one type of energysource, but a combo. So even though, during low intensity cardio sessions, most energy comes from fat, a bit are taken from sugar and protein. In the long run, the easy-access protein will be used, your muscles.

Some quick googleinfo

Watch out: Avoid running, which, when combined with lifting days, can decrease muscle size due to the large energy expenditure it demands. "When the body is faced with a calorie deficit, the muscles are one of the first places it goes, along with fat stores, to supply energy to your other systems," says Rubenstein. So, in this case, running will lead your body to feast on its own muscle tissue.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...9/ai_108838859
http://www.allspiritfitness.com/libr...h_cardio.shtml
http://www.healthrecipes.com/muscle.htm
http://www.arthurdevany.com/2007/03/...ch_cardio.html


Besides... a more intense training is more effective in time and energy put into it (do a search on HIIT or even tabata)

[HarryT]

I'm sure that treadmills have tremendous benefits when it comes to convenience, but living in an English country village as I do, I far prefer a nice walk in the countryside in the fresh air, listening to the birds sing and watching the lambs in the fields, etc.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm sure that treadmills have tremendous benefits when it comes to convenience, but living in an English country village as I do, I far prefer a nice walk in the countryside in the fresh air, listening to the birds sing and watching the lambs in the fields, etc.

Sounds like my wife. Me, I hate exercise. I do enjoy country walks, but they tend to be rambles rather than at "exercise" intensity. To get around my dislike of exercise, I use the treadmill, which lets me distract myself by reading. Plus I don't have to worry about weather and -- more importantly -- I can fit it into my workday.

[moz]

Originally Posted by athlonkmf

The idea is that for fat loss, muscle mass is most important. And doing prolonged cardio at which your total energy is used up, your body will start using muscles besides fat.

Ah, that's only after you've exercised to exhaustion. Which will hopefully take more than one hour. The switch from burning sugar to burning fat happens relatively quickly, but from there to burning protein is a huge jump and normally only happens once you run your fat reserves right down. So until you are a genuinely skinny beanpole, don't worry about it. Worry more about coming home from the gym, flopping down on the couch and "treating" yourself to a nice big bag of junk food. That is what will stop you losing weight.