fitness is the key to optimal health and an exercise bike can help you to achieve just that. But, why an exercise bike? Why not go for something else? There are many reasons why you should purchase a bike and use it. If you plan to use it for a clothing hanger, dont bother. But, if you are ready to improve your overall health, then you should consider the purchase of an exercise bike.

Here are some reasons why you need a bike:

Are you seriously overweight? Those that are more than 25 pounds overweight often have trouble losing that weight no matter what they try. The catch 22 is that you need exercise to lose the weight but you barely can make it from the bedroom to the living room without becoming tired. How can you possibly do a routine that will allow you to lose weight? An exercise bike is the perfect solution because it allows you to work at your own pace. It allows you to start off slowly and build up in speed gradually without overexerting yourself.

Heart problems? many doctors that have patients with cardiac conditions will tell them they need to lose weight. But, stressing out the heart is a huge problem for them. The benefit here is that the body gets a workout and the cardio workout obtained is significant but light enough for many heart patients. simple. Its the right combination for those with a heart condition. Of course, as with all other fitness equipment, you should consider talking to your doctor before starting any exercise program.

You wont go broke- most people can afford a decent bike. Thats because you dont have to purchase the most expensive to get the benefits of exercise. A simple stationary bike can be a great way to start off.

Do you get bored? Okay, the problem with many exercise routines is that they are boring or too hard. But, with an exercise bike this is anything but true. If you find yourself becoming bored, move the bike in front of the TV. Turn on your favorite football game and youll never realize you did three miles while the team has the ball. You get your mind working and your body too.

Easy to do- many people find that things that are too hard are things they just find excuses not to do. With an exercise bike, you have less of a chance of this because you can do it. Results happen each time you get on and youll see yourself building muscles that burn fat and youll see the inches coming off. Its that easy.

¶ 2:23 PM 0 comments

Many people believe that the word 'links' refers to the way the end of one golf hole defines the beginning of the next - rather like the links of a chain. This is not so but it actually comes from the old English word 'hlinc' meaning a stretch of flat ground along the seashore. And that is exactly what it is like. Sea on one side, land on the other (often the houses on the edge of the town form the boundary). It is a naturally occurring terrain usually on a well drained sandy soil.

The parkland course on the other hand is 'purpose built' and is often much more hilly and varied in terrain than the links course. also, the presence of trees offers a different kind of hazard from those found on a links. Each course has its own type of problems and challenges but the links course probably calls for rather more 'invention' or 'adaptation' in the way the shots are played.

Parkland courses are usually set in an area not infrequently wooded to some degree and often with heather, gorse, sand bunkers and sometimes water in the form of ponds or lakes. However, the main difference between links and parkland is that the latter is much more obviously manufactured. This is not said by way of criticism since inland courses by definition have to be manufactured. The quality of the course though is more to do with the skill of the designer and how much this "manufactured-ness" shows. The optimum use of the space available and the incorporation of existing natural features - woods, trees, water, ups and downs - are where the architect can bring his creative powers to bear.

A links course on the other hand is usually a much more rugged proposition. It's a completely natural setting - too 'natural' for some people - where the wind from the sea plays a much more prominent part in the game. The nature of the terrain forces you to adapt your shots to the prevailing conditions and the lie of the land. one great advantage though is that being on sandy soil it does tend to drain well and very quickly so the surface remains firm and playable all year round.

Nevertheless it is no place for the complaint 'It's not fair'. Life isn't fair on a links and you have to brace yourself for that. You could hit a perfect drive straight up the fairway only to have it finish up on a hanging lie with three huge bunkers between you and the green two hundred yards away.

The distances on your scorecard will be accurate but useless. I have played at Turnberry where one of the par threes is an eight iron in the morning but a three wood in the afternoon - and it was nothing to do with the port at lunch.

Playing out of the rough is a different game; the whins and other grasses can twist your clubhead and make the ball behave in quite a different way when trying to chip on to the green from the rough. Don't expect to play to your handicap on your first visit to a links course - even in sunshine and no (apparent) wind. You need to be able to 'read' the elements and this comes only from experience. Why do you think so many canny golfers chip and run from so far off the green?

Unlike the parkland course where the course is manufactured, the links course demands that the shot is manufactured.

But all in all it's a great challenge - never the same from one day to the next. one compensation however for these difficulties is that you will not encounter many trees. Which brings us back to parkland golf.

Essentially, unlike the natural design of the links, this is down to the skill of the architect. Everybody accepts that golf courses are 'constructed' but the trick is to make them look as natural as possible and, in the case of some of the great inland courses, it works! It requires a number of criteria to be fulfilled: first and foremost it must be a challenge to the world's best - and must be accepted as such. It must have variety - every hole must be individual but the 'whole' must have a personality. It must be fair and not just playable by top championship players and, lastly, it must be aesthetically pleasing. Such a course would be Sunningdale - a club blessed with two of the great courses where every hole is a world unto itself. So whether your preference is for links or parkland I hope you manage to get the round you've dreamed about on the course of your choice.

Good golfing!

Peter has been playing golf for over 5 decades, when he is not writing about playing golf he is writing about it. You can access online golf lessons and pick up valuable tips by visiting his website.

¶ 8:26 AM 0 comments

The secret to successful weight loss is a winning combination of efficient exercise, a healthy lifestyle and smart eating. Each one by itself, with total disregard for the other is a sure recipe for disaster and frustration. Going on a starvation diet while spending time on your couch glued to the TV is as fattening as running a few hundred laps round the track and then tucking into a bowl of creamy chocolate mousse.

Moderation and consistency are keys to successful long-term weight loss. Make a doable plan and stick to it. Dont rush out to buy hundreds of pounds worth of fitness equipment in an attempt to look as svelte as the model advertising for it. Youd just end up losing the wrong pounds.

Here then are a few weight loss tips that are simple and easy to keep up with:

Act now: Thinking yourself thin is great for the psyche but that fat will not budge till you actually act

Set realistic goals: Aim to lose weight slowly and healthily. weight loss does not happen in a day. It takes months of consistent exercise and proper eating.

Shake a leg: Make sure you get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Dont start pounding the pavements if the thought horrifies you. Youre more likely to give up an activity that you do not like. Instead could join an aerobics class, go swimming with the kids or join a belly dancing class. Anything that gets your heart-rate up.

Watch what you eat: A moment on the lips; a lifetime on the hips. Every mouthful counts when you are trying to lose weight. Eat smaller meals more frequently. Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates such as white breads, cookies and cakes have empty calories that you could do without.

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of good old fashioned water- it helps the muscles stay hydrated and flushes out those unwanted toxins. 8 glasses of water a day is the minimum recommended amount.

Get your zzzs : Unless you are a sleepwalker you are unlikely to be eating while sleeping. So go ahead and sleep your weight off. It will leave you more refreshed the next day and you will have more energy for another round of beach volleyball.

Try CardioMate and CholesteSoy to improve your health.

¶ 5:58 AM 0 comments

Vancouver will receive a lot of attention as the 2010 Olympics approach, but why wait to visit during the most crowded, tourist deluged period since they hosted Expo 86?

Skiing and winter sports will receive the lion's share of attention during the 2010 Olympics - it is the Winter Olympics, after all - but summer is Vancouver's best season.

After a fall and winter of grey skies and rainy days, Vancouver emerges to a summer of endless blue skies, gorgeous ocean views and warm but fairly dry climate. This is when you want to come to Vancouver!

There are 5 star hotels available on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver, but there are two great hostels, one just off the famous gay area of Davie Street - its maybe six blocks of the shopping area of Robson Street as well - or another across from Jericho beach, looking across at downtown Vancouver. Very well run, situated in spectacular spots, and cheap!

Vancouver is famous for international cuisine. Sushi, Thai food, Greek, italian, french, Indian, Chinese - but not just run of the mill varieties - some world class representatives of every type of cuisine. Hy's Steak House is a venerable, 50 year old steak house. Cioppinno's has the kind of italian cooking where everyone at the table raved about having the best______ they'd ever had. C Restaurant on the water has the best seafood. Bishop's has been rated the best restaurant for years, but Rob Feenie at Lumiere has won the Iron Chef competition. There are probably 300 outstanding restaurants in Vancouver!

What to do? Stanley Park is second only to central Park in new York for size of an urban park - and it is simply spectacular, surrounded by the ocean. Over in north Vancouver, cross the Capilano Suspension Bridge, swinging side to side, 300 feet over the Capilano River. There are 3 ski hills poised overlooking Vancouver, so great sightseeing - take the gondola up to the top of Grouse Mountain. Storeum in Gastown is a new tourist attraction - find out about BC's history. See Vancouver Canucks hockey, BC Lions football, Whitecaps soccer and catch a "nooner" at Nat bailey stadium and watch Vancouver Canadians baseball.

Granville Street is the entertainment district, with bars lined on both sides of the street, including the Yale, Vancouver's old time blues bar. There is a gay district with most gay bars on Davie Street. There is a Pride parade in August, and four nights of the Symphony of Fire fireworks competition - just you and 400,000 of your closest friends watching fireworks timed to music!

Though you'd never need to leave Vancouver, there are great side trips to Victoria (more english than England), Tofino, Vancouver Island and smaller Gulf Islands, Whistler, and the always scorching hot Okanagan Lake. believe me, you WILL find lots to do!

¶ 2:46 AM 0 comments