![]() Exercise bikes and other health-club equipment have such features, Volgraf says, but these watches by Finland's Polar Electro OY, Timex Corp., Nike Inc. People trying to watch their weight should look for a heart-rate watch that tracks the amount of calories burned, which the watch calculates based on height, weight and gender, he says. He uses the Polar USA model M32, which beeps when he's below or above his target heart rate. "You want to have a model that watches that for you," says Volgraf. When looking for heart-rate monitor watches, consumers should look for models that tell you when you're in - or out - of your target zone with an audible signal, says Chris Volgraf, an exercise physiologist at the Princeton Longevity Center, a preventive-medicine facility in Princeton, N.J. The best way to see if you're hitting your target while you exercise is a heart-rate monitor watch. More and more exercisers are paying attention to the target heart-rate zone of 65 percent to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is calculated by subtracting your age from 220. "We've trained the stores as best we can," says Melanie Douglass, Icon's manager of personal training services, but it's hard to be sure a qualified clerk will be available. ![]() "They say treadmills are so boring, and I have to laugh," she says.īefore trying out a smart treadmill, you might want to call ahead it isn't easy to find salespeople who are familiar with how they work. Stanko has tried her friends' high-end treadmills that aren't interactive like hers. The iFit technology also is available on other Icon Health equipment and brands, such as the NordicTrack, which ranged from $750 to $2,500 at a Sears in Jersey City, N.J. ProForm treadmills with iFit programs run from $600 to $1,400. Individual retailers set treadmill prices. Using video workouts, you can run the beaches and volcanoes of Hawaii or the hills of San Francisco. For instance, the marathon training starts with a slower paced half-marathon in the first level, while the top level has a higher-speed full marathon of 26.2 miles. Among the many options, there are different music varieties, a half-dozen personal trainers' voices and three levels of difficulty for every workout. Or if your computer and treadmill aren't in the same room, you can buy one or two workouts on compact disk or videotape for about $15.Īn assessment on the Web site helps select the right level of workout. For up to $15 a month, you can go to the company's Web site,, and download an unlimited number of workouts. Users can choose from among tens of thousands of workouts at different levels of difficulty, whether aiming for weight loss or training for a marathon. The treadmill uses digital signals to change the speed and incline. One of the more popular treadmills, and the one Stanko uses, is ProForm, made by Icon Health & Fitness Inc., Logan, Utah. Smart treadmills, which allow the user to customize beyond what's available on a gym machine, help vary workouts and keep exercise goals in mind, he says. James Phillips, a certified physical trainer who teaches exercise physiology at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. "It's very easy to get bored on a treadmill, so anything that keeps it interesting for the consumer would be a good idea," says H.
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