Keeping fit

Most of us have two fitness machines we don't use - legs.

Electric Walker - Compact - Light Weight but Heavily Priced- may stiffen my shoulders !

capable of up to 5 kilometers

this means what, exactly...that after you walk 5k on it, it breaks down ?

I wonder how much maintenance the machine needs. I think the treadmills you see in gyms are about 10 times the price and even they need regular maintenance.

Yes Stirfry, I don't get it either. Being moderately fit, I do 10 km minimum as a cardio training. And I sprint at 30 km/hour. I don't see the point of a machine that doesn't even let you do half of that. Then for a treadmill, being foldable and on wheels could be convenient for storage (I can't get one at home because my elliptical steals all the space). But lightweight is a big disadvantage, that means there is little stability. I tried some light models in shops, they were really gadgets, either your refrain from moving quickly, or you fall.

Cos...you better re-calculate your sprint time...30kph would be a 1:20 full marathon, and the world record is like 2:03...the elliptical is also the best home machine, and i've had treadmills/bikes/stairclimbers/rowers as well

also regarding maintenance, that thing looks so flimsy that the first time it breaks it'll probably disintegrate, no maintenance would fix it

5 kilometer a day is nothing... Better go out and exercise in the nature... But for fat and lazy people it may work at least a little bit...

I think it may be referring to a speed of 5km/h not a distance of 5km, but then I'm not sure.

Who needs these stupid machines. You can keep fit with sex and running

Stirfry, I have no illusions. Running on a machine is not like running a marathon, it's much easier. That's precisely what I meant. And of course, I don't do the 30 km/h (on amateur machine's counter) constantly. Their 5 km/h is on the same scale obviously. I have checked : their machine is a "walker" that won't go further that speed and it can be used during 30 minutes at one time. They make sure you never sweat while using it. Very chubby people cannot use it, the limit is 100 kg for the "heavy" model, could be less for that one. Maybe it's OK for Japanese market. I was looking for a heart-rate monitor, they have one model that I can order... but in each store, they have 300 models of podometers that calculate how many steps you walk in the shotengai. If you do 1000 steps a day, you are a good citizen.

It bugs the hell out of me that, despite there being so many treadmills in my gym, they are usually all being used, mostly by people who are walking. There are no good places near my area to run, unless I run along major roads where I have to stop and start, and try to avoid not only cars, but exhaust fumes. I just cannot understand why people can't 'walk' outside. I've seen some people do it (as exercise), so it's not as if it's something strange in Japan.

Cos:

Stirfry, I have no illusions. Running on a machine is not like running a marathon, it's much easier.

That's what I think too, but a lot of the times, I just feel I can run better (and maybe faster, depending on how accurate my GPS watch is). Maybe it's something to do with maintaining balance on the machine. And it is absolutely dangerous to run above 20km/hr on the treadmill. Besides, I've never seen anyone go above 16.

5 kilometers is the warranty.

why buy this? when we can walk places instead? sheesh. dont tell me japan is picking up on the slob/lazy american way too D;..

also, to Pukey2 ;D If all you do is run on a treadmil for 30mins each day, without running outside or walkign much, you will look fit but you wont be fit, cause then i challenge you to run around town for 30mins! i bet its not as easy >;] ohh and if you run 30mins around town/outside everyday, you can run for probbaly 1hour on a treadmil easy or more. ;] so sunshine and outdoor is better for you ^^

I saw something similar on home shopping. This will be marketed towards old women who are too scared of leaving their homes.

jesicaaaaaa:

Now when did I say all I did was run on the treadmill for 30mins each day? Putting words in my mouth? I run on the treadmill (sometimes 1hr and sometimes much more) because, as I said before, I just don't like running outdoors where I live. Yes, of course it's more interesting to run outside, but I don't always get the time. There are great places at my workplace, but I'm usually busy. I used to run outdoors a lot when I lived in Ibaraki, and also at college. And these are not a 30min jog. These past weeks, I've also had the chance to run around the Imperial palace while visiting a friend's place in central Tokyo. I did the Tokyo marathon last year, to boot! And I loved it. So I would say that I'm no stranger to outdoor running. On many occasions, I've run outside for 1-2hrs. I would NOT walk for exercise because I get enough walking while shopping and commuting.

Sorry, I just don't agree that running outdoors automatically means you can run a lot more on the treadmill.

I see too many people at the gym doing the same old routine and they can't do anything else, be it running or weightlifting (esp the arms and chest). It's best to do a variety. Given the limited time I have, I still manage to fit in weight-training, swimming and yoga. Variety is the key.