Originally published August 6 2005
New stylish fitness equipment attracts consumers
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Many companies are releasing ultra-cool fitness equipment onto the market in hopes to draw in consumers.
A tour through any state-of-the-art fitness club reveals an arsenal of space-age machines that look like a cross between torture devices and props from the set of a Star Wars movie.
Exercise equipment has come a long way from Indian clubs and medicine balls, but the basic concepts are the same: lose weight, get strong, get healthy.
Fitness equipment sales are on the rise and manufacturers such as Nautilus (nyse: NLS - news - people) are responding by creating cool, new toys to break a sweat with.
Some of the biggest companies in the industry are Life Fitness, which is owned by Illinois-based Brunswick (nyse: BC - news - people), Nautilus and Precor, a subsidiary of Finnish sporting goods giant Amer Sports Corp. So while Americans are racing to get in shape, manufacturers are racing to nab customers and they're bringing their flashy machines with them.
"The reason manufacturers are making their equipment so high tech is just a sign of our culture," says Rosemarie Ferrara, General Manager and Personal Trainer at Premiere Fitness & Health Spa in Alamogordo New Mexico.
"We are always wanting the most-progressive product available, same goes for fitness."
That's why our list of Coolest Fitness Equipment features machines that look good and provide optimum performance.
For instance, Nautilus subsidiary Bowflex took simple free weights and created SelectTech dumbbells.
One set gives the option of 30 individual weights made to save space and time---key in any busy lifestyle.
Research from The International Health, Racquet, & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) shows use of elliptical trainers, low-impact cardio machines bred from a stair climber and a cross-country machine,are rising significantly.
They train all leg muscles with less force on joints than even walking," says Dr. Joseph Mercola, who heads mercola.com, a popular health Web site.
Ellipticals also save time by combining strength and cardio workouts.
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