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Fitness Products Buying Advice | Outdoor Products Buying Advice |

Fitness Products Buying Advice

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Article Thumbnail Balance and Wobble Board Buying Guide
Aug 20, 2009
So you're out there shopping for treadmills, home gyms, yoga mats, and bikes, as well as for gear for activities such as skiing and hiking. You want to burn calories, strengthen muscles, get flexible, run faster and be better at weekend pursuits. But if you just look to buy that equipment and don't talk to your fitness store salesperson about balance training gear, you could be doing your fitness goals a disservice.
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Article Thumbnail Ellipticals: It's all about fit and feel
Aug 20, 2009
Ever since the concept of an elliptical trainer was introduced in the mid-1990s, the equipment's popularity has grown exponentially. And no wonder: They are non-impact and the movement feels quite natural (like running or walking). Add upper body arms and you have a non-impact, full-body workout that can satisfy everyone from total beginners to very advanced exercisers. Although they still haven't dethroned the treadmill as the equipment king, elliptical trainers are edging closer and may be worth checking out, even if you are thinking about treadmills – just because it is yet another option for your consideration.
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Article Thumbnail Treadmill Buying Guide
Aug 20, 2009
Features to Covet: Emergency shutoff – Usually magnets or buttons you yank on or push to cut power instantly if you get into trouble. Hand rails – at least one...read more.
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Article Thumbnail Functional Trainers Buying Guide
Aug 20, 2007
When home gyms in the late '90s broke away from the traditional arms and levers that were fixed in form and path, a whole new mode of strength-training was born. Basically, training functionally means training for life and for life's activities and movements. Today's functional trainers are therefore many things, but mostly they incorporate cables instead of fixed arms.
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Outdoor Products Buying Advice

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Article Thumbnail Buying Guide: The science of warmth
Aug 20, 2009
No doubt, most of us are at least familiar with the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. After trial and error, she finds a porridge that is neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. Ditto for the comfy bed. Yet, while the outdoor industry has reams of knowledge to share on layering, numerous insulation types, and even temperature ratings for sleeping bags, more often than not, working with a salesperson to find the right combination of garments or the right sleeping bag to stay warm comes down to trial and error. But it doesn't have to. There is a science to keeping warm.
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Article Thumbnail Internal Frame Backpacks Buying Guide
Aug 20, 2009
Many of you are likely familiar with the advantages of an internal frame pack: better fit, flexible frame, lighter weight, adjustable load transfer, and better load distribution. However, unless you already own an internal frame pack, is is quite possible you will be daunted by the complexity of the fit process. So the best place to start as a first-time internal frame pack customer is to take the fear away from the buying process. You are, after all, buying comfort, not complexity.
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Article Thumbnail Layering Systems Buying Guide
Aug 20, 2009
The key to ensuring you are properly prepared to layer effectively is to select an arsenal of garments that you can put on or take off as weather conditions dictate so that the body's core temperature remains essentially constant. Layering begins with the base layer -- the clothing directly against the skin. The next layers, as many as needed (within reason), are the insulation layers. And finally, the outermost layer is the protective layer, the barrier against moisture and wind.
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Sleeping Bag Buying Guide
Aug 20, 2009
If you’re desperately seeking the one ideal sleeping bag that will meet all of your outdoor needs, forget it! There isn’t such a beast. However, there is a bag out there that will keep you snug and happy through most of your adventuring dreams, and that’s a three-season mummy with a temperature / comfort rating of around 10 to 20 degrees F...
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Article Thumbnail Soft Shells Buying Guide
Aug 20, 2009
There is no such thing as a soft shell. Soft shell is not one thing. Soft shell is a range of performance criteria of windproofness, water resistance, breathability, stretch and insulation. Soft shell is a range of fabrics, from light, airy, stretchy, sweater-feeling knits to stiffer, laminated, dense, waterproof wovens. The key word in understanding soft shell garments is “range.” There are no rules, no boxes to fit into.
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Products and Trends
Industry News Releases
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Welcomes Icebreaker as a Vendor Partner
Dec 22, 2011
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Jetboil Expands Management Team
Dec 22, 2011
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Switch Vision Joins 2012 East Coast Adventure Racing Series
Dec 22, 2011
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BioLogic Helps Social Networking Cyclists Track Data on the Go
Dec 21, 2011
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Liberty Mountain Joins Grassroots Outdoor Alliance as Vendor Partner
Dec 21, 2011
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National Ski Patrol makes branding move to unify divisions and patrols
Dec 21, 2011
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SNEWS Headlines
November retail, outdoor, online sales rise; NRF raises forecast
Dec 26, 2011
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Mountain travel bookings continue uphill surge
Dec 22, 2011
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Gramicci leverages Haggar to lower prices on fall 2012 products, predicts consumers will reduce spending
Dec 21, 2011
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