If you’re feeling run-down during the day and that you’re not sleeping well enough during the night, here’s an interesting idea. These body purifying herbal foot pads from Gaiam are supposed to “boost circulation” and help remove toxins from your body such as nickel, arsenic, and mercury.
You place them on the arches of your feet (this location supposedly maximizes the effects since it allows them to work on the major reflexology organs) and wear them while you sleep (8-10 hours). Apparently feet are the conduits to the rest of your body. Whether you believe this sort of thing works or not is up to you. The footpads come in a 10-pack and can be purchased online for $24.
One of the hardest parts about skiing or snowboarding is sitting in the wind and cold on the lift rides up the mountain. With other winter sports such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, your body is always working, so it’s pretty easy to stay warm. That’s not usually the case with downhill skiing or snowboarding though. Even if you have good gloves, the wind always seems to sneak in around the wrists. That’s why some bright person invented Wristies Wrist Warmers.
These fingerless gloves are longer than usual, extending halfway up your forearm. They’re thin enough to be used as inserts beneath your regular waterproof gloves, but heavy enough to keep your wrists nice and warm and protected from the wind. $11 gets you a pair from the Snow Shack. (Kids and adult sizes available.)
I’ve always seemed to get the best workouts when I went to the gym (despite having and using a Bowflex for a year, I never felt I got the same kind of workout I did at the gym where I had rows of machines and free weights to use), but let’s face it: you don’t always have time to go, especially if you work full time and have a family you’d actually like to see. Or if you travel a lot, you aren’t always going to be at a hotel with a full gym on the premises. That’s why it’s nice that there are some solutions out there that let you work out from home or on the road and that don’t take up a lot of space.
Ripcords Resistance Bands are a much more compact alternative to the Bowflex and other home gyms. If you’re an athlete (or have been at any point in your life), you’ve probably encountered bands and tubes being used for resistance training. There are all sorts of exercises you can do (virtually working out any muscle group) with them, simply by adjusting the way you pull and create tension on the bands. Of course, if you haven’t had a personal trainer walk you through their use, you might not be quite sure how to work them to build strength without injuring yourself. That’s why something like the Ripcords system is nice; the product comes with instructional videos to walk you through workouts that build strength for the whole body.
Prices start around $25 for a basic set of bands or $37 for the bands and a DVD video (probably a good idea to get the video). Considering how much home gyms cost (I remember paying over $1,000 for a basic Bowflex), this is one exercise system that seems worth the money.
*Sponsored post