A little anxiety, depression or stress may not take an expensive psychiatrist and mood enhancers to relieve. Research has indicated there may be links between exercise and lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Although this may not help in every case, it’s definitely worth a try! Find out how the Ab Coaster and exercising may help you lower your stress levels.
Researchers at Princeton University conducted experiments on rats that exercised and rats that didn’t exercise and their responses to stress. It had been widely believed that exercising makes you happier and calmer. Until the recent research, it was basically just a theory. Now, preliminary research is leading the way to make it a fact. The rats that ran regularly for at least six weeks showed less response to stress. This was evidenced by measuring the activity of neurons in their brains. Researchers also were able to tell which cells were activated because of the specific genes of the neurons. When made to swim in cold water, all the rats showed signs of at least some stress by activating the stress genes in the neurons in their brains. However, the rats that did exercise regularly formed younger brain cells during at least six weeks of running. These cells were not stressed. The study stated that the cells looked as though they were “specifically buffered from exposure to a stressful experience.” The rats created calm cells by running. When you are on your Ab Coaster, you are ultimately exercising for great abs but may even enjoy the benefits of a more relaxed mood.
Just in case you’re not sure if the rat experiment might have the same effect on you, a human, there was another study done by researchers on the effects of regular exercise on anxiety, depression, and personality in adolescent and adult twins and their families in The Netherlands. This study found that those who exercised more were less anxious, depressed and neurotic, and more extraverted than those who did not exercise. The Ab Coaster is a great exercise that gets your heart pumping and helps make your abs defined. From the comfort of your own home, this and any exercise may also help reduce stress.
So if you are feeling anxious or depressed, trying working out! Use the Ab Coaster regularly to get on the fast track to great abs. In time, you may notice not only great abs but a great mood too!
Note: Always consult a doctor when experiencing continued anxiety, stress or depression and before starting a new exercise routine.
May 27, 2010
Staying In Shape With Olympic Medalist Shannon Miller & the Ab Coaster
Shannon Miller… the name is synonymous with all things gymnastics. As the only female gymnast ever to be inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame twice, she is The Most Decorated American Gymnast (male or female). She’s won 7 Olympic medals, including 2 Gold medals, and is a 9 time World Medalist. Kind of brings that song to mind… “Anything you can do I can do better.” Now retired and a new mother, Shannon Miller is focusing on keeping in shape with her Ab Coaster and healthy choices, as well as bringing awareness to childhood obesity and fitness in our society. Once simply known as one of the greatest gymnasts in American history, she is now taking on bigger and brand new roles. Introducing… the many sides of Shannon Miller.
Getting back in shape as a new mother...
“His name is John ‘Rocco’ Falconetti, after his father and great grandfather. He was born on October 28 so he’s approaching 7 months. One of the best things I did early on was go for long walks. You don’t want to do too much until after your 6-week check up and clearance by your doctor. Gentle walking while
napping in his stroller helped me physically and mentally. As soon as I had clearance, I started working on my abs. It’s always the last piece of the puzzle and the thing most of us women want to work on first. It’s a great feeling when you can finally zip up your pants again! I used the Ab Coaster prior to my pregnancy and then again after the baby. It’s a great work out and one that doesn’t take a lot of time.”
Keeping fit as a retired gymnast...
“I gained A LOT of weight after I retired. In fact I gained over 4 dress sizes. It was depressing and really took a toll on my self-esteem and confidence. Unfortunately I didn’t know about the Ab Coaster at the time. I tried all the quick fixes that never worked. There is no substitution for hard work. However, the Ab Coaster cuts down your workout time and helps you target those tough areas like the ‘mommy pooch.’”
An Ab Coaster user...
“I really like the Ab Coaster. It’s extremely easy to use whether you are a fitness buff or just starting out. Most people aren’t terribly enthusiastic about getting down on the floor for the typical sit-ups and crunches. This is a great way to make fitness fun. What I like best is that it uses a bottom up approach to targeting your abs. This is the approach we use in gymnastics doing leg lifts and other moves. Most abdominal exercises only target the upper abs. However, you need to target your entire core to reap the most benefit.”
Fighting childhood obesity...
“The Shannon Miller Foundation is dedicated to fighting childhood obesity by raising awareness of the issue and providing opportunities for kids to be active. Kids don’t need to be stuck in a gym or running on a treadmill to be fit. Walking the dog before dinner, playing tag, learning a new sport or jumping rope are all great activities that are fun for kids. Limiting screen time is also important in the fight against childhood obesity. If you’re stuck indoors the Ab Coaster can be a fun way for older kids to stay fit. In addition, we are role models for our children. We can show them that fitness is fun and help them make good decisions for their health from an early age.”
Being a healthy & fitness guru...
“It is critical for us to think about our health and fitness. Not only is heart disease the number one cause of death for women in the US but also we face so many other health issues when we don’t live a healthy lifestyle. The goal is to be physically active 30 minutes most days. The Ab Coaster makes it easy to fit a great work out into your hectic lifestyle.”
On being a leader...
“I am so passionate about this topic that I am launching my company Shannon Miller Lifestyle: Health and Fitness for Women on July 1. Not to leave the men out, but women especially need to take time to stay fit and healthy. For the most part, women take care of everyone else but themselves. But if we don’t focus on our own health we can’t be there for those that need us. We have to find things that make us feel like working out and the Ab Coaster makes you do that. It isn’t intimidating and doesn’t take a lot of your time. You can do it in the comfort of your own home on your own schedule. Making fitness easy is the way to make it part of your lifestyle.”
June 22, 2009
Ab Coaster is Great for Golfers!
Check out this article from WORLD GOLF:
For a stronger core and longer drives on the golf course, try riding the Ab Coaster
http://www.worldgolf.com/golf-equipment/ab-coaster-golf-fitness-exercise-10098.htm
By Mike Bailey,
Senior Writer
For golfers, a strong core is essential. But if you hate sit-ups, the Ab Coaster is a good alternative in your quest for better golf fitness.
If you're like most people, you hate sit-ups. I have to find a couch or chair to anchor my feet and about a minute or two into it, my neck starts hurting, and I'm trying to reposition my feet so I don't have to rock to do the exercise.
Besides, no matter how dedicated I am when I start out, my commitment to doing daily sit-ups never seems to last more than a week or so.
There has to be a better way, right? (How many times have you heard that?)
Well, you could try the "as-seen-on-TV" Ab Coaster, which retails at $399 and seems to have more merit than some other abdominal exercise devices.
The Ab Coaster comes from the same guy who invented the successful Ab Roller. Don Brown, the inventor of the Ab Coaster and the president of Ab Coaster LLC, said about three years ago Dallas inventor Rob Nelson contacted him for some help on a product he was developing called the "Ab Razor."
"His idea was to pull your knees up an incline by holding on with your arms," Brown said. "I loved his concept and started to work with him on improving the design so it would isolate the abs from the bottom up, working lower, mid and upper abdominal area all at the same time. This involved adding a curved track, swivel seat and weight resistance."
Fourteen months later, the Ab Coaster was born, and the rest, including the often-run infomercial, is history.
Getting everything out of the box was probably the hardest part, but once I had everything laid out, it probably took less than a half hour to assemble the Ab Coaster.
The machine basically consists of a curved track with a pad for your elbows up top and a padded seat for your shins that runs along the track. To operate it, you rest your elbows on the top pads while holding onto two grips and rest you shins on the pad below with your feet pointing downward.
Each exercise basically consists of pulling your knees and the seat toward your upper torso as the shin rest runs along the curved track. There are both fixed and swivel positions of the seat to target different abdominal muscle groups, including the obliques.
The machine also comes with two DVDs, one of which is "Core Express Workout." This video, which is about 25 minutes long, is probably 75 percent aerobics and strength training with lots of squats and stretches. About every five minutes or so, you are directed to the Ab Coaster to get in a few sets of crunches.
Each session on the Ab Coaster is slightly different, some of them using the locked position and some using the swivel feature. The latter is used for a maneuver called the "Mermaid," in which you make a fish tail movement with your lower body during the exercise.
The verdict on the Ab Coaster
Like all pieces of exercise equipment, the AbCoaster comes with some "ifs." If you are looking to lose weight, the AbCoaster will be of little help if you do not significantly change a poor diet, especially in terms of calorie intake.
Therefore, the Ab Coaster also comes with a diet plan, which if followed, will greatly increase your results.
"Diet is a critical piece of the puzzle," said Sean Gagnon, vice president of Ab Coaster LLC and exercise physiologist. "In fact, most studies show that the best results from an exercise program are achieved by those that combine a proper exercise routine with a sensible eating program as opposed to only one or the other."
It's also important to note that the consensus among nutritionists and exercise physiologists is that you can't spot reduce, meaning no matter how many reps you do on the Ab Coaster or any other piece of equipment, you will not have great looking abs unless you get rid of the overlying fat on top of them. And that can only occur if you create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you take in) over time.
With that said, strengthening the core can never be a bad move, especially in golf, and if you use this machine regularly, you will be successful.
When I got the machine, I didn't go overboard, I merely followed the Express Workout DVD for two weeks. I didn't lose any weight (I wasn't exactly strict about my diet) or make any great distance gains in that time, but I did feel like it was easier to make a turn and get through the ball. By strengthening the core, my back also felt stronger, which for golfers is always a plus.
I also liked that I was in an upright position while doing the exercises, which means you can get in a thousand or so crunches if you wanted to and not miss a play on TV.
You can't do that with sit-ups. Every time you lie prone, you could be missing an Albert Pujols grand slam or a Peyton Manning-to-Dallas Clark TD pass. With the Ab Coaster, you could even watch Kenny Perry blow it down the stretch at the Masters and still work your abs without commercial interruption.
May 5, 2009
For a stronger core and longer drives on the golf course, try riding the Ab Coaster
http://www.worldgolf.com/golf-equipment/ab-coaster-golf-fitness-exercise-10098.htm
By Mike Bailey,
Senior Writer
For golfers, a strong core is essential. But if you hate sit-ups, the Ab Coaster is a good alternative in your quest for better golf fitness.
If you're like most people, you hate sit-ups. I have to find a couch or chair to anchor my feet and about a minute or two into it, my neck starts hurting, and I'm trying to reposition my feet so I don't have to rock to do the exercise.
Besides, no matter how dedicated I am when I start out, my commitment to doing daily sit-ups never seems to last more than a week or so.
There has to be a better way, right? (How many times have you heard that?)
Well, you could try the "as-seen-on-TV" Ab Coaster, which retails at $399 and seems to have more merit than some other abdominal exercise devices.
The Ab Coaster comes from the same guy who invented the successful Ab Roller. Don Brown, the inventor of the Ab Coaster and the president of Ab Coaster LLC, said about three years ago Dallas inventor Rob Nelson contacted him for some help on a product he was developing called the "Ab Razor."
"His idea was to pull your knees up an incline by holding on with your arms," Brown said. "I loved his concept and started to work with him on improving the design so it would isolate the abs from the bottom up, working lower, mid and upper abdominal area all at the same time. This involved adding a curved track, swivel seat and weight resistance."
Fourteen months later, the Ab Coaster was born, and the rest, including the often-run infomercial, is history.
Getting everything out of the box was probably the hardest part, but once I had everything laid out, it probably took less than a half hour to assemble the Ab Coaster.
The machine basically consists of a curved track with a pad for your elbows up top and a padded seat for your shins that runs along the track. To operate it, you rest your elbows on the top pads while holding onto two grips and rest you shins on the pad below with your feet pointing downward.
Each exercise basically consists of pulling your knees and the seat toward your upper torso as the shin rest runs along the curved track. There are both fixed and swivel positions of the seat to target different abdominal muscle groups, including the obliques.
The machine also comes with two DVDs, one of which is "Core Express Workout." This video, which is about 25 minutes long, is probably 75 percent aerobics and strength training with lots of squats and stretches. About every five minutes or so, you are directed to the Ab Coaster to get in a few sets of crunches.
Each session on the Ab Coaster is slightly different, some of them using the locked position and some using the swivel feature. The latter is used for a maneuver called the "Mermaid," in which you make a fish tail movement with your lower body during the exercise.
The verdict on the Ab Coaster
Like all pieces of exercise equipment, the AbCoaster comes with some "ifs." If you are looking to lose weight, the AbCoaster will be of little help if you do not significantly change a poor diet, especially in terms of calorie intake.
Therefore, the Ab Coaster also comes with a diet plan, which if followed, will greatly increase your results.
"Diet is a critical piece of the puzzle," said Sean Gagnon, vice president of Ab Coaster LLC and exercise physiologist. "In fact, most studies show that the best results from an exercise program are achieved by those that combine a proper exercise routine with a sensible eating program as opposed to only one or the other."
It's also important to note that the consensus among nutritionists and exercise physiologists is that you can't spot reduce, meaning no matter how many reps you do on the Ab Coaster or any other piece of equipment, you will not have great looking abs unless you get rid of the overlying fat on top of them. And that can only occur if you create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you take in) over time.
With that said, strengthening the core can never be a bad move, especially in golf, and if you use this machine regularly, you will be successful.
When I got the machine, I didn't go overboard, I merely followed the Express Workout DVD for two weeks. I didn't lose any weight (I wasn't exactly strict about my diet) or make any great distance gains in that time, but I did feel like it was easier to make a turn and get through the ball. By strengthening the core, my back also felt stronger, which for golfers is always a plus.
I also liked that I was in an upright position while doing the exercises, which means you can get in a thousand or so crunches if you wanted to and not miss a play on TV.
You can't do that with sit-ups. Every time you lie prone, you could be missing an Albert Pujols grand slam or a Peyton Manning-to-Dallas Clark TD pass. With the Ab Coaster, you could even watch Kenny Perry blow it down the stretch at the Masters and still work your abs without commercial interruption.
May 5, 2009
March 24, 2009
AB COASTER IN NEW YORK CITY!
Check out the Ab Coaster on the streets of NYC - broadcast live on Channel 11 News on March 24, 2009:
March 10, 2009
Ab Coaster Featured in THE BIGGEST LOSER
Did you see this week's episode of THE BIGGEST LOSER?
In the final minute of the show, you will see a contestant using the AB COASTER.
The trainers on THE BIGGEST LOSER know how to help you lose weight - and that's why they use the AB COASTER!
Click on this link to watch the clip:
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/video/clips/week-10/1057592/
In the final minute of the show, you will see a contestant using the AB COASTER.
The trainers on THE BIGGEST LOSER know how to help you lose weight - and that's why they use the AB COASTER!
Click on this link to watch the clip:
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/video/clips/week-10/1057592/
February 24, 2009
Ab Coaster versus Hanging Leg Raise
The revolutionary Ab Coaster utilizes the same motion as the very difficult Hanging Leg Raise exercise. The Ab Coaster uses this very effective motion while IMPROVING this traditional exercise.
But don't take our word for it.
Here is a Product Review of the AB COASTER from a professional fitness magazine, which states that the Ab Coaster is actually BETTER than the Hanging Leg Raise.
Reprinted from FLEX MAGAZINE, November 2008, page 74.
TRAINING TOOLS: RIDING THE AB COASTER
By: Sean Perine
Yeah, yeah, you’ve seen ‘em all, from the Abdominator to the AbSolution, on those restless nights when the TV was the last ditch cure for your insomnia. In late-night infomercials, you’ve heard the exultant promises of perfectly coifed fitness models with their sculpted midsections and wondered who was actually gullible enough to buy this, the latest abserciser of the week?
So have I, and yet here I find myself giving enthusiastic approval for the latest, much to my surprise. It’s called the Ab Coaster, and I had the opportunity to give it a test drive at this year’s Health+Fitness Business Expo in Denver, CO.
The machine resembles what you might expect a hovercycle to look like when they started building them. The best way to describe it is as a cross between a leg curl machine and a seated crunch device. However, this little gem works your abs like nothing else I’ve ever used before in over 25 years of training.
The Ab Coaster’s movement is pretty much a hybrid, somewhere between a hanging leg raise and a crunch. You pull leg pads along an armature that resembles a leg raise, but the track’s curve avoids the straight back syndrome that often plagues the exercise, curling your torso inward, as in a crunch. The result is a unique movement that hits every inch of your midsection. The leg pad can also be adjusted to allow for asymmetrical pulling, which is great for oblique work.
But don't take our word for it.
Here is a Product Review of the AB COASTER from a professional fitness magazine, which states that the Ab Coaster is actually BETTER than the Hanging Leg Raise.
Reprinted from FLEX MAGAZINE, November 2008, page 74.
TRAINING TOOLS: RIDING THE AB COASTER
By: Sean Perine
Yeah, yeah, you’ve seen ‘em all, from the Abdominator to the AbSolution, on those restless nights when the TV was the last ditch cure for your insomnia. In late-night infomercials, you’ve heard the exultant promises of perfectly coifed fitness models with their sculpted midsections and wondered who was actually gullible enough to buy this, the latest abserciser of the week?
So have I, and yet here I find myself giving enthusiastic approval for the latest, much to my surprise. It’s called the Ab Coaster, and I had the opportunity to give it a test drive at this year’s Health+Fitness Business Expo in Denver, CO.
The machine resembles what you might expect a hovercycle to look like when they started building them. The best way to describe it is as a cross between a leg curl machine and a seated crunch device. However, this little gem works your abs like nothing else I’ve ever used before in over 25 years of training.
The Ab Coaster’s movement is pretty much a hybrid, somewhere between a hanging leg raise and a crunch. You pull leg pads along an armature that resembles a leg raise, but the track’s curve avoids the straight back syndrome that often plagues the exercise, curling your torso inward, as in a crunch. The result is a unique movement that hits every inch of your midsection. The leg pad can also be adjusted to allow for asymmetrical pulling, which is great for oblique work.
February 4, 2009
PITTSBURGH STEELERS WIN THE SUPER BOWL!
Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers in winning the thrilling Super Bowl XLIII this year!
Core strength with the Ab Coaster is key to great health and great performance - the Steelers proved it by using the Ab Coaster all year, and by winning the Super Bowl!
Core strength with the Ab Coaster is key to great health and great performance - the Steelers proved it by using the Ab Coaster all year, and by winning the Super Bowl!
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