Visit your local HealthStyles Retail store in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Glenwood Springs, or Grand Junction for the best holiday gift ideas.

Resistance Bands $6.99 – $12.99	5lb – 15lb Kettlebells $7.95 – $23.95	Jump Ropes Only $8.99	Fitness Handbooks Only $9.95
$9.99 – $14.96 Yoga Blocks	$12.99 – $24.99 Foam Rollers	Only $14.99 Push Up Bars	Only $21.95 FitBall Balance Disc

Medicine Balls $22.95 – $49.95	Yoga and Exercise Mats $26.99 – $49.99	Pull Up Bars $29 – $46.95	Heavy Resistance Bands $29.99 – $49.99
10lb – 15lb Dumbbells $32 – $48	20lb – 30lb Kettlebells $32.95 – $47.95	FitBall Exercise Balls $32.95 – $41.95	Weighted Hula Hoops $39.99 – $49.99

20lb – 30lb Dumbbells $64 – $96	35lb – 60lb Kettlebells $55.95 – $95.95	Balance Boards $59.95 – $99.95	Power Wheel $59.99
Heart Rate Monitors Starting at $59.95	Jungle Gym XT $99.99	Trampolines $59 – $79	Weight Storage Racks Starting at $55

TRX Suspension Trainer Pro $164.95	BOSU Balls $109.99	Inversion Tables Starting at $329	PowerBlock Dumbbells Starting at $149
Functional Trainers	Vibration Trainers	Benches & Racks	Exercise Bikes

We all know that après ski activities consist of sipping hot chocolate next to a roaring fire in a Navajo-print jacket, but what about avant (before) ski activities?

Downhill skiing and snowboarding are physically demanding sports and as Coloradoans we all know the best conditions occur at high elevations (less oxygen) and in cold temperatures. It’s also a fun and great way to get your heart rate up during those winter months.

But whether you are a Blue Circle bunny or a Double Black Diamond expert you may want to do some ‘pre-season training’ to prepare before you hit the slopes, focusing on these tips from the experts at Life Fitness:

Stamina
Optimize your cardiovascular strength so you can schuss all day. Higher elevations and cold weather put extra strain on your lungs, so do some interval training on a treadmill or elliptical machine to challenge your heart rate and improve your oxygen intake capacity. Begin with at least 3 days a week for a half hour and increase the time, frequency and intensity over time so you are in prime condition to conquer the mountain.

Core
Core strength is key for skiing. A tight, stable core allows you to control your movements with more precision. Simple exercises such as bicycles on the floor, back extensions and full body roll ups or crunches on an exercise ball will benefit your core and therefore your skiing abilities.

Balance
All Carvaholics know where to find their CM (that’s ski slang for Center of Mass). Improve reaction time and agility by taking advantage of the balance-training aids available at the health club or for the home, such as a Bosu ball. Begin by balancing on one foot and progress up to balancing on the Bosu ball itself. Take it a step further and try squats and plyometric drills on the Bosu ball.

Flexibility
Yoga not only keeps you limber but improves your mental focus and breathing techniques. Yoga can help protect against injury by addressing muscle imbalances and improving flexibility, so try out a beginner-level class and work your way up. The positive influences that yoga can have on your skiing (and other athletic activities) may surprise you.

Fit Tips are provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide. For more information on Fit Tips and other fitness advice and expertise visit www.lifefitness.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lifefitness or join our Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/lifefitness.

Exercise is the perfect remedy to alleviate stress. It can release built-up tension, stress and any frustrations about your day. Exercise also provides you with endorphins, which can boost your mood. Plus, the social aspects of exercise, interacting with friends at the gym and building camaraderie through small group workouts, can reduce stress and promote your overall sense of wellbeing. The more you enjoy the exercise you are doing, the less stressed you will feel. We suggest checking out these stress-busting options.

Train like a boxer.

Boxing workouts are intense because they incorporate both high-intensity cardio and muscle building. It’s a great stress release but proper form is key for safety so getting good instruction is important. You can also try small group workouts that incorporate boxing, like a personal trainer-led Synrgy360 class. You might find yourself using movements like jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and kicks to get your heart rate up. Because a trainer guides eight or so people through each class, you’re more likely to learn proper form. Not only can it release your inner aggression, but it can also teach you some good self-defense moves.

Try a new way to cycle.

Indoor cycling can burn more than 500 calories along with loads of stress. The combination of tension on the flywheel, pedal speed (cadence), and breathing creates the perfect setting for endorphin release. Find a challenging DVD or an instructor that plays music you like and motivates you and it can be an hour of stress busting bliss.

Do Yoga.

The combination of deep breathing, thoughtful movements and melodic music can change your mood in seconds and help relieve pent up stress. If you are new to yoga, try out a beginner class and ease into the poses. There is no perfection in yoga, only progress. Yoga is the perfect complement to any other form of exercise or as your mind/body therapy for the week.

Fit Tips are provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide. For more information on Fit Tips and other fitness advice and expertise visit www.lifefitness.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lifefitness or join our Facebook fan page atwww.facebook.com/lifefitness.

Are you looking for ideas for unique Christmas gifts?

HealthStyles Exercise Equipment has some great gifts for fitness enthusiasts in all price ranges!

Whether your gift is for an avid runner, a Cross-Fit or P90X junkie, or a friend or loved on who is trying to firm up or lose weight, here are just a few of the many possible gifts you can put under the tree for those important people in your life.

The use of fitness accessories to expand and enhance your cardiovascular and strength routines have never been more popular than they are today as is obvious by the number of equipment manufacturers that are getting into the fitness accessory game. Life Fitness, one of the major cardiovascular equipment manufacturers, is set to roll out Body Shape Kits this fall, which combine many of the most popular accessories sold by HealthStyles Exercise Equipment, into one all inclusive kit. Octane Fitness will combine an elliptical workout with stretch bands in the programming and design of their new ellipticals to be introduced later this Fall, to create circuit training workouts that add strength training to the traditional cardio workout. (more…)