Productopia | Fitness & Sports

Here's a secret: Many top home fitness celebrities post free workouts on YouTube. But of the more than 600,000 videos that come up when searching for "fitness workouts," which is the best?

I looked past the muscle and the rippling physiques of the most popular fitness channels to put together this guide of who to follow and who to forgo (without critiquing their methods or effectiveness), so you know what to expect and can choose the right workouts for your goals. Read on. Read more

If you do not wish to join a gym -- for whatever reason -- but want to get in a sufficient all-around workout including weight training, consider creating your own gym. The right combination of products will take up minimal space but still provide an effective workout. Start with these seven essentials for under $200: Read more

With most of the hectic holidays behind us, there's one more night where you might find your wallet shrinking while your waist is expanding. ConsumerSearch consulted three of the biggest names in home fitness, Tracy Mallett, Tamilee Webb and Sara Ivanhoe, for tips to keep your fitness and health in check going into the New Year.

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Exercisers with joint injuries often flock toward the low-impact workout of an elliptical trainer. Because your feet never come off the elliptical's pedals, you can run as fast as you want without having to endure the usual impact with every footfall. But as Dr. Mi`chele S. Olson, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine, explains, the pedal-based workout can also contribute to what some have dubbed "numb foot" or "sleepy-foot syndrome."

"The constant pressure on the foot can compress both the nerves serving the muscles in the feet as well as the blood vessels that supply oxygen-fresh blood to the foot muscles," she explained in an email interview. Dr. Olson also warned that wearing too-tight shoes, or shoes with a lot of wear and little padding, can increase your likelihood of numb feet during an elliptical trainer workout.

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