Come On In!

Typically, the entryway, foyer or front hallway is the first area of your living space guests will see when entering your home. Whether you live in a house, condominium or apartment, especially if the entrance area is small, you might want to update the look of your front entrance, but have no idea where to begin. When redecorating your entryway, you will be able to find a variety of affordable, quality products at Coat Rack Select and More Benches that will improve the look of your home's entrance.

Since first impressions are important, and especially if floor space is at a premium, hallways are the perfect place to add furniture pieces that create a welcoming atmosphere, while increasing your storage options. Many manufacturers offer multipurpose items like benches that also double as storage cubes. By simply selecting a few pieces including a coat rack or a bench, you can define a hallway or entryway, adding functionality as well as a focal point.

A convenient place to hang clothing and accessories, a coat rack, a.k.a. hall tree, can be used to make a statement or simply fill a utilitarian role. If you want your entranceway to be noticed, select a coat rack that creates visual interest, like the Powell Wooden Oak Coat Rack. Choosing one made of rattan such as the Southern Enterprises Ivory Hall Tree, will add texture to the hallway’s décor.

A bench is not only a practical piece of furniture to have in a hall or foyer, but it creates a good impression by making the space appear warm and inviting. In a variety of styles, colors, finishes and designs, benches range from ones with plush upholstery and decorative arms to benches with wood seats or ones constructed of metal.

A family with children might especially appreciate a storage bench in an entryway or hallway, as a great place to tidy away items in a hurry and make the space clutter-free for unexpected guests. The Modus Milano Storage Bench would be an excellent choice.

The Home Styles Furniture Full Storage Bench combines the functionality of a storage bench with the practicality of a coat rack. It not only provides a comfortable place to sit when removing shoes or boots, but it will also help contain clutter and keep the area tidier.

It doesn’t have to take time-consuming effort to transform your hallway or entryway into a more practical yet esthetically pleasing place. With a coat of new paint, a vase of flowers and a wide selection of coat racks and benches to choose from, you will be able to breathe new life into your home.

Resolution Time

The close of a calendar year and the beginning of a new one leaves some of us feeling obligated to make positive changes in our lives. For many, it’s a commitment to increased fitness with an aim to better overall health, and here at Cymax Stores we’ve got the fitness equipment you need to take on the challenge in the comforts of your own home.

In truth, these early days of January are no different than any of the other 360-plus of the year ahead, yet the allure of “a fresh start” to go with a new year creates something of a now-or-next year mystique. One that leads many to believe you’ve got to seize the initiative now in making NEW YEARS resolutions rather than just a plain old resolution that is taken up sometime during the next 11 months.

It’s been suggested that many individuals draw inspiration for their resolutions from the rejuvenative period that is the holidays. Family, friends, celebrations and a general sense of well-being “recharge the batteries,” so to speak, and provide us with a feeling of empowerment that we can and should undertake these challenges come January. Often times, however, once the daily grind resumes itself we may lose that wind in our sails.

I’m reminded of a cartoon I saw once where a decidedly large wealthy socialite announces her resolution is to “get in shape” while making short-work of an entire Yule Log cake. The next frame shows her decked head to toe in work out wear, spandex pants, head and wrist bands etc., but brandishing a platinum Visa as she makes her way into a liposuction clinic.

For those of us with tighter purse strings, a desire for real results and some grasp on reality, it’s understandable when things may not fall into place with your fitness resolution as you’d hoped. Here are 3 tips to stay motivated:

1. Time and schedule permitting, try to exercise first thing in the morning. Your metabolic rate will be at its highest and you will burn calories most efficiently. Also, you are less likely to put off your workout on account of being “too tired” – the most common excuse.
2. Try to leave time in your week as “flex time” where you can make up for workouts lost for whatever reason. Should you stick to your workout plan exactly as planned, use this flex time as a reward of sorts to partake in any activity you love. (Eating entire Yule logs is inadvisable however.) Also keep in mind kinesiologists say you must undertake any regime at least 3 times a week for it to be effective to the extent where you will “see results.”
3. For effective results that can be seen more quickly, combine cardiovascular / aerobic training with resistance training. For example, if you have 30 minutes at your disposal for each session, spend 15 minutes running, cycling or at any other similar exercise and 15 minutes lifting weights in some capacity. Compound resistance training exercises, where more than one muscle group is put to use, are most effective in facilitating calorie burning.

Fortunately, Cymax Stores has all the equipment you’ll need to fashion a workout that best suits your needs. For example, most men wish to lose a little around the midsection and tone up their musculature. Pairing a Phoenix Motorized Treadmill with a Phoenix Power Bench will give you a reasonably priced, top-quality workout station that is not overly space-consumptive and can accordingly be located in a rec. room or similar area.

Women often desire to firm and tighten all over the body, and for that task there is no more effective piece of equipment than an elliptical machine. Pair some time with a MultiSports Fitness Elliptix Dual Action Crosstrainer Elliptical and the aforementioned 3 times-a-week commitment and you’ll be on the fast track to the results you want to see. Stair Stepper units are not as multi-muscle group oriented as the ellipticals, but for pure gluteal conditioning you can’t beat a stepper. A MultiSports Fitness Ultimate 2200 Programmable Stepper can be adjusted to different levels of resistance to keep you pushing yourself towards your goals.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolution may be, stay positive and realize changes don’t happen overnight. In addition, do try to remember you’re not delayed until the dawn 2010 should it come derailed. “New Year’s” Resolutions have taken on something of a limited identity in this regard, but making life changes for the positive are possible all year long.

Should you have one or more, good luck and be resilient!

Fitness Equipment is Summer’s Best Friend

Whether you’re still shaking off the effects of winter hibernation couch potato style or you’re in denial that Bathing Suit Season a.k.a Summer is just around the corner, many us have difficulties with following a regular exercise program. For those of us who think bench pressing a bag of flour at the grocery store or balancing a three-year old on one hip is enough of a workout, Cymax Stores offers a range of fitness equipment sure to fit almost everyone’s lifestyle.

The good news is that many health care and fitness professionals point out that an exercise program doesn’t have to be high tech or intensive or even require an expensive investment in order to be effective. A little exercise goes a long way to contributing to our overall well-being. Even if you don’t want ripped abs or a buff body competition style, there are a wide variety of exercise gizmos and machines that will add a little fun and motivation to your exercise plan.

Geared to being comfortable and user-friendly, exercise bikes come in a variety of styles, sizes and colors and offer a number of different features. The popular treadmill is a favorite piece of fitness equipment for those who want to start out nice and easy. Many kinds of treadmills can be folded up and stored out of sight. They can include electronics displays, handy holders for water bottles and programmable controls to customize your workout. Great for exercising the muscles of the lower body and for burning calories, stair steppers or stair climbers are also another popular way of getting into shape.

Then there are the elliptical machines that conveniently combine the benefits of an exercise bike, a treadmill and a stair stepper. Since these three types of workouts are low impact, an elliptical machine is a good choice for people who would benefit from exercise but who are reluctant to begin a fitness program because they suffer from joint-related conditions.

For those who do want a more traditional style body building regime, a basic workout bench might be a good place to start. Or if you need something a little more challenging, a home gym that includes a variety of exercise options would be the perfect choice.

Whatever you’re into—or not into as the case may be—online shopping at Cymax Stores is the ideal way to take your time and browse for the perfect piece of fitness equipment that will get you in shape for summer.