Category: health

My Experience Proform Studio Bike Pro

How We Ended Up Choosing Proform Studio Pro Bike

I had a gym membership. I wasn’t a “gym person” until I found the right gym for me. I looked forward to it. I had a routine. Then when the pandemic hit, like many, the gyms closed down. I was lost. I tried to do workouts at home but it just wasn’t the same.

We first got a Proform treadmill around March. Shipping was fairly quick then and I had no issues. This is when we were also introduced to the iFit app. It wasn’t something I didn’t think we needed but immediately fell in love with. I was doing the beginners running series with Tommy Rivers Puzey and it was amazing. I had never been able to run my whole life. Even in my younger days when I was in better shape. This built me up to running more than anything else ever had. And when I didn’t feel like running, I could do a restoring walk in the mountains, or beach or whatever.

I missed the exercise bikes from the gym though. I had tried a spin class at my local community building and it peaked my interest. I had full intention of doing more classes but…stupid pandemic.

I would have never asked for a studio bike but my hubby brought up the idea of getting an exercise bike. I had already had my eyes on the Proform Studio Pro bike. It was built similar to the spin class bikes and we already had ifit so I could start doing the ifit cycle classes. Thankfully my hubby was in agreement.

Now The Wait, And Shipping Experience

We ordered it around the 2nd week of September. When we ordered it said they were behind on orders (again due to the pandemic) and we should expect our bike around Oct 12. You might know that home exercise equipment company sales have greatly increased during the pandemic so most exercise equipment whether it be bikes, treadmills, benches, etc have been behind with shipping. For a while it was also hard to find hand weights and kettlebells too

Well it was Oct 9 (a Friday) and we hadn’t heard a thing so I used the customer service chat to see what the deal was. I was told our bike had been sent to the shipping warehouse and we should receive our bike “shortly”. That pacified me enough though I was super anxious to get our bike. We did not receive our bike until Oct 30.

When we received it we noticed there was a fairly big hole in the side of the box and it had very obviously been taped over. So someone saw the whole, taped it, but never bother to make sure the product was ok.

My 17 year old loves putting stuff together so he put it together for us. He said “uh mom, there’s a problem” The back of the monitor had a sizeable crack in it. I was so upset. The monitor is what you use to view your classes. We tested the monitor and it still worked but I worried about the safety. I don’t want to be using it and have sparks fly out or something. I also saw that the smaller box that the monitor was packed in, also had a whole in it and we deducted it must have been located where the whole was in the big box.

I contacted the company and they didn’t give me a hard time at all. They said they’d send a new monitor out. Unfortunately that was back in November and we’ve yet to receive the replacement monitor. Fortunately the cracked monitor has been working and you don’t leave the bike plugged in when you’re not using it anyway so we just went with it.

We had also heard NOTHING about the 3 yr iFit family membership we were supposed to receive with it. Again it took a few phone calls and several emails to finally get our iFit membership set up. Then we realized we’ve received ZERO information about our financing. We were told, via another phone call, that our info was sent to the financier and we should receive our finance packet “soon”. After almost 2 months we finally received financing info and could start paying for our bike. We were worried with how disorganized everything had been that they would ding our credit because we weren’t paying but we were trying, we really really were.

After The Initial Fiasco, (And Some Calm Down Time)

My husband and I have been regularly using our Proform Studio Pro bike. I can honestly say I love it. It’s easy to adjust. The iFit app works great. My hubby and I will swap workout brags. So I did a 4.5 mile bike ride in the Moab desert today. Cool, I did 10 miles in Japan today. It’s fun though because it gives us ideas and helps motivate each other.

The seat did take some getting used to. We ended up buying one of those gel bike seat cushions from Amazon and that helped. Over time, we got “used” to it and the seat isn’t uncomfortable anymore.

The bike is very adjustable. I’m 5′ 4″ and my hubby is 6 foot even. We have no issues adjusting for either of us. The ifit family account allows up to 5 people on the account. They must be invited by email so whoever you add in your family has to have an email account.

You do not need special cycling shoes like you do with some studio bikes. I just use regular running shoes. There are straps on the pedals and teeth on the pedals to help ensure your feet don’t slide.

So What Can You Do On The Bike With The iFit App

There are lots of options depending on your fitness and cycling level. Workouts have a difficulty level bar. I tend to stick around 1, 2, or 3 for now. They go up to as high a like 10 or something.

There are many different setting and types of workouts: spin classes, mountain biking, endurance rides, recovery rides, interval training, and classes that include both bike work and off the bike work. Oh that reminds me, the Proform Studio Pro also come with 3 lb hand weights. There’s tons of different settings from dessert, mountain, beach, forest, studio, and international.

They recently added feed.fm so music can play during your workouts but you have the option to turn the music down/up/off. There are also challenges you can participate in and live classes if you like. Just since we got our bike they’ve added several new features. They’s constantly adding new classes and challenges too.

Overall Opinion

Love the bike. I know that the shipping and customer service issues were not the norm and is strained due to the pandemic. We had no issue at all when we got our treadmill earlier in the year.

The iFit app is awesome and continues to improve all the time. If we were to get another piece of equipment we’d definitely look at buying another piece compatible with iFit.

The bike is very adjustable and well made. It’s sturdy and hold up to 250 lbs. My husband was slightly over that so before we ordered we asked if that would be an issue or void the warranty if we were to order. Being as it was only a few pounds over they told us it would not.

If you’d like me to do a post on our treadmill, I’d be happy to. Just let me know.

This is NOT a sponsored post. We bought the Proform Studio Pro bike ourselves. There is an Amazon affiliate link in the post.

This Shave Set is $16 with free shipping and Look What You Get!

The Flamingo shave set is a great starter set. It’s also a great price for everything that comes in the set.

The Flamingo shave set comes with:

  • 1 Flamingo razor handle (in your choice of color)
  • 2 german engineered 5 blade razor cartridges
  • 1 foaming shave gel
  • 1 body lotion
  • 1 shower hook
  • 1 reusable pouch

You get all this for $16 and free shipping!

OR you can upgrade to the Bare Bundle from Flamingo. The Bare Bundle includes:

  • 1 Flamingo razor handle (in color of your choice)
  • 2 German engineered 5 blade razor cartridges
  • 1 foaming shave gel
  • 1 body lotion
  • 1 shower hook
  • 1 reusable pouch
  • 20 face wax strips
  • 6 post wax cloths
  • 1 calming serum

This bundle is just $24 with free shipping!

Both deals are for new Flamingo customers. You can choose one deal or the other.

This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission from sales made through my links

Habitly Has Your New Favorite Fitness Classes Online

Even prior to all this pandemic/isolation stuff I was trying to lose weight. I had started in a gym around September, not sure if I should have spent the money on a gym membership. I ended up loving it. The main reason was to lose weight but that goal became secondary and eventually pushed further down the list because the gym was helping with my depression and anxiety. It was helping me with my confidence. It was helping me to socialize a little more. Of course I was happy when the scale would move, even just a pound, but it became more about my mental health. I had more energy, I smiled more, the negative thoughts were becoming fewer. It was my me time.

I then got the confidence to sign up for a POUND fitness class at my local community building once a week. It was so much fun. Again, socializing more and kicking up my cardio a little. Sometimes I had to miss a class or two just because I didn’t have anyone to watch the kids or I didn’t want to ask anyone to so I just would not go. Then all this coronavirus stuff happened.

I struggled trying to find a routine for fitness at home. I still had to work but now I also needed to guide my kids through e-learning. I didn’t want to lose the progress I had made through the gym and fitness classes though. My husband got us a new treadmill with one of those e-training apps which helped BUT ultimately you’re either walking or running. I missed the classes and didn’t think I could strength train without my gym equipment.

Then Habitlyfit.com came into my feed the one day. I decided to give it a try.

I was impressed by the amount and variety of classes offered on their site. The ease of registering for a class. The ability to cancel if life got in the way. Specifically I had wanted to get back into yoga. They have a variety of yoga classes so there is something for all levels. But they also have Zumba, Pilates, Barre, Cardio HIIT, strength training, meditation, and so much more. I just found out they added BollyX classes which I can’t wait to try!

Habitly classes are affordable, (It’s in Canadian dollars but no worries, US residents are encouraged to take the classes, in fact they’d love it) . You can pay per class or get a class package when you realize how much you love the it! Classes run throughout the day. Just pick the class you want that’s available at the time you want and get ready to work. They send you reminder emails so you don’t forget about your class. You can even get packages to save even more with 10 class packages for only $35 or monthly unlimited packages for $80. That’s huge savings! But I can do even better for you.

Habitly is offering LuvSavingMoney readers 20% off 10 class packages or unlimited packages with code: 20ANG4

Plus Habitly is now offering a 7 day free trial so you get to try out the classes before you buy if you’d like.

Not sure what classes to take? They have class descriptions on the site so it’s easy to figure out what interests you. And with the 7 day free trial you’ll have opportunities to try a lot of classes.

Since I’ve been doing the classes at home, even my kids have take an interest in trying to move along with it.

I never thought I’d like online classes as much as I do. If anythings it’s more convenient. With lots of classes and times/days to select, no worrying about finding a sitter, no leaving the house, It’s awesome!

Give Habityfit.com a try. With the 7 day free trial you have nothing to lose. And when you love it (and I know you will) don’t forget to use code: 20Ang4 to save 20% off a 10 class package or unlimited monthly package!

HealthSapiens Offers Telemed Services For Counseling and Medical Advice

COVID-19 has made businesses get creative with how they can keep going in these trying times. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders are making people ask themselves “Do I really need to go out? Do I really need this right now?” Unfortunately, it can also make people hesitate on getting evaluated by a medical professional.

Social distancing and the temporary closing of some facilities has also been in the news for people with depression, anxiety, and loneliness having trouble coping with everything going on. I’m a part of a group for the gym I’m a member of. Many people used the gym as a way to help with depression, anxiety, addiction behavior, and more. I see frequently in the group, people that just don’t know how to cope and are losing motivation.

So what can you do? Many health facilities are offering by appointment only and only if it’s medically necessary. My daughter’s well check up and my son’s wisdom teeth removal were canceled with rescheduling when able. Some facilities have telemed services set up but not all. If you’re really struggling mentally, it can be hard to leave the house anyway.

HealthSapiens is a solution. HealthSapiens offering Telemed services for both medical advice and counseling.

HealthSapiens offers an affordable subscription plan for individuals and families. The family plan will cover unlimited visits for up to 7 people! There are no copays, available 24/7, and they can even send any prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice.

There is no waiting in lines, no sitting in a waiting room with sick people, no sitting in an exam room for 30 minutes until a doctor can get to you. Honestly this sounds amazing to me. I have ulcerative colitis and IBS so sitting for 45 minutes in a waiting room then another 30 minutes in an exam room can mean several bathroom trips for me. I’d feel much more comfortable at home.

I’ve also considered getting counseling for my anxiety and depression. My insurance doesn’t cover it and it’s something like $100+ per hour so I never did. This is a much more affordable solution. I don’t have to let my bank account decide if I can get help or not.

Health Sapiens: Sign-up for Affordable & Easily Accessible Counseling Today!

Don’t let current events or copay worries hold you back from getting the care you and your family need. Sign up today and start feeling better.

Health Sapiens: Affordable & Easily Accessible Healthcare starting at $19.95/Month. Sign-up Today!

This post does contain affiliate link. I will get a small commission from actions taken through my links.

Penn State LIFT Program For Adults 40+

LOGANTON, Pa. — Penn State Extension will offer an in-person and group-based strength-training program for inactive to moderately active adults aged 40 and older.

“LIFT,” which stands for Lifelong Improvements through Fitness Together, will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 PM to 7 PM from March 17 to May 7 at the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School, 236 E. Main Street.   

Participation may result in improvements in functional fitness or the ability to perform activities of daily living with ease.

“LIFT” sessions are held twice a week for one hour over the course of eight weeks and include an active warmup, eight core strength-training exercises and a cool-down period. The program also encourages participants to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Strength training offers physical, mental and emotional benefits including increased muscle mass and strength; improved bone density; reduced risk for osteoporosis and related fractures; reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, depression and obesity; and improved self-confidence, sleep and vitality.

Cost of the program is $60. Some insurance policies may reimburse participants with 80 percent or better attendance; those attending should check with their insurance provider for more information.

To register, visit extension.psu.edu/lifelong-improvements-through-fitness-together-lift or call 877-345-0691.

I suggest checking the site because there are several Penn State extension sites that offer the program. Penn State also offers other health related programs to the public.

About Penn State Extension

Penn State Extension is a modern educational organization, dedicated to translating scientific research into real-world applications to drive progress. In support of Penn State’s land-grant mission, extension programs promote a vibrant food and fiber system, a clean environment and a healthier population for Pennsylvania and beyond.

Penn State Extension serves individuals, businesses and communities, helping them address problems and realize opportunities through a robust portfolio of educational programs, products and services. With support from federal, state and county governments, the organization has a tradition of bringing unbiased information and support to the citizens of Pennsylvania for more than 100 years.