Let's face it. Exercise is boring. But there's hope. Home gyms are taking their cues from commercial fitness clubs, which have poured millions into upgrading themselves with flat-screen digital TVs, state-of-the-art sound systems, and Net access to keep their customers moving. The most basic item to start with is a treadmill with an interactive heart-rate monitor. The monitor adjusts the speed and incline of the treadmill as you work out, to get the optimal octane performance out of your ticker. Early generations of interactive heart monitors often got jammed picking up vibrations from the fitness machine's motor, but the latest are virtually bug-free. Current console displays of heart-rate info range from a skinny dot-matrix pattern to much more muscular models, such as those of the Life Fitness Integrated LCD Entertainment System and Technogym's Excite line. The Excite treadmills feature built-in TV screens offering downloadable workouts, entertainment options including cable and DVD, and a workout-integrated "Breezer" fan that can be outfitted to keep you cool with your favorite fragrance. The Excite treads even boast an overlay of specially perfumed plastic ("no more unpleasant rubber smell on your hands after working out," promises the Gambettola, Italy-based Technogym).
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