One piece of exercise equipment is becoming so popular..........apart from they gym such as walking or jogging or even sports.

One piece of exercise equipment is becoming so popular that some people can't bear to face a workout without it: the television. Just as many people are glued to their TVs at home, so they are at the gym, intently focused on CNN or American Idol.

Almost every gym offers some form of TV entertainment and the more magnificent the club, the better the options. Big complexes feature individual screens integrated into cardio machines allowing exercises to watch whatever they like. Others have banks of wall or ceiling mounted screens, some offering headsets so users can listen to particular shows.

More clubs are buying or contemplating buying equipment with integrated television screen, and many even have televisions in strength training areas, where concentration -- especially around free weights -- is critical.

Wireless headsets are now available, allowing gym members to wander while listening to one of 14 digital audio programs. Soon there may be video Ipods able to interface with a club system. eventually, members would be able to select from a bank of movies and programs and view between those and wellness data such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Fun, sure, but this may not be the best way to wade through a workout. Survey the cardio areas of a gym and invariably a few people will be engrossed in a show to the point that they going through the motions of exercising -- slowly pedaling the trainer, inching along on the treadmill -- and barely sweating or breathing hard.

Certainly, it is more productive than napping, most fitness experts agree. But it may sell exercisers short, making them wonder why they haven't seen significant improvements in their bodies after weeks or months at the gym. The reason -- their workout is lackadaisical and they are not exercising at the appropriate level.

But clubs need to stay competitive with the market and please members, many of whom are tech-savvy and have the latest gadgets such as mega-screen plasma TVs and video cell phones. More fundamentally, exercise, for many, isn't too exciting -- especially for someone trudging along monotonously on a cardio machine. One of the main problems is to keep people in the program, club owners say and anything that attracts people to an exercise program is helpful. even low levels of physical exertion can have significant health benefits, say academics and researchers. It helps to lower blood pressure, reduce body fat and improve cardiovascular function.

Studies do show that television can help people with an exercise program. Those who are new to exercise need something to divert them from the pain and discomfort, at least in the first six months when dropout rates are high. But for the more experienced exerciser or someone whose weight loss or fitness goals are more defined, there may be fewer advantages to constantly fixating on a TV screen. Ideally, people ought to be in tune with their bodies while exercising, staying aware of their intensity level, heart rate and perspiration.

Beyond the first six months people should be more conscious of how long they are exercising and at what intensity and should build adherence firs before building physiological changes.

A barrage of stimuli from television could certainly interfere with the concentration required for more complex workouts. The brain can handle two tasks as long as they are controlled by different areas. But combining two cognitive functions like monitoring heart rate while keeping up with a football game could cause problems as the person is engaging in activities in the same domain in the brain.

Growing technology is going to provide more distractions, not fewer. That may not be such a problem for people in their 20s who are used to constant distractions but for the older generation, this would be harder. Thus, other alternatives ought to be considered apart from they gym such as walking or jogging or even sports.

Summary: Television has become popular at gymnasiums for distraction during workouts. Complexes have screens integrated into cardio machines, ceiling mounted screens or wireless head sets for exercises to enjoy music. Video Ipods are also being considered. But this is not productive as people tuned to TV are immersed in the show and hardly sweat or raise their heartbeat due to inappropriate level of workout. Clubs needs latest devices to stay competitive and appeal to members as many exercisers find machines unexciting and need stimulation to stay in the program. Though television can assist newcomers as it distracts from pain and discomfort, it is non-viable for the experienced exerciser. Exercisers must build adherence before seeking physiological changes. Television can disrupt concentration for complex workout and especially difficult for the older generation.