Ida Lee Park Recreation Center Part 2

I've previously written about in this space, but this week I decided a second look was in order. Last time, I wrote about : how nice it was to have a place to go swim with my son during the long, long (oh, so long) winter months. This time, I'm going to talk about going there to work out.

Ida Lee recently bought a host of brand new state-of-the-art cardio equipment that rivals any private gym. There are five new pieces of equipment: the PreCor elliptical cross-trainer, the 95T Inspire treadmill, the 95R Recumbent bike, the 95C upright bike, and my personal favorite, the PreCor Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT).

The first time I visited Ida Lee to try out the new equipment, I went to the AMT, thinking it was just a new elliptical. While the motions are certainly similar, the AMT is really a couple of machines in one: it's an elliptical, a stair-stepper, and a cross-country skier all in one.

The AMT takes some getting used to, but what's fascinating about it is that as the name suggests, it adapts to you and your movements. Lean back and it becomes a stair-stepper. Lean all the way forward, and you're getting a full-body workout. The range of motion gives you a more satisfying workout than the regular elliptical while still keeping the same low-impact properties.

I've recently started running, and am currently training for the Virginia Wine 1/2 Marathon in June. As my training has progressed and my distances have gotten longer, the harder it's been for me to work out on the treadmill. The monotony makes even a 20-minute run seem like an eternity. However, the new Inspire treadmill may be able to help with that.

First of all, it bears mentioning that most of the new equipment has flat-screen televisions on them, so no more watching closed-captioned CNN on one of the wall-mounted TVs (unless you really want to). I may or may not have gotten through my last workout by watching Judge Judy.

While the treadmill doesn't have a television, it does have a screen display. You can hook your iPod up and watch any videos that you may have on your device. You can also hook it up and play music or anything else you may want to help pass the time.

The treadmill also has a virtual trainer so you can personalize your workout. You can take the Government fitness test so you can see if you qualify for that FBI job you've always thought about, or you can run a 5 or 10K on a course that simulates actual terrain instead of the regular no-hill treadmill run. You can even choose different views including a track or mountains for your run.

The treadmill even allows you to track your workout directly from the machine, as it's compatible with the Nike+ app.

Ida Lee has also purchased several of each machines, which meant no wait either of the times I've been there - even during the post-work rush. The best part is that Ida Lee is currently having its semi-annual pass sale, so you can enjoy the equipment and everything else Ida Lee has to offer for a discounted price.

You can find more information about Ida Lee Park Recreation Center and their new equipment on their website.