European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 11, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Leonard Sloane new York times this year More and More americans Are shaping up for summar on High tech exercise machines at Home. Consumers who know their Way around heal in clubs Are buying their own computerized cycles ire admits ski simulators and Slair climbers. What was once used for Ehe . In athletes has now been tapered Down Ira the general Public said Anthony Saraniti director of the East Side sports my dicing Center in new York which oilers supervised training programs. One  of Iheson machines arc Iho digital display panels that measure Lime Speed distance and Energy expended in a workout  thing electronics does is help  .1 you Wilh your workout said Jack pors. A buyer Tor Herman s world of up Orsog goods a loading retailer of the machines you set a goal and know exactly what you re  nol everyone is so  s an indication of the narcissism of this generation said or. Mortimer r. Weinborg a new York psychologist. It s an obsess pc concern with health and frequently it s  nonetheless the lure of electronic gadgetry helped push sales to Consumers of All arrids of exercise equipment in Iho uni cd sales to $1.1 billion last year up 52 percent from six years earlier according to inc National Sperling goods association the Hulk of the Market now Tor Sto Leonary bicycles is in the Range of s250 to $500, but prices can reach Inlo the thousands boiler rowing machines can Range Iron $200 to $600 motorized treadmills. Irom is .500 to $5,000. Now the medical profession is paying Alt lion the use of electronically assisted Home exercise equipment was discussed in May at the meeting of the american College of sports Medicine in Dallas ii you in interested in buying such equipment of ports suggest that you try dilator Cal exercise machines at a health club or falness Center after checking with your dual or. Tow variety is extraordinary said or s Robert Levine. A cardiologist who is medical director of Hearl health promotion a new York health management Center. Once you decide you re in the Market go to a Well a locked store or showroom whore you can try equipment by such Matulac Lieis a precor. Bodyguard and exe Reycie if you mainly want to control weight you will be shown bicycles treadmills and rowing rn.ichine5.lhal display the approximate amount of calories you Are burning As you exercise. If you re interested in intensive cardiovascular training there Are some Erma Bombeck work rates Ara shown on gauges on stationary Cycle. Hew York Twat photo electronics that do everything but Huff and puff very costly machines Wilh built in pulse monitoring do vices. This Type of machine has straps that attach id your Chesl to Monitor the heartbeat such machines Are programmed to give an alarm when the level you designate is reached. These monitors showing your heart rate can be helpful in establishing a proper target rate said Levine. But the Point is hat we re All different and you Are doing yourself a disservice if you Don t discuss in Wilh your physician or physiologist to make sure that in is inc appropriate  the machine most Olton recommended Tor a full exercise program in the Homo 19 one thai exercises your upper and lower body a the same time. Among such machines Are those by vers3 climber and exe Cycle. Expect to pay �2.5001o 13,000 Tor a Good mock Wilh $100 to $200 More Tor delivery and Assembly. Separate devices offer a less costly alternative. For example an exercise bicycle can condition the lower body White a weigh set and dumbbells Are considered helpful for the upper body. There Are electronic gauges to measure caloric consumption by computing the Pace and number of movements of inc exerciser. They translate the data into distance travelled and keep track of How Long and How fast you arc exercising because everyone s metabolism is different the calorie counters provide on an average measurement. Some exercisers buy an accessory that straps on the body Wilh a wrist Walch Cadoul of pulse and blood pressure. Sharper image which has 50 stores around the country and Sells through a catalogue has one called pro Trainer heart Monitor for $199. The costlier exorcise machines will store records of previous performance. Others simulate outdoor cycling or rowing wih video displays of Hilly Countryside or swill streams. Many machines Are easier on the joints Ihan say jogging. Still injuries do occur. You have to assume the proper position Tise your legs and arms correctly and nol overuse any one part of Iho body said Robert Brody. Marketing director of Concool ii which makes rowing machines. And however advanced the electronics you still have to do the work. If you Are in inc Market Lor Home health equipment Here Are some shopping lips Wear workout clothes so you can try out machines in Comfort. Be Sura computer elements Are detachable for easy repair. Buy from an outlet thai oilers ils own warranty at least Lor the Short term in addition to the manufacturer s. Look for products from manufacturers that have nearby service canters or provide Home service so you won t have to ship heavy equipment. Ape son who a regarded As a computer illiterate is a lol like a woman who is pregnant Lor the first Lime. You Are inc Only person in the world to experience this phenomenon you acc embarrassed to ask questions because everyone else but you knows the answer and you Nevor Tell anyone your secret until in begins to show. This inability to enter the 21 is Century has turned my entire life Inlo a living he. I laugh at computer jokes when t have no idea Why i nod with intelligence when people mention a new Picco of software. When i m asked if i have a word processor i give a phony look of Shock and say does the pops work sundays of course i have a word processor it is 3 years old and i have no idea where the switch is this has filled me with sell loathing and disgust. I am sickened by my dishonesty enter. Lohn alien autos a mathematics professor at Temple University who wrote an article on computer Page 16 the stars and stripes illiteracy. Here s a Man with a doctorate in mathematics who writes unless i spend an inordinate amount of time. I can t program anything on a computer More interesting than  he is far More disturbed by our cultural illiteracy than our computer shortcomings. Ignorance of computers is not the sort of ignorance we should worry too much about. Alter All. A lol of people drive cars but they Don t know much about the internal combustion engines that drive them. They Don l have to thank you. Or. Autos from All the computer dead of Iho world people who Don t have the courage to speak out. Say hallelujah you Nave Given me the strength to Rise from the ashes of chips and disks to Lay Bare my weaknesses and to live my info computer free As it was meant to be. I can say publicly that i use paper clips because i cannot Load a stapler. I still use Carbon paper instead of a copier. I still use an ism typewriter instead of a word processor. Saturday. June 11,1988 there is a portable radio on the Seal of my car because i have never Learned How to program the buttons on the car radio. Thank goodness someone has finally admitted that Man does not live by Apple alone for Loo Long we have been intimidated by Iho mystique of computers. The ones that insist we owe a Bill when we have already paid it the ones that spit Oul checks and then insist you return them the Onos that have grown people talking to them like one of Charlie s Angels or. Paulos observed i rial leaching children anything beyond elementary skills on a computer is laughable when so Many students Are marginally literate in English. I had someone turn our computer on or me the other. Day. Cautiously i typed in the names of Thomas Hardy. Willa gather William Shakespeare and Mark Twain. It burped no file name Lound you see. They Don t know anything. C 19si Erma Bombeck