For those who enjoy the water, wetsuits cater for the swimmer, surfer, skier or sailor who wants to keep safe and warm while splashing out.

Wetsuits are crucial for watersports, especially in our southern latitudes. Neoprene wetsuits are absolutely essential in the colder weather. Wetsuits work by trapping a thin layer of water between the skin and the neoprene wetsuit material, which then uses the body temperature of the wearer to heat the water and keep the wearer warm.

Thicker neoprene is requured for icy winter conditions but the decision on which one to buy is a trade off between warmth and flexibility. The thickness of wetsuits varies from 2mm to 6mm and while thickest wetsuits will keep you warmest, they offer far less freedom of movement than thinner styles.

The latest wetsuits on the market have improved technology, including the addition of rechargeable battery powered heating elements. Advances in technology have certainly improved in the last few years, which has meant users have more flexibility and stay warmer for longer.

Wetsuits come in a range of different styles and colours to suit various applications, and can also be custom made and fitted for the best warmth and protection. The primary purpose of wetsuits is to protect you from the cold, so buyers should think about the thickness of the material to ensure maximum comfort and warmth.

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Wetsuit Buying Tips:

• Know your needs before starting to shop. An array of styies exist that suit many different applications.
• Full body wetsuits are known as a steamer suit and can provide the most insulation.
• Wetsuits with short arm and leg sleeves are known as a spring suit and they are suitable for warmer conditions.
• Thicker wetsuits are recommended for the colder times of the year – a thickness of between 3mm and 6mm is recommended for winter conditions.
• Choose the best fitting size or have a wetsuit that is custom fit for maximum insulation.

Most wetsuit retailers have their full range listed online, which enables shoppers to easily compares styles, sizes and prices before making a purchasing decision.

Exercise bikes are a great way to get that much needed cardiovascular exercise on a daily basis without the need of riding a bike on the city streets. This can be very important especially in the case if you live in a major city as it is also a safer way of getting exercise without having to deal with busy and dangerous suburban roads.

Unfortunately, unlike going out on a bicycle for exercise, many people become bored with riding an exercise bike. Therefore it is important to think about this and look at ways to reduce possible boredom. By making the exercise routine as varied as possible, you are more likely to continue exercising on a daily basis for a longer period of time.

Exercise bikes have been shown to burn off around 550 calories per hour. While not as high as some alternatives like a treadmill, it is a lot easier to keep yourself entertained while on an exercise bike. You can even read a book while you pedal through the calories.

There are many choices available when it comes to getting an exercise bike. Some exercise bikes can be pretty plain while other can be very complex and computerised machines. For example, you could choose to go with a Flywheel Elliptical or even a Ustyle Magnetic Upright. Some exercise bikes like those made by Genki include a sensor to help you monitor your heart rate as you exercise.

From upright to recumbent and from static to magnetic, there are just so many bikes to choose from; each one with its own set of advantages as well as disadvantages. You could go with a recumbent as it is easier to read a book while exercising as compared to an upright. While at the same time, some people naturally prefer the magnetic resistance of the flywheel versus a static adjustment brake.

Places like BodyWorx offers a great Pro-Race Spin exercise bike which features an emergency braking system, a fully adjustable seat and water bottle holder. In most cases though, your budget will be a major consideration in what you purchase. Ergometer Digital exercise bikes are generally more expensive than an old fashioned static controlled bike, but also have many more features available for the simulation of various different terrains.

The best way to figure out which one works best for you is to actually try a few. Regardless of which bike you choose, it is important to remember that you need to have fun while exercising or otherwise that new exercise bike will just sit there collecting dust next to all of your other equipment that has only been used once. Keep in mind the features that best suit you if looking for the cheapest exercise bikes as cheap exercise bikes may not offer all of the features you require. The best exercise bike deals can often be found by searching online.

For optimum performance, sports watches are required to be tough as well as include all the required features so that an athlete can get the most benefit. While a standard digital watch with stopwatch timer is fine for the recreational runner or occasional jogger, it won’t cut it for those striving for peak performance.

Some watches which cater to fitness and sport have a lot of features that will suit runners, cyclists, triathletes and other athletes. These features include memory storage and recall, interval timers, heart rate monitors and pace and distance alerts. Other models have navigational features allowing you to mark locations, plot courses, then navigate between waypoints in your area. Some watches will even support both.

The more advanced features to look for in a sports watch includes:

• Heart Rate Monitor
• Heart Rate Zones and Alerts
• Long Life Batteries
• Solar Power Battery Charger
• Training Measurement and Goal Tracking
• GPS Tracking
• Pedometer Tracking
• Altitude Measurement
• Pace/Distance Measurement
• Pace/Distance Zones and Alerts
• Customisable Display
• Calorie Measurement
• Cadence Foot Pod Option
• Computer Data Uplink and Software

Nike makes some of the best sports watches and heart rate monitor watches for athletes and runners. Nike’s latest products, such as the Triax S series feature a complete set of chronograph functions together with digital display, lap time memory and an alarm.

Timex offers a wide range of sports watches for both men and women and their newer products, like the Timex IronMan Heart Rate Monitor Watch, include crucial features for the athletes such as chronograph, timer and cardiac monitor.

Seiko are one of the leading manufactures of water resistant sports watches. The Seiko 5 Sports Watch series features water resistance, a stainless steel case and a transparent case back and is a must buy for underwater divers.

A GPS watch can be a powerful tool for tracking, measuring and improving the performances of runners, cyclists, hikers skiers, windsurfers and skydivers. An advanced sports GPS watch can accurately measure:

• Speed
• Distance
• Elevation above sea level

Some sports watches with GPS can plot 3D maps over a travelled route that can later be downloaded to a computer and then reviewed and analysed in a custom software package.

Combining this with advanced sports watch features like memory storage/recall, interval timers, heart rate zones and speed, pace and distance alerts, and you get a complete wristwatch training computer!