Ed Pauls, an engineer who turned lumpy couch loungers into winter-sport athletes with NordicTrack, an exercise machine that brought cross-country skiing indoors, died Oct. 9 at his home in Montrose, Colo. He was 80.

His daughter, Terri Pauls, said he had complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

Composed of wood slats, pulleys and wires, the NordicTrack at first glance seemed to resemble a castle-dungeon torturing mechanism rather than an exercise machine that helped stoke the nation’s fitness craze.

According to the 1997 book “Why Didn’t I Think of That?: Bizarre Origins of Ingenious Inventions We Couldn’t Live Without” by Allyn Freeman and Bob Golden, the NordicTrack was featured at medical conventions and praised by cardiologists for its health benefits.

The device was the brainchild of Mr. Pauls, a cross-country skier who worked as a mechanical engineer, designing ski boots and bindings for the Rosemount company.

Mr. Pauls’s breakthrough moment in exercise equipment came one winter day in the early 1970s when he was skiing in the Minneapolis suburbs. Mr. Pauls recalled it had been a particularly dreary outing — the conditions were wetter and colder than usual.

In the middle of his trek, he began to imagine a cross-country skiing simulator that could be used inside his well-heated home.

The machine’s first iterations required the exerciser to strap on ski boots and use real wooden skis. One prototype had a sofa pillow for extra padding.

(Mr. Pauls originally had called his machine the “Nordic Jock” but changed the name after women’s rights groups complained, according to the book by Freeman and Golden.)

After perfecting his design, Mr. Pauls opened a business in his home and sent units to members of the United States ski team. He promoted the machine at exercise expos, touting its total-body workout. He placed advertisements in Smithsonian magazine and Scientific American.

Sales were slow at first — until Olympic silver medalist Bill Koch endorsed the machine. By the mid-1980s, sales reached $5 million a year, with orders taken over the phone or answered by mail by Mr. Pauls and his wife.

Mr. Pauls sold the NordicTrack business to a holding company in 1986 for $22 million. Under new ownership, the NordicTrack company opened 300 retail stores across the country.

Newspaper advertisements promised that NordicTrack users could burn up to 1,100 calories an hour. Sales skyrocketed to more than $450 million in the mid-1990s.

But the NordicTrack’s intimidating appearance ultimately contributed to its downfall. A gym fitness director in New York told Newsday that so few people used the NordicTrack, it “ends up being a clothing rack.”

It also was awkward to use, Gold’s Gym assistant franchising director Rich Minzer told the Star Tribune in 1998. “People don’t want to look bad doing something, especially in the gym in front of people,” he said. “They’d rather get on a treadmill or a Lifecycle. . . . You can’t look bad doing those.”

The company declared bankruptcy in 1998. Surplus NordicTrack equipment was sold out of warehouses for scrap metal, and the NordicTrack name was sold to another company.

Edward Arthur Pauls was born Aug. 28, 1931, in Sheboygan, Wis., and grew up on a dairy farm in Wausau, Wis. He was an engineering graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Florence Melhuse Pauls of Montrose; two children, Terri Pauls, a champion cross-country skier, of Anchorage, and Glenn Pauls of Telluride, Colo.; and two grandchildren.

What would happen if I were to follow you with a camera crew 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the next 100 days while you went for your goals?

I bet 3 things would happen….

1) You would START doing the things you say you need to do.

2) You would STOP doing the things you know you shouldn’t be doing.

3) You would MAKE monumental performance gains and change your life.

This is ALL possible through the discipline of accountability.

Accountability serves and protects your character, credibility and commitments as it ensures that what you want to accomplish gets accomplished.

The problem however is that the lack of accountability is one of the biggest constraints you have which prevents goal achievement.

With that reality in mind, I wanted to share with you an exciting opportunity to achieve every goal you set, to enforce ultimate accountability into your life, and show you how you can make monumental performance gains.

Gary Ryan Blair, otherwise known as The Goals Guy has put together what I believe to be the most comprehensive approach to goal setting and performance enhancement.

It’s called the 100 Day Challenge and it shows you how to make more progress in the next 100 days than most people will do over the next 5 years.

Bold statement?

Yes, but it’s true as people all over world are using this amazing program to pay off their mortgages, become completely debt free, blow out sales quotas, and achieve the seemingly impossible.

The 100 Day Challenge is an extreme performance acceleration program, because it’s all about ripping the lid off of conventional thinking and getting massive results quickly.

And that’s what you really want, isn’t it?

I’ve seen it, and it’s an amazing piece of work.

The secret to making it work for you is the powerful accountability system it enforces.

But you don’t have to take my word for it, check it out for yourself.

=> Click here.

I suggest you do yourself a favor and take a serious look at this. It really could change your life.

Click here right now.

You’ll like what you find, and you’ll love the results it delivers!

P.S. I almost forgot, since I am one of his affiliates, Gary has agreed to provide a special $50 discount exclusively for readers of my blog.

Got your New Years Resolutions written? 90% of us have “lose weight” or “get fit” at the top of our list. So, what’s does it take to get past January and really put off those pounds and get fit and not “fizzle out”?

Define your “Why” – Are you facing health challenges that can be managed or eliminated with weight loss & exercise? Is it time to put energy back in your life with a healthy fit lifestyle? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and liked what you saw? Take the time to define why you need to lose the excess weight and get fit and put it in writing where you can look at it daily. This will become the passion that fuels you.

Be realistic - Don’t create goals for your fitness that are so big you can’t bring yourself to get started everyday. In the words of Bill Murray in What about Bob?, “Baby Steps”. Try baby steps with your resolutions. You don’t need to swear off all processed sugar and have washboard abs by the end of the year. Start by limiting sweets to once a week and working out 5 days a week. If that’s too much, swear off ice cream and walk 3 days a week. Pick an achievable goal, and when you reach it, pick another one.

Track your progress – Take pictures of where you are starting now and then in a couple of weeks or in 30 days. You will be amazed at both the subtle and not so subtle changes you might have missed if you didn’t have photos to compare.

Develop a workout that “works” for you and your lifestyle – Not everyone wants to go to to the gym everyday, so bring the fitness equipment home! It might be time to invest in a Nordic Track Skier for total body fitness.

NordicTrack Skier is no impact on your body whatsoever, just smooth and rhythmic motion. This smooth movement strengthens the abductor muscles in the outer thigh – this is an important muscle that hold the body straight and upright.

The NordicTrack Skier also helps to strengthen your core muscles and build co-ordination as you age so that you will be less prone to falling as your center of gravity improves daily.

Are you ready to invest in yourself today with a Nordic Fitness Track?

Free consultation with Nordic Danny with every Nordic Fitness Track purchase. Isn’t it time you started feeling and looking your best?

Regardless, we have just the right product for YOUR treadmill – all brands – and with the patented applicator wand, making it Quick & Easy.  Save Time – Cost – Money.  We Ship Quick and unlike most internet base businesses – We Love Taking Phone Orders !  503.851.3775 — 24 / 7.

Order by going to our store at www.NordicFitnessTrack.com

PRO-TECT YOUR INVESTMENT SUPER DELUXE TREADMILL CARE KIT;

• 6 Month Supply of Lubricant
• 6 Month Supply of Cleaning Solution
• 22” Applicator Wand for Wider Belts
• 125 Volt Power Suppressor 450 Jls/600vts
• Scrub Brush
• Maintenance Instruction Guide.
• Comes with either Silicone (99%) or Paraffin Wax

DELUXE TREADMILL MAINTENANCE KIT;

• 6 Month Supply of Lubricant
• 22” Applicator for Wider Belts
• Walking Belt Adjustment Tool
• Maintenance Instruction Guide
• Comes with either Silicone (99%) or Paraffin Wax

STANDARD TREADMILL LUBRICATION KIT:

• 6 Month Supply of Lubricant
• 22” Applicator for Wider Belts
• Instruction Guide
• Comes with either Silicone (99%) or Paraffin Wax

STANDARD TREADMILL CLEANING KIT:

• 6 Month Supply of Cleaning Solution
• 22” Wand for Wider Belts
• Scrub Brush
• Maintenance Instruction Guide

HEALTH CLUB – PROFESSIONAL – COMMERCIAL – HOME ENTHUSIAST KITS;

HEALTH CLUB TREADMILL LUBRICATION KIT

• 1 Year Supply of Lubricant
• 22” Applicator for Wider Belts EXTRA STRONG
• Instruction Guide
• Comes with either Silicone (99%) or Paraffin Wax

HEALTH CLUB DELUXE TREADMILL CLEANING KIT

• 1 Year Supply of Cleaning Solution
• 22” Applicator for Wider Belts EXTRA STRONG
• Scrub Brush
• Maintenance Instruction Guide

All of these kits are available at our store at NordicFitnessTrack

NordicFitnessTrack

Plus, a NordicHealthTrack Skier offers adjustable tension on both the upper and lower body exercisers so you can design a workout that concentrates on the areas you need to exercise and challenges you at the level you desire.  The patented flywheel and one-way clutch mechanism provide a smooth, non-jarring motion that won’t stress your joints or cause injury. And while your exercising your whole body, you’ll be helping yourself to a lengthy list of health benefits:

•  Increased Cardiovascular Fitness
• Improved Circulation
• Improved Lung Capacity
• Reduction in Harmful Symptoms of Stress
• Reduced Cholesterol Level
• Weight Loss and Maintenance
• Prevention of Illness 

“With NordicTrack I use more muscles, thusI am abe to bring up my heart rate to it’s training range with a much lower perception of effort.  Consequently, I can train longer, get more fit and burn more calories.” —- Ramon Loyola

GET A LIFETIME OF BENEFITS !

photo courtesy of Kyle May on Flickr

Yeah, NordicDanny did fall off ‘Track’ but got back on and lost 50 lbs too !

When you diet, your body fights to maintain its normal percentage of body fat, or set point.  Your metabolism decreases and your appetite increases which makes you lethargic and hungry.  But it does not make you thinner.  And most of the weight you lose is water.  If you lose a little fat, you risk gaining it back again as soon as you start eating normally.

The only sure way to keep weight off it to lower your set point.  And the only way to do that is through Aerobic Exercise.

A NordicFitnessTrack Exerciser provides the most efficient and effective form of Aerobic Exercise.  It exercises the major muscle groups in your body; arms, legs, buttocks, shoulders and stomach.  By doing so, it burns more calories in less time than most other exercise machines – and that includes the Elliptical – over 1,100 per hour !

So get your weight-loss goals on Track with NordicHealthTrack !

“I have lost 15 pounds since I began using the NordicTrack six years ago.  I haven’t regained an ounce and, even more important, I am firm and tight.”

LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF !

KEY POINTS:

Dietings Effect on Body Weight

“Without aerobic exercise, most of your weight loss is water.  If you do lose a little fat, it’s back on again as soon as you start eating normally”

Effect on Body Fat with NordicFitnessTrack

“Aerobic exercise is the only sure way to lower your set point.  A NordicHealthTrack Skier provides the most efficient and effective form of aerobic exercise”

Enrich your Health.  Enhance your Life.  When you take care of your Health, you take care of every aspect of your life – your looks, your mood, your energy, your relationships and your job.  With good health, you have the essential ingredient for a happy, productive life.

The best way to insure good health is by maintaining your fitness (proper body weight, firm muscle tone and a strong cardiovascular system) through regular aerobic exercise.  A NordicFitnessTrack skier is the most effective aerobic exercise machine available.   Millions of people have already realized their FitnessTrack goals with HealthTrack skiers – So can you! 

WEIGHT LOSS 

NordicFitness helps you take off body fat and keep it off by burning more calories in less time than any other exercise machine. <p>

“In the six months I’ve been using the NordicTrack (generally 20 minutes, 6 times per week), I’ve lost 37 pounds, controlled my blood pressure and lowered my pulse”  — Rich Hillyard

 CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS

 By incorporating resistance and using a standing, total-body motion, a NordicTrack workout makes it easy for you to reach and maintain your target heart rate,  Using your NordicTrack Skier regularly makes your heart more efficient at transferring oxygen, nutrients and other life sustaining substances to your body’s cells and organs.

“Right away, I knew this was an excellent cardiovascular workout.  I was particularly pleased about getting the upper-body exercise which jogging or bicycling didn’t provide.  — Boak Sells.

INCREASED ENERGY 

Research also shows people who exercise regularly have more stamina and higher level of energy.  NordicFintessTrack provides the most efficient total-body workout to effectively increase your energy.

“At 63, NordicTrack has greatly improved the quality of my life.  I work out 5 mornings per week and feel a lot better.  I have more vitality and energy.  NordicHeathTrack has given me a different outlook on life; no I feel like going out and doing things”  — Frank Goodavish.

STRESS CONTROL.

By working all your major muscles, NordicHealth relaxes the entire body and relives pent-up tension. 

“I bought my NordicTrack at the time I was in a stressful job and needed exercise to cope with what I was going through at work.    The NordicTrack gave me some control over my life – in other words, no matter how bad things got at work, I began to feel I could manage because I had that half hour of good aerobic exercise every day”. – Chris Dvorak

TOTAL FITNESS & HEALTH

NordicFitnessTrack is the ideal total-body trainer.  You’ll tone and condition your entire body as well as enjoy a long list of Health benefits. 

“On the NordicTrack, I can raise my heart rate to my target zone and keep it there.  I can reach my target rate before my muscles get too tired because I’m using my total body.   I feel like I’m in total control now”.  – Van Bateman.

Others sell used equipment.    NordicFitnessTrack offers totally reconditioned & refurbished original skiers to help you ACHIEVE your Health & Fitness Goals.  Call 503.851.3775 & talk to me personally, NordicDanny – TODAY!

It is a good idea to condition your body before the cross-country skiing season begins. Do a lot of activities that strengthen the upper body, like swimming or rowing. Really work on the large muscles of your legs by biking, walking briskly, or roller-blading.

Cross-country ski machines provide an excellent indoor workout. The machine should have a base long enough to match your stride. Arm and leg resistance should be adjustable and have smooth action. Machines that have cords instead of poles give a tougher upper-body workout and the legendary NordicTrack Skier is second to none. Be sure to purchase from a reputable dealer as used skiers – especially those that have been sitting for any period of time require servicing. Your health will be worth the investment!

Happy New Year from NordicFitnessTrack.com !

OK – each and every year, exercise equipment sales increase in January – thanks largely (pun intended) to the overeating we all tend to do during the Holidays. Not just good food mind you, but plenty of sweets and spirits abound.

Well, now is the time to ‘Get on the FitnessTrack’ with the rest of your life. By spring, many of us have already waxed and waned and you will find some of those machines already at local garage sales!

Good intentions do not equal weight loss or heart-smart health. The bottom line is of course, all exercise equipment (or at least most) will do some good if people just use it. The other factor is simply motivation and ease of use.

NordicTrack Ski Machines are still among the best in pure – no impact aerobic exercise. And you don’t just need to take NordicDanny’s FitnessTrack word for it – please do a quick Google Search: Health Benefits – Cross Country Skiing.. and you will see that It is HUGE.

The FitnessTrack Facts are:

• Aerobic #1
• Endurance #1
• Strength #2
• Flexibility #2
• Coordination #2

OVERALL THIS IS STILL THE HIGHEST RATED FITNESS EQUIPMENT.

No impact means your joints don’t get ‘jolted’ – which is why I call Treadmills – the catch all for the Fitness novice – ‘deadmills’. Experience a NordicTrack Skier like none-other and get all the benefits and then some of a treadmill – with ZERO – 0 – that’s right – NO IMPACT OR JOINT PAIN.

Yes Virginia, if you can ride a bike you can NordicTrack ! – and you don’t even need to use the upper body exerciser since the skier serves as a COMPACT Treadmill ! Does the street move toward your feet as you walk ? Treadmills do, which equals twice the impact on your joints beyond of normal walking !!

To Be Continued … next time we’ll talk about the ELLIPTICAL. The short – choppy – restrictive answer to the freestyle – free flowing ‘dance’ of the World’s Best Aerobic Exerciser !

Contact NordicDanny Today ! For under $400- delivered price, a ‘Better than New’ Original – Refurbished and Reconditioned PRO Skier will be delivered to your door. Complete with One Year Parts & Labor Warranty. Since Service BEGINS with the sale, you can call me anytime and I’ll keep you motivated with some NordicSecrets. 503.851.3775