subject: Finding The Best Cardio Equipment [print this page] There are many different cardio machines on the market. Which one is right for you?
Treadmills are for the most basic impact exercise walking, jogging and running. Every quality treadmill has the ability to change the speed and include by about 10-15% incline.
Treadmills usually have safety features such as an auto stop switch and side handles to make sure you do not injure yourself while getting on and off the machine. Another feature on nicer machines is the remote heart rate monitor.
It is not convenient to put your hands on the hand heart rate monitors when you are running if you are a serious exerciser. For increased intensity and results, you should avoid using the hand rails while exercising.
The best treadmills allow you to put a strap around your sternum which will send your heart rate to the treadmill by remote. These are just extra features that can contribute to your workout.
If you do not like running, walking on the treadmill can be just as effective for burning calories and fat as well as improving cardio health. The key is to set the treadmill at a significant incline and pace.
Working against gravity will increase difficulty and caloric expenditure. Do not pull on the handles when you have an incline.
If you grab the handles it completely defeats the purpose of the incline. The calories burned meter on the machine will not be accurate either if you hold on to or slow the machine.
Also, there is the stair master. This machine is actually called a stair stepper sometimes and simulates the motion of climbing up steps, but your body weight is actually pushing the steps down.
If the difficulty is increased, the steps will fall faster which will cause you to step faster. On a stair master, you are working directly against gravity and your body weight.
Any time a cardio exercise has a vertical component, it will be more difficult than horizontal only activities. They have also been known to be hard on the knees.
Therefore, if you have any major muscle imbalances and posture problems, this is probably not the best choice for you.
Like most of the best cardio machines, it is better for you to not hold onto the handles while exercising. If you need to support your body weight with the stair master, you should lower the intensity level.
To get the most effective workout on a simulator, use an interval program. Most aerobic pieces of equipment have preset programs that will allow you to burn the most calories in a shorter amount of time while yielding the most successful results.
Interval programs are great because they work your aerobic and anaerobic systems together which will have a significant impact on your metabolism. And that is always a good thing.
Elliptical trainers are famous for having no impact on the joints. This means there is a minimal compressive force on our bones and joints, meaning a healthier you.
There are two main varieties of this machine. One has handles which allow upper and lower body to concurrently push and pull.
The intensity is increased by adding more resistance and a higher incline. The other variety does not have handles and usually allows the incline level of the foot rests to be adjusted as well as the resistance.
You should not make the elliptical your only source of cardio. If you perform only non impact exercise, your bone mass and strength could suffer in the long run, no pun intended.
To get the best workout on an elliptical machine with handles, set the resistance high so you have to use your arms as well as your legs. This will yield the best results in the quickest fashion.
Adaptive motion trainers represent the evolution of cardio machines and a huge step up from elliptical and arc trainers. This is because there is a freedom of movement.
As the name suggests, it adapts the motion of the exercise to your natural movements. This way, there are no limitations and you can perform movements ranging from stepping up and down, short stride rowing, long strike running and elliptical like motions; rather than traveling in the same motion such as an ellipse shape would have you do, you are free to move whichever way you like.
