Elliptical trainers are exercise machines used for cardiovascular and aerobic workouts. The low-impact workout provided by these machines can effective work your legs and arms in movements that mimic sports such as cross-country skiing. To get the best workouts from elliptical machines, engage more body parts and utilize various resistance and speed adjustments, suggests the American College of Sports Medicine.
Considerations
Make sure that the elliptical trainer fits your body properly. The stride length on the machine must fit your leg reach to effectively speed up your training. A good fit also ensures that you can maintain an upright posture while riding the machine so your knees don't bump into the front console.
Warning
To prevent accidents, familiarize yourself with the machine before you start using a new elliptical trainer. Find the speed controls and make sure you know how to operate them properly. Be aware of the shut off buttons in case of emergencies. The emergency shut off button will come in handy if you feel faint or cannot keep up with the increased speed.
Effects
The results of your regular workouts on an elliptical are based primarily on the intensity and duration of the exercise. Ellipticals are ideal for performing interval training workouts that can maximize your performance. Interval training involves short bursts of high intensity work followed by slower periods of lower intensity activity.
Variations
Maintain a continuous stride as you change speed settings during a workout. Interval training may include starting at a moderate pace, then increasing the speed for two minutes and lowering the speed for four minutes to provide recovery time. Higher periods of time can provide greater aerobic conditioning. Try one-to-one ratios that include five minutes at the fastest speed you can do, followed by five minutes at a lower speed. Continue with the alternating speeds for the entire 30-minute workout.
Benefits
While cardiovascular fitness is the primary goal of aerobic conditioning exercises, the kind of intense workout you can get when you increase the speed and duration of your elliptical workouts also present other benefits. According to the University of New Mexico, by continuing to increase the level of your aerobic workouts, you burn more calories, reduce stress, build lean muscle mass and decrease the risks of developing certain illnesses.
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