Challenge yourself with new cardio!

Welcome to diet and fitness podcast, a free audio podcast sponsored by Diet.com. This is your fit fun and fabulous host, Lady Diet, ready to give you the skinny on the latest diet, fitness health tips and news.

Last week I talked about how it really is possible to have fun at the gym if you put in the extra effort! You need to add variety to your exercise program to avoid getting stuck in a weight loss rut. I speak from personal experience! Well, I wanted to push this topic a little further this week. I know that many of us, myself included, tend to head straight for our favorite cardio machine day after day and end up doing the same routine over and over again. This is why we don’t see any progress! In an effort to help you break out of your old routine and change things up, today I am going to tell you a little bit about the benefits of the four main cardio machines you see in gyms today: the treadmill, the elliptical, the stationary bike, and the stair climber!

Some of you swear by it and others fear it. That’s right, I’m talking about the cardio classic – The Treadmill. Perfect for rainy days and when you don’t feel like getting chased by the all the neighborhood dogs, the treadmill lets you walk, jog, and sprint your way to personal fitness. While jogging outside on pavement and uneven surfaces is hard on your joints, treadmills are getting more shock absorbent every day so you can keep running comfortably. One thing to note… If you might feel like you work harder on a treadmill than on other machines, this is because you have to support your whole body, as opposed to say… the bicycle.

Even easier on your joints however is the trendy low-impact Elliptical machine, my personal favorite. On the Elliptical, you can move forward or backward and add or decrease incline and resistance to exercise different muscles. Many Elliptical machines have arms on them so you can move your upper body too, much like cross country skiing. Remember the NordicTrack with the skis that go too far and the handles on cords and all that? The Elliptical is a lot more user friendly! Just put your feet on the pedals and start pushing!

Like I mentioned before, the stationary bicycle supports your body because you’re sitting down, so you save a little energy. This allows you to work longer. Adversely, you don’t burn as many calories in the same amount of time as you would on the treadmill or elliptical. You do, however, intensify the work your quad muscles have to do, so you can pedal your way to sexy, strong legs! To give your glutes and hamstrings some attention, try a recumbent stationary bike. That’s the kind that lets you sit in a reclined position with your legs stretched out.

Finally, let us not forget about the Stair Climber! You might not move as quickly on the stair climber as you would on say the Treadmill, but it by all means breaks a sweat! Basically, the stair climber is just like climbing an endless flight of stairs. How much of a workout you get is up to you. You get to control the height of the steps you take. If you tried a Stair Climber awhile ago and decided it wasn’t for you, give it another try. Stair Climbers today are hugely improved, with lots of programs to choose from so you don’t bore yourself. If you really want to work on your behind and your thighs, the Stair Climber is a great solution

When it comes down to it, no matter what machine you use, how hard you work and how long you work on one determines how much you’re going to burn. Though it varies greatly, high intensity cardio workouts are usually done in about 20-30 minutes, while low-intensity workouts take a bit longer, about 30-60 minutes. Take some time to get to know all the cardio machines at your gym. Like I mentioned last week, it’s so important to switch up your exercise routine – not only to avoid the fitness blues and boredom, but to keep your body working hard. If you keep doing the same workout, your body gets too comfortable and you’ll hit a weight loss plateau. To keep making progress, step out of your cardio comfort zone and onto a new machine! Remember – as always, check with your physician before you start any new exercise routine, especially if you have joint or heart conditions.

If you have any comments or suggestions about today’s podcast or any fun health diet or fitness tips please feel free to email me at LadyDietPodcast at dietdotcom.

This is lady diet signing off…