When you are ready to take the plunge and step into an effective work out regimen, make sure that you are rich in determination and discipline. These are the two effective ingredients to any workout routine. There will be no holding back whether you choose to do aerobics in your home, purchase a gym membership or follow instructional videos and DVDs. Set up your regimen and stick to it. The best way to do this is to make sure you are doing what you enjoy and you are comfortable doing it.
Setting Up and Following A Regimen
Set up an effective cardiovascular exercise regimen. Be sure to set up something that is comfortable and convenient for you. There are so many variations of cardio exercise that you are destined to find one routine that you can enjoy. Now follow the key steps:
- Be flexible with your workout time, but choose one that is right for you. Don’t be set-off by trial and error. Some people do better working out in the mornings and some in the evenings. So, experiment until you find what fits your needs.
- Schedule your work out time. If you treat it like an important part of your day, at least for the first 30 days, it will become a routine.
- Be prepared. Once you decide on the proper work out regimen, make sure you have all of the proper equipment.
- Remember to schedule time to stretch. This is important with any workout because it prevents injury.
Aerobic Exercise At Home
Keep the same rules as above about applying and sticking to your regimen. Working out at home has so many benefits because you can really dictate your schedule. I’ve listed different types of training below test drive a few of them out.
- Continuous training involves activities where most energy is supplied by the aerobic system. This is the type of training you would have been doing when you first begin to work out.
- Fartlek training involves interspersing short bursts of intense/faster work throughout a continuous activity. It is a great way of introducing more intensive work. The difference between this activity and pure continuous work is that there is a deliberate attempt to increase the intensity.
- Interval training involves alternating periods of activity and recovery. The advantage of this form of training is that it provides greater amounts of exposure to intensive training without incurring excessive fatigue.
- Circuit training involves a series of exercise stations with little rest between the stations. Circuit training is a form of interval training. You will have between 5 – 10 stations that are timed and have resistance equipment but calisthenics such as push ups and crunches can be classified as a station.
- Aerobic Composite training involves cross training session all rolled up into one session and is for more advanced cardiovascular capabilities. Aerobic composite can help prevent boredom in training. It offers you multiple variations on your workout tailored to your liking.
In the Gym
Circuit training is one of my favorites because it compiles a high intensity workout with timed sessions at each work out area; treadmill, elliptical trainer, bicycling, stepper and you can combine an aerobics class with it. The sky is the limit when deciding on what is most effective for you. The major benefits you have in a gym environment are more machinery to choose from when performing your work program which translates into less boredom.
Following Instructional Videos and DVDs
There are informational DVDs and videos that are always available to you. You can get some really good workout programs at decent prices that can deliver you the high impact cardio workout that you need. You can choose between many varieties; Pilates, yoga, aerobics, step aerobics, dancing and even pole dancing in this new age and new workout trends ever growing. When you pick out a work out tape the same principles apply.
Choose something that you will enjoy doing, and once you commit to it, it will become a routine. Whatever form of a Cardio workout you choose it is sure to benefit you. Good Luck on your new journey.
Cardio equipment in and out of the gym is a benefit to all because you can burn more calories in one work out and you have so many different options to choose from. You can increase the intensity of your work out, choose whether to use incline or walk on a flat surface, and set the pace and resistance. In today’s market you do have many machines to choose from, elliptical, stair-stepper, and treadmill. Whichever you choose make sure that it is designed to fit you and your needs.
How to Use Them
Always familiarize yourself with your equipment regardless of what type of equipment you are using. Use these machines to your advantage and allow your intensity level to gradually increase as you gain stamina, resilience and endurance.
Elliptical Trainer
- Pay attention to your foot placement on the pedals, insure that they are secure, your posture is good and you are comfortable.
- Maintain a stride length and resistance that is comfortable to you, this insures you stick with the workout
- Lightly grasp the handles, don’t squeeze or cause extra tension. Leaning or bearing your weight on the handles is a big no-no. Doing so only decreases the intensity of your work out.
- When you first start to work out on the Elliptical, you will only be able to do it for a few minutes; there is no shame in this. This is a high endurance cardio work out so start off lightly and you are more likely to stick with it.
Treadmill
- Most treadmills have the same functions; preset or manual, start and stop, speed and incline adjustments, and body information input.
- Start slow and find a comfortable pace, use your hand rails at first but as your comfort increases let them go and start pumping your arms to experience more weight loss during your workout.
- Select a program, don’t be afraid to switch it up, but find what you like and get comfortable in your cardio routine.
- Do not hold on, it will decrease the amount of calories burned.
- Use the incline. Resistance burns calories.
Stair Stepper
- Scoot your feet frontward and backward on the pedal, finding what makes you most comfortable and dependent on what part of your leg you want to work the most.
- Raise your legs and arms as coordinated movements with the machine.
At Home and In the Gym
No matter what location you are in the physics of using these machines are the same. You always want to keep these key factors in mind when working on machine equipment: resistance, pace, foot direction, and body position. If you are uncomfortable then something isn’t right and you should re-position yourself until you are. Increase incline and resistance if you are looking to burn more calories on any machine. You should also take advantages of the many different workout programs that your equipment offers.
- At home learn your machine and be aware of its safety functions. Insure that you are up-to-date on maintenance as well.
- In a gym you will be trained on how to use the equipment safely. Wipe off the equipment before and after for health precautions.
- Key tip: Don’t lean your body weight onto the machines or use them as support. This will decrease the effectiveness of your workout.
Size and Prices of Equipment
Elliptical Trainer
- Brand new this machine will run you $999.99 to $2,000.00, but you get a bang for your buck. These are large in size so you will need an unoccupied space to keep it in, or a decent size corner in your work out space.
- Sizes vary
Stair Stepper
- Brand new this machine will cost you $1,024.00 to $5,000.00. These are not portable machines but surprisingly don’t take up a lot of space. You can easily fit it in a corner.
- Sizes range from mini-full size.
Treadmill
- Brand new this machine will cost you anywhere from $300.00-$3,500.00.
- Storage is one of the best things when using a Treadmill, the majority of these machines can fold down and slide up under your bed or in your storage space.
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Increasing the amount of cardiovascular exercise you do within a week has so many different health and medical benefits. A few hours a week can add more then a few years to your life. Cardiovascular exercise affects the body on so many different levels; your heart, lungs, muscles, breathing, blood. It is a powerful prevention tool that has so many benefits that you can change your life, starting now.
Health and Medical Benefits
- Effective weight loss due to burning calories.
- Decreased stress, you increase your serotonin. This is a chemical in your body that effects depression and mood.
- Increased energy, you will boost your metabolism which will produce more energy to do more things.
- You strengthen your heart and lungs. With cardio exercise you will boost your oxygen levels, which will oxygenate your blood and increase the flow through your heart and lungs. This flushes your system and helps rid your body of harmful wastes. Increased lung capacity, means deeper breaths, stronger lungs and increased endurance.
- Better Sleep, cardio exercise releases tension and the intensity and timing of exercise somehow play a major role in sleeping better. It is even known to relieve insomnia.
- Renewed self-confidence. A fit you will increase your self-esteem, which will improve your social standing, increase your happiness and offer you a new, improved you.
- Reduces the chances of heart diseases and some cancers. This is possible because when you are overweight your lipid levels aren’t balanced. Your body has increased wastes and fewer defenses. Poor activity affects your immune system and its ability to fight off infection. You can be putting an overwhelming weight on your body without even knowing.
- Increases bone density. This is major because you don’t want to battle osteoporosis or osteopenia.
- Decreases factors for Type 2 Diabetes. If you have a family history of diabetes then you should consider prevention at an early age. With a healthy body and effective cardio, you can save yourself from poor insulin, and having to insert a needle into your body for the rest of your days.
- Improves your sex life. Increase cardio = more energy+ higher self-confidence+ increased blood flow. All of these things will help spice up your life in the bedroom.
- Regulation of Digestive System. Exercise will boost the amount of trips you take to the bathroom, but you are ridding your body of harmful waists and also regulating your digestive system which will reduce your chances of getting acid reflux, gas, and constipation.
- Improves Immune System, your blood has white blood cells that protect the body against disease; you also have lymph, and lymph nodes which fight off harmful pathogens. When you exercise you are at optimum level to fight off infections and diseases.
- Reduced medical costs. With illness comes high insurance and less insurability. The times are changing and people are considering the factors of good health versus bad health. Businesses are also considering the costs to insure people who don’t’ take care of themselves. In the long run, with cardio exercise you are increasing your health and preventative medical bills are always cheaper then illness and chronic disease.
Effects on the Body (Heart, Lungs, Muscles, etc…)
Cardiovascular exercises have a major effect on the heart, lungs, muscles, in fact your entire body. A little bit of cardio increases and improves the functions of oxygen in the body. The overwhelming benefit that cardiovascular exercise provides is a never ending list. When considering Cardiovascular exercises, consider that they are directed at the cardiovascular system which encompasses; the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries, and the plasma and cells that make up the blood.
It improves heart function by reducing the fat around the heart and improving circulation through all of the parts of the body to the heart. Lung capacity increases with cardio, your respiration improves and endurance.
With cardio exercise your muscles begin to tone up on the inside and outside. More muscle mass equals less fat.
With a few moments taken in your day you are promised a wealth of benefits that will and impact your life in a positive way. Cardio has many benefits.
