Sports Medicine: Selecting Your Cardiovascular Exercise Machine 2

We talked about selecting your cardiovascular exercise machine when you workout before starting a workout routine. Even though it seems to be a simple issue, options available actually makes it more complex when selecting one. We focused on two: walking and treadmills. On this post we will cover the rest of the list of popular ones. New technology found in the market is a variation of this base. Therefore, the information you can get from here will help you understand the functionality to benefit correlation.

Cycling

Cycling is an excellent form of aerobic exercise. It places a substantial demand on your heart and lungs. It can burn up to 900 calories per hour while helping to condition your legs and cardiovascular system. All factors considered, it is a very safe form of exercise since it imposes far less stress on the joints of your body than many of the other options available. Cycling is definitively a very convenient form of exercise that almost everyone is familiar with.

In order to get more from your cycling efforts for aerobic fitness, you must decide first if you want to exercise indoors or outdoors. Both forms of exercise, while somewhat similar in nature, offer distinct advantages and disadvantages. Exercising outdoors has two major attractive features: variety and fresh air. On the other hand, exercising outdoors, depending on where you live (here in Naples, Florida is really nice to go out), may involve dealing with traffic, air pollution, inclement weather and other random factors.

Exercising indoors means you don’t need to interrupt your training routine just because the weather turned bad or respond to the actions of individuals driving a vehicle considerably heavier than your bike. Cycling indoors involves working out on an exercise bike. Something you can find at the gym or buy it for your home. There are two kinds of exercise bikes: standard stationary bikes and ergometers. The primary difference between the two is that ergometers have a feature stationary bikes do not: data. Ergonomic bikes have the ability to calculate and tell you how much work you are doing while performing the exercise.

As long as you don’t over adjust the resistance, which can be mechanical or electrical, both systems will provide a safe yet effective experience. Is cycling good for you? Try and decide.

Rowing

As means for developing aerobic fitness, rowing can be an excellent choice. Not only do rowing machines enable you to develop your cardiovascular system, they also place a considerable demand on your muscular system. Unlike treadmills, exercise cycles, and stair climbing machines, a rowing machine works your upper body, as well as your lower body.

When properly performed, rowing exercise involves most of the major muscle groups in your body. For example, the rowing stroke is composed of 65% to 75% leg work and 25% to 35% arm work. Research shows that properly performed rowing offers a fantastic aerobic workout without the orthopedic trauma you may suffer while jogging outdoors on a treadmill, or working out on a dependent-action stair-climbing machine. For individuals wanting and needing to train their upper body musculature, rowers provide a convenient option for attaining an overall body workout while simultaneously developing aerobic fitness. Finally, rowers also lets you burn calories at a rate that is high as any known type of exercise.

Stair Climbing Machines

Stair climbing is safe. A number of methods exist for enabling you to achieve an aerobic training effect. Unfortunately, many of them are not safe because of the stress they create in your joints. All things being equal, the larger the person, the greater the stress. Obviously, if you want to improve your quality of life by increasing you aerobic resistance, you need a form of exercise with little or no orthopedic trauma.

There are two types of stair climbing machines: one operates independently while the other produces a dependent movement. This basically means that the independent machine doesn’t require the force introduced in one step to move the other one. On the other hand, a dependent one does the opposite, creating stress in your joints and exposing your knees, hips and lower back to unnecessary levels orthopedic trauma.

Read, analyze, try and chose the best option for you. Don’t forget to check part one of this post to complement the list:

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119