Exercising on an Elliptical Machine
You can get a total body workout on an elliptical exercise machine. Since you are walking and standing or running in place, you are using your abdomen muscles as well as those in your back, buttocks, back, and legs. Most elliptical machines also allow you to reverse the motion direction which will work other muscles that most other exercise workouts workout.
You can also increase your cardiovascular impact and calorie burn, sculpt the muscles in your upper body such as your triceps and biceps because elliptical machines have arms and handles or you can swing your arms while holding small hand weights to enhance the workout of your upper body. However, you should be careful because if you rest your arms on the upper body handles or on the frame of the machine you will decrease the overall impact of the workout. In order to receive the highest level of your total body workout, you should allow your torso and legs carry all of your weight.
With many elliptical machines you can change the incline and adjust the setting of the resistance. These adjustments will allow you to target a different set of muscles and increase the difficulty level of your workout. The motion and standing position that is used to operate the machine provides for an outstanding range of motion for your knees and excellent hip flexion and extension. There aren’t many home gyms that can compare to an elliptical machine for an all over body workout.
Research has determined that of all the home fitness equipment, elliptical exercise machines also provide the best cardiovascular workouts. The cardiovascular benefits come from the fact that you are using many groups of muscles and receiving a total body workout. Because you can adjust many factors such as speed and incline, you can maximize your cardiovascular impact, which make elliptical machines more effective than less comprehensive types of exercises such as leg presses or lifting weights. There are some elliptical machines that are available with hearth rate monitors and programmable computers that are built in, which will help to make sure that you are receiving the most from your exercise routine. The better elliptical machines have as many as seven different workouts that you can program.
Also, there are many people who believe that the elliptical motion is easy to sustain and is a natural motion. They believe that elliptical machines require less exertion than other kinds of exercise and that they enhance and complement the normal movements of the body. However, the fact is that studies have determined that exercising on an elliptical machine works the cardiovascular muscles and burns calories on a level that is equal to or greater than similar equipment such as stair steppers and treadmills. It simply feels less exhaustive on an elliptical machine.
People are more likely to work out on an elliptical machine regularly since they find them fun and easy to use. To achieve good overall cardiovascular health you need consistent, ongoing, exercise.
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