Now that you have finally bought your elliptical machine, what should you do to get the most out of your workouts? There are actually a few things to bear in mind so as to burn the most calories.
First, make sure you key in your required details so as to work at your fitness level. Information such as age and weight helps to predict a more accurate reading of calories burned. You want to exercise at the correct resistance level, incline level and the best heart rate for optimal fat burned. You have to work your muscles to give them a good toning.
Make full use of the moving handlebars to give your upper body a good workout too. Besides pedaling forward, use the reverse feature as well. Going forward is good for your quads and backwards benefits your hamstring and glutes. Always aim for a total body workout of all your body muscles.
Warm up and cool down before and after your exercise. You can do that by pedaling slowly.
It is also a good idea to do interval training. Besides breaking up the monotonous rate of your routine, it helps in burning more calories and boosting endurance. For example, you can alternate between a higher and lower resistance level, switch between forward and reverse stride movements or increase /decrease your speed and thus the intensity of the elliptical workout.
One of the common complaints of elliptical workouts is numbness in your foot or pain in the heels. This seems to be more obvious among the front drive elliptical trainer users. Try to avoid putting pressure on your toes. This can cause the tissues connecting the forefoot to the heels to be strained.
Try exercising in an upright position and not leaning forward or backward. Press down with your heels instead of your toes, just like the way you walk. On top of that, wear proper athletic shoes when working out. The proper shoes help in correcting balance and foot movements, besides offering adequate support to your ankles and heel.
A machine with adjustable incline and articulating foot pedals helps minimize this problem. Sole e35 elliptical trainer, for example, comes with large 15" articulating pedals with 3 positions setting for your feet. Oversized pedals allow for more room for your feet position. Higher end models have oversized, cushioned articulating pedals which helps to reduce foot strain and numbness.
Any weight-bearing exercise helps to build bone density. The elliptical exercise is an example of weight bearing exercise. This means that elliptical training helps to prevent osteoporosis. Your bones and muscles get to work against gravity and this is good for bone density.
Investing in the best elliptical trainer for home use to suit your needs is certainly a wise investment. Make it your partner in weight loss and well-being.
