The pandemic is over. But, we adapted to a lifestyle mostly sedentary that keeps us stuck to the forever scrolling feed and endless playlists of Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. And the cost? Your life, your attention span, and last but not least, your health. This article reports average US citizens to spend 6 hours per day sitting (4 hours greater than before the pandemic), which triggers the factors causing Diabetes mellitus, heart disease, obesity, and more. Experts say even 15 minutes of exercise daily can add five extra years to your lifetime. So now, what’s your excuse? If you get time to laugh over TikTok, certainly you’ll get some to run a bit. No doubt about that. Even if that sounds puzzling, we left no stones unturned for you. We are presenting here know-how on the primary cardio machines and which one’s best for you.
Why choose Cardio?
Well, hitting the gym for weight training might not fit your busy work schedule. But, a few minutes of cardio exercises can be quickly done in the comfort of your home.
Cardiovascular exercises are known to health experts for their proven effectiveness in weight management and burning fats fast. These also help greatly to achieve better mental clarity and good heart health.
- Treadmill:
A conveyor belt on which you run, that’s all. The speed can be changed manually or by automatic controls. This is great for :
- Lower body workout to strengthen calf muscles, glutes
- Burn calories and fats work like magic in obesity. Twenty minutes of running can burn a whopping 300 calories!!
- Relieving stress, warming up before workouts
But there are a few problems, like :
- Treadmills are complicated for joint
- Excessive running may cause muscle tears.
- During knee pain or joint issues, treadmills should not be used.
- Elliptical:
Elliptical cross trainers, aka Ellipticals, are like stationary bikes. These have two paddles attached to a central gear wheel, and you can set the resistance level, making it easier or harder to push. It is used to perform movements mimicking walking, climbing stairs, and running.
Ellipticals are famous for being:
- Great machine for whole-body low-impact exercises. Twenty minutes of paddling equals 300 calories lost.
- Safe to use, especially if you have balance and coordination-related disease or tendencies to get injured
- Improves balance and general fitness
- used for active recovery after injury, warming up before workouts, etc
Now the downsides can be like :
- It doesn’t strengthen joints and bones
- Less weight-bearing effect
- It doesn’t improve balance and stabilization
- Stairmaster :
Stairmaster is almost like ellipticals, except it has stairs instead of paddles. You stand on these stairs, and your feet should never come off the stairs during the exercise.
Stairmaster is a favorite of many because:
- This is the best exercise to tone your lower body, especially your hamstrings, quads, and glutes.
- A few minutes of stair climbing exercises improve overall cardiovascular health
- Great for burning calories and fats. Twenty minutes of climbing burns almost 300 calories!
Now the cons are here too :
- Monotonous pattern leads to forward bending, lousy posture, round back, etc.
- May trigger knee pain
- The upper body stays sedentary
- It can’t be used during the recovery period of a knee injury
Well, Which one to use then?
That’s where the tricky part comes.
You dress as per the occasion.
You eat depending on your appetite.
And you exercise depending upon your health and fitness goals.
First, ask yourself, what do you expect to achieve from this?
Ellipticals for general fitness
Ellipticals are good for you if you aren’t fond of running but still want to stay fit a bit. They improve general fitness. You complete the workout literally “sitting” on a seat, maybe while watching your favorite TV show.
Stairmaster for Hard-hitters
If you’re a fitness freak and want to achieve certain milestones, Stairmaster is the best bet for you. When used correctly and regularly, Stairmaster burns the same calories but tones leg and butt muscles like none other. Period.
But again, you’ve to commit, and it comes with great appeal.
Treadmill: the best of both worlds
We’ll prefer treadmills over the other two simply because it’s effective. It’s not exhausting as a StairMaster but more high impact than Ellipticals. When used wisely, Treadmills give you all the benefits of running a few miles daily. As fitness experts suggest, treadmills are your best choice for burning lots of calories quickly while building up leg strength and speed.
These can help you get an overall healthy, good-looking physique.
For most of us, compact treadmills are the best choices for home and office.
Reading alone doesn’t help.
Break some sweat.
Get into the shape you’ve always dreamt of. Just do it today!
