Working out is one of the most important steps we can take each day for our health: by moving our bodies and engaging in activities that increase our heart rate to fat-burning levels, we can experience increased energy, better health, and increased emotional wellness. There are many machines that can help a beginner ease into a new workout plan, but many of them can be daunting for a first-time user. Elliptical machines can be tricky to use, especially for those only beginning an exercise regimen who might be out of shape or beginning to use the gym for the first time.
However, mastery of this machine can provide many benefits that go beyond other traditional gym equipment: they can help you reach and maintain your target heart rate without intensive impact on the body, and can help you to workout all different parts of your body without the need to pick up weights or utilize different equipment. For this reason, many beginners choose to use the elliptical, and enjoy the benefits of an effective workout after getting the hang of this initially tricky workout machine and a balanced diet.
Why Use the Elliptical? The Benefits of This Workout Machine
Even thirty minutes each day on the elliptical machine can help you to achieve better health. This machine is a fantastic way to engage all muscles within a cardio workout, and can feel less strenuous than jogging or weightlifting. This is because ellipticals have been determined to be low-impact: in other words, your body will not experience the pain and pressure that it typically faces during other workout machines, which can help to prevent sports injuries such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, or muscle tears.
Furthermore, the ease of using the elliptical can promote longer and more frequent use of the machine, since it typically does not feel as intensive on the body, can be used without a lengthy physical warm up, and requires relatively little expertise to operate.
How to Properly Use the Elliptical
Before getting onto the elliptical machine, be sure that you are wearing the proper attire to facilitate movement and ensure safety: you will need proper cross-training shoes to help you maintain balance and loose-fitting, comfortable workout clothing. Remember to bring a water bottle with you to your workout - staying hydrated helps you burn more fat without becoming dizzy, and the water molecules assist in the process of allowing your muscles to work, and they also play an important role in the removal of lactic acid from the muscular tissues.
Once you are ready to begin using the machine, place your hands on the handlebars, and lift your feet one at a time to stand on top of the pedals. By moving one foot forward in a motion that is half-jogging, half-riding-a-bicycle, you will notice that the machine begins to move independently, guiding your arms and legs into a jogging motion. Holding securely onto the bars, begin to test the pedals, noticing how the movement of your feet will dictate the movement of the handlebars, and vice versa.
Best Workout Strategies for Beginners
After getting accustomed to this pattern, slow down and reverse your movement, testing the option of jogging backwards on the machine. Normal, forward use of the elliptical focuses on training your quadriceps, but this reverse action engages your hamstrings and calves far deeper than the forward movement. Finally, practice holding your feet still and moving the pedals simply through pushing and pulling of the arm handles, which you will find to be an effective way to engage your biceps and triceps into your workout.
Users who are only just beginning to use the elliptical machine should engage in workouts that last between twenty and forty minutes, allowing the muscles to be thoroughly worked and a target heart rate to be reached without increasing the risk of injury or muscle tear through overuse.
Working out with these machines may be a little weird at the beginning but they are not hard to master and offer a great variety of workout choices from the less intensive cardio programs to the quick but very efficient harder ones that can even be fit in a 30 minute lunch break. If you hadn’t done regular workout before, the elliptical trainers offer a great way to get in shape while you can efficiently monitor your results and help you prevent injuries.
About the author:
This is a guest post by freelance health and lifestyle writer Claire Wilson who also loves to work out on the elliptical trainer.
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Health