Choosing Cardio Equipment
Some people like to play golf. Some people like to fish. Some like to bowl while others like to play baseball. Different activities appeal to different people. You can be sure that the more you enjoy doing something the more likely you are to make time in your schedule. Therefore, the most important question to ask yourself when choosing a piece of cardio equipment is; What will I enjoy using and look forward to the most? After all, whatever you choose will be part of your life for at least 30 minutes three times a week.
Next, consider how comfortable the exercise is. The body perceives discomfort as work. When you are comfortable you can work at a higher intensity because it doen't seem like you are working as hard. To evaluate comfort you have to look at several things. How well does the machine fit your body? Does it allow your body to move in a natural manner? Is the exercise rhythmic and flowing? How many different muscle groups are working at once? The more muscles you are working the less intense any one muscle will have to work to raise your heart rate.
Now let's look at some of the different catagories of equipment. Treadmills are still most popular both in clubs and homes. Walking is the number one recommended exercise. It is weight bearing which means your bones and joints get a benefit. Walking is a natural movement that most people are accustomed to so there is no learning curve. This means less required focus on what you are doing so you will naturally work at a higher exertion level. Your core muscles are working along with your legs. When you incline a treadmill and walk up hill you engage the largest muscle group in your body, your glutes (rear end). With all this muscle mass working your heart rate comes up pretty quickly.
Elliptical machines were created to duplicate the walking or running stride while eliminating impact. You get most of the same benefits as with a treadmill and generally use the same muscle groups. There are however, a couple of differences. Your feet stay on the footpads and you basically pedal. This means you don't lift the weight of your leg with each step. It also means you have momentum helping you. This adds up to the elliptical being a little less work than a treadmill. The gap between the two can be narrowed by increasing resistance on the elliptical and adding upper body involvement with the ellipticals that have arm action. Psychologically the elliptical is a little more work. You are performing an activity your body is not used to so you have to focus more on what you are doing. Also with a treadmill you can set the pace and the motor maintains it. With an elliptical you actually pedal so you have to pay attention to maintaining the pace yourself.