Important Tips for your Cardio Routine

Since the weather in most of the country requires many of us to be exercising indoors at this time of year, I thought I'd provide some tips on Indoor Cardio training. I hope this gives you some good ideas.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a frequency of 3-5 cardio workouts per week, a duration of 30-60 minutes and an intensity of 60-90% of your maximum heart rate each week to maximize cardiovascular fitness. Investing in a heart rate monitor will definitely keep you honest! James and I are strong proponents of heart rate monitors and they help give you a measurable cue on if you are meeting your cardio goals or if you need to step it up a notch. We will be more than happy to help you not only get a heart rate monitor to have as your new training tool, we will also program your target heart rates in it. This is a piece of equipment you want to invest in!
If you are using indoor cardio machines, change it up! Only staying on the same machine for only about 10-15 minutes and jumping from machine to machine. I do this quite a bit, not only does it keep me from getting bored but also helps keep me challenged and my heart rate up. Most exercisers have no difficulty going for a 2 hour bike ride outside but after 10 minutes on a stationary bike you start to go stir-crazy!
Since you have asked, I will let you in on my little secret (20 minutes on the elliptical at 70-80% my max HR-I do 2/3 intervals during the 20 min. Then I go to the spin bike for another 15-20 min at 60-70% of my max HR, and finish up with a light jog for 10 min on the treadmill, or I will incline it to 15% and walk at 4.5 mph) I hope this helps and I challenge you to challenge yourself with your next cardio workout. Remember to increase intensity gradually, slowing building up to a level that you are comfortable with but also challenged!

MY CARDIO TIPS:
Posture:
• It doesn’t matter what machine you’re on, it’s imperative that you maintain proper posture. This includes contracting your abdominals to stabilize your spine and maintaining proper alignment by lifting up and out through your chest and keeping your shoulders back.

• Most indoor machines offer a variety of program options. Try to avoid getting into the habit of always punching in the same program and the same level each time you workout on a machine. Mix it up. One workout try the steady climb program and the next time, try the intervals. Then go for the hill or the random program. Each program will challenge your body in a different way.

Treadmill Tips:
• Make it a goal to not hold onto the rails while jogging or walking. Instead, use your muscles to balance and support your body.
• Once a month, try a time-trial workout. Program in a distance like 5km (3miles) and record how long it takes you to complete. Next month, try it again and this time try to go a little faster. As you get fitter, you should be able to perform the same distance in a shorter period of time.

Eliptical Trainer Tips:
• If your Eliptical does not have poles, do not lean onto the rails. Instead, develop the balance and stability to use the machine without holding on. Pump your arms just like you were running.
• While exercising, make sure that your knee caps always point forwards. Avoid allowing your knees to collapse inwards.
• While exercising, try to keep the weight of your body distributed evenly on all 4 corners of your feet. Avoid allowing your arches to collapse inwards - avoid pronating.
• Once per week try my 2/3 interval (yes, you’ll have to ask me for it, but I will kindly divulge the secret!)

Stairmaster Tips:
• Do not hold onto the rails while on the stairmaster. Most people hold on for dear life and take fast, choppy little steps. This technique is very ineffective at burning calories and maximizing fitness goals. Most of you will find that you’ll have to reduce the level you normally perform at once you let go of the rails, because your muscles will have to work so much harder to support your body weight. This increased intensity will get you results much more quickly and you’ll find you’ll also develop good balance and stability.
• The next important tip is to make sure that your steps are not too shallow. Think about the height of a step you would take while walking up the stairs and strive for this. Remember to work through the full range of motion. Tiny, fast steps are not effectively engaging the lower body muscles and instead, using a lot of momentum.
• Try not holding onto the rails for 40 seconds and then holding on for 20 seconds. Do this for 10 minutes.

Recumbent Bike Tips:
• The most common error with technique on a bike is seat adjustment. It’s important to position the seat so that you are positioned neither too far back or too close. When the leg is in a fully extended position, you should only have a slight bend in the knee. Make sure your knee is not maintaining a large bend throughout the entire cycle and vice versa, make sure that the seat isn't positioned so far away that you have to rotate your hips to spin.
• Because you're reclined back, it's easy to slouch while riding. Remember to keep upright posture throughout the entire workout. Keep your abdominals contracted inwards, your chest lifted and shoulders back.
• Program in a hill workout and try to keep your RPM’s (how many times your legs cycle in a minute) constant even while climbing the hilly parts of the program. This will be a leg-burner!

-Tammie