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ELLIPTICAL
TRAINER
MPEG: Elliptical
Trainer
Correct
Technique and How to Maximize Effectiveness
If stair steppers were the craze of the 1980s, elliptical trainers
replaced them in the 1990s. No single piece of exercise equipment
became more popular during that time. And for good reason. Elliptical
trainers have given people the best of all types of indoor cardio
exercises. In a sense, it combines elements of treadmills, stair steppers
and bikes.
An elliptical workout is similar to pedaling a bike while standing
up. But instead of being circular, the foot and leg motion is flattened
into an ellipse. The smooth, even, rolling action means no impact,
so even people with joint problems or injuries may be able to get
the benefits of a weight-bearing workout that helps decrease your
risk of osteopor Here
are some technique pointers:
1) Do not lean on the handrails. This is probably the most
common mistake people make on these machines. Leaning on the handrails
will take most of the stress off of your legs thereby decreasing the
workout.
2) Keep your body straight. Whether you are holding the side
bars or using the arm cranks as shown above, be sure to keep your
head, neck and torso straight and directly the center of your feet
in full stride. Do not lean forward or backward.
3) Keep your pelvis level. Do not let it sway up and down as
you step. Generally, people will do this to spread the workload over
other joints (in this case the spine) because the legs will tire very
quickly otherwise. Have someone stand behind you and watch your waistline
to let you know if your pelvis is rocking up and down. See how quickly
you feel fatigue in your legs keeping your pelvis level.
Recommended
Program
Start
with a 5 minute warm-up slowly climbing the stairs. Concentrate on
your form and center your body over the pedals. Stand tall and erect.
Use this time to get accustomed to the form of the exercise. Gradually
build your climbing speed and resistance to a level that puts you
into your target heart rate range. Stay in your target heart rate
zone for 15 to 20 minutes. You can calculate your target
heart rate here.
During this time, vary your stepping speed, resistance and the depth
of your steps. Taking slow deep steps will change the intensity of
the exercise differently than taking short quick steps and will provide
your muscles and cardiovascular system with a well rounded workout.
You can
try to let go of the handrails but continue to pump your arms to get
the same workout. This takes a lot of balance to keep your spine and
pelvis level as talked about above.
Spend the last 5 minutes cooling down. Gradually slow your speed and
resistance. Do not stop abruptly, use this time to let your body cool
off and get your heart rate down. After you have finished and your
heart rate is down to a more normal level, this would be a great time
to stretch. At this point, your muscles are very warmed up and stretching
tends to be more effective.
Safety Considerations/Precautions
If you have a past
knee injury and love to run but can't, the elliptical trainer may
offer a way for you to train at a high intensity without the impact
that running and jogging has.
The fact that there
is no impact on the ground does take stress off the knees. However,
if you lean forward excessively, you will increase the angles your
knee gets into and that may cause stress on the knees. Be careful
to stand as straight as possible. Letting
your pelvis sway up and down can cause shearing of your vertebrae
and lead to lower back problems. Remember that you should move from
the hips and knees, not the spine.
Calories
Burned
One study found
that when people used an elliptical trainer at an intensity of their
choice, they burned an average of about 9.2 calories a minute (based
on a 150-pound person). That's equal to running at an 11½ minute per
mile pace. In a half-hour, you can burn about 275 calories. If you
increase the incline (assuming your elliptical trainer in fact does
this) and you will burn even more calories.
For calories burned, an
elliptical trainer tends to be on the higher end of activities, assuming
you are exercising at a moderately intense pace. See a comparison
of calories burned using a stairmaster to other cardiovascular exercises.
REFERENCES:
1. Kravitz
L, Robergs RA, Heyward VH: Exercise mode and gender comparisons of
energy expenditure at self-selected intensities. Med Sci Sports Exerc
1997 Aug;29(8):1028-35. |
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