Lets face it, most of us live pretty busy lives and the amount of time spent exercising does eat up what little free time a lot of us have. I don't like to waste my free time anymore than anyone else so if I am going to use it up on an activity, I feel the rewards of the activity should out way the cost.
That being said, one of the activities that I add to my workout routines is a cardio program. I'll be blunt in stating that I love to lift weights but I absolutely loathe doing cardio. I personally do not enjoy cardio at all but I do understand how it is very important to my workout regimen. So, if I am going to invest my time in a cardio routine, you better believe I am going to make sure that I am maximizing the benefit of that routine.
There's a lot of great cardio equipment out there and I personally use a variety of them ranging anywhere from treadmills, to exercise bikes to stair steppers and more. My main focus for this article will be treadmills since they appear to be the most popular of the cardio equipment. However the same principles can be applied to other cardio equipment too.
Slow down, it's not a race
I have found that I burn fatter moving at a moderate pace than an all out sprint. When you go out at a 100% you burn more glycogen than fat. Basically your burning carbohydrates instead of your fat stores. The idea to effectively burn fat is to go at a moderate pace for a longer period of time.
Moderate pace means just that, not too fast and not too slow. On a treadmill I like to walk at a fast enough pace where I am building up a sweat but I could also hold a conversation without panting. The keyword here is walk, I believe that once you start jogging and running you are really moving away from the optimal fat burning pace.
Short and sweet isn't the key
Your cardio time should range anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. However, I also believe that your body can only take so much exercise at a time. Therefore if you plan on an hour and a half cardio session I would recommend splitting up your cardio into two sessions: one for the morning and then one in the evening. I have tested all types of cardio durations and workout times on my own body and found that a good 40 to 45 minute session in the morning works the best for me.
If you're going to do it, do it right
Always perform a full range of motion on your exercise equipment. Don't cheat yourself by taking baby steps. On the treadmill take long strides instead of short little steps. By taking the longer strides you will work the hamstrings and glutes (back of the leg and buttocks) more.
In addition to talking longer strides try to avoid holding on to the rails of the treadmill. Let your arms move back and forth as you would when running. You will be surprised of the difference of not holding on to the exercise equipment if you are already use to holding on to the treadmill, stair stepper or any other exercise equipment while performing the exercise.
If you don't believe me, try it out for one workout and I promise you will feel the difference in a matter of minutes.
Note: If you feel that you must hold on to avoid falling or getting hurt then by all means hold on.
Breathe
I like to take deep breaths in the nose and out the mouth when doing cardio exercise. I find that I focus more on the activity at hand when I concentrate on my breathing. I also have found that I sweat more too. I know it sounds crazy but give it a try and I bet you will notice a difference too.
Note: Not over exaggerated deep breathes but not short breaths either.
Tying it all together
I conclusion I personally feel that if I am going to add cardio to my workout routine then I want to do whatever it takes to maximize the workouts benefits. I have personally found that I more efficiently burn body fat by slowing my pace down, increasing my cardio workouts over a longer duration, using full range of motion on the equipment and breathing correctly. Go ahead and give these ideas a try and see if they work for you too.
Gerald Gore is the owner of the online fitness review site One4Fitness. For more health and fitness related tips and reviews on workout equipment visit Gerald's site at http://www.one4fitness.com.
no-contract cleaning service Glenview ..Body temperature is the result of your body generating and... Read More
The vast majority of postpartum women will not return to... Read More
Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for... Read More
Dieting and Exercising ? Results all the time!To be successful... Read More
I get asked all the time, "what do you think... Read More
Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are... Read More
Magnetic weight loss is the newest fad diet supplement to... Read More
Debunking The Ab MythAb training has been done to death... Read More
The heated debate, within diet circles, that began a few... Read More
No One I Know Looks Like a Bathing Beauty, so... Read More
Fighting obesity has become one of the most important issues... Read More
If you are a fan of horse racing, you are... Read More
It's agreed that if you raise the amount of calories... Read More
A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More
Remember that movie with Jim Carey, "Dumb and Dumber?" And... Read More
If you've been enjoying life after gastric bypass surgery you... Read More
Any weight loss or diet plan, including low-carb plans like... Read More
One of the biggest scams ever successfully pulled on the... Read More
Twenty years ago, I did not expect to accomplish what... Read More
How did a thin person like me become overweight? My... Read More
Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index is an accurate indicator... Read More
Gastric bypass patients often find themselves regaining weight soon after... Read More
Want an after dinner snack? Jealously watching your family consume... Read More
Diet tips for losing weight abound. Some are good, some... Read More
The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify,... Read More
house cleaning company Glencoe ..Losing weight on hips and thighs has always been a... Read More
Zero Calorie Diet Sodas: Good Or Bad For Weight Loss?Calorie-free... Read More
Q: "I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm not... Read More
Are you gaining weight sitting in front of the computer?... Read More
I would like to introduce you to an incredible new... Read More
Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index is an accurate indicator... Read More
Ephedra has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of... Read More
Got milk? New research suggests you should if you want... Read More
Browsing one of the Russian websites I have recently found... Read More
Are you up to a cave man diet? You won't... Read More
I have been seriously working on losing weight for about... Read More
Like many people I've been on dozens of diet plans... Read More
Looking to lose weight quickly? The good news is that... Read More
We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the... Read More
We all have aspects of health we want to improve.... Read More
Following recent reports of a South Dakota man weighing half... Read More
We all know that weight loss is important. We know... Read More
While the gastric bypass may seem like the perfect solution... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
Dieting and weight loss is almost certainly the most lucrative... Read More
Axiom Number One - Nourish your body.Probably the most important... Read More
The importance of drinking water is mentioned in almost every... Read More
When it comes to the matter of weight loss, peoples... Read More
- Are your ideas of obesity and fat control based... Read More
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's... Read More
Weight Loss |