For years, heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular disease have been our nation’s leading causes of death. Cardiovascular exercise has been shown to significantly lower the risks of these health conditions, so regardless of your personal body image goals, be sure to fit cardio work into your exercise regime.
As with all physical activity, finding cardio exercises that you can enjoy is the first and most important step, to finding success with your exercise goals. Luckily there is a huge variety of cardio equipment to choose from. Here are descriptions of some common pieces of cardio equipment that can be found in commercial gyms, and can be great for your personal home exercise space (keep in mind that when shopping for home cardio equipment, expect to pay quite a bit for the smooth, comfortable machines that you see in commercial gyms):
Treadmills
Pros:
- - Adjustable speed and incline (most models)
- - Many models offer preprogrammed routines to add variety to your workouts
- - Can keep you at a desired pace to prevent you from inadvertently slowing down as you tire
- - Most models provide significantly more cushion than running on regular ground
- - If space is limited, there are treadmills that fold when not in use
Cons:
- - Since the tread moves by itself, it sometimes takes a conscious effort to use the muscles that push the body forward. Because of this, most of the work is done by the hip flexors moving the legs forward, so hip flexors can be overworked while the quadriceps and glutes are underworked. This can lead to tight hip flexors, and cramping when running on regular ground.
Elliptical Machines
Pros:
- - Low-impact on hips, knees, and ankles
- - Movement can be reversed to engage different muscles
- - Some models also offer arm levers to engage the upper body and increase the calories burned
Cons:
- - Not everyone can master the coordination required to use such a machine
- - Some people have complained of feeling motion sickness on these
- - Lower-end models tend to not quite feel like a true ellipse, so there is a little more stress put on the leg joints
Upright & Recumbent Stationary Bikes
Pros:
- - Very low-impact exercise, making it great for those carrying excessive weight, and also ideal for rehabilitation after many leg joint injuries
- - Does not require learning special skills to perform
- - Recumbent models are the most comfortable due to the larger seat and back cushioning. Since the pedals are in front, it takes the stress off of your knees, and allows the quadriceps to do more work while also engaging the hamstrings and glutes.
Cons:
- - Most models only work the lower body, so the exercise does not burn as many calories as other cardio machines (some models incorporate arm levers for this)
- - Seats can sometimes be uncomfortable for extended use, so be sure to test them out
Stair Climbers
Pros:
- - Great cardio workout for those who do not suffer from chronic leg or leg joint problems (depending on the problem/injury, your doctor may recommend a stair climber during rehabilitation)
Cons:
- - May be too stressful for people with leg joint troubles, or other chronic problems of the legs
- - Small hydraulic models typically do not provide enough range of motion to offer significant fitness benefits