Meredith
06-30-2009, 03:30 PM
Please help me correct the biggest pet peeve of my gym going experience!! As an athletic trainer/exercise science major I spent a lot of time discussing the benefits of different exercises and different machines. Ellipticals are great machines! It's low impact and as a result is a great machine for people with achey feet and knees! It's the only cardio machine I used because it's not so hard on my horrible knees!
That being said please use them properly!! I HATE when I go to the gym and see someone lean half their body weight on the control pannel or the hand rests!! You don't have to use the swinging arms or even hold on but leaning on the machine is silly! Yes it's easier to go faster, ie swing your legs faster, and the machine says you're going further and burning more calories, but when you take your body weight off the foot pedals you're decreasing two major things! First you're decreasing how much stress you're putting on your heart (which is a good thing when you're healthy!!) by putting all your body weight on the machine it keeps you're heart pumping stronger and keeps your cardio system healthier!! And by not using you're full body weight you're decreasing how much calcium you rebuild! There's only one way to increase the strength of your bones and it's through weight bearing exercises - which is uber important for women especially those predisposed for diseases like osteopenia or osteoporosis!
So please for your own health use the machine properly!!! It drives me crazy!
And I swear I'm done preaching now! lol I love you guys so take good care of yourselves for me!
That being said please use them properly!! I HATE when I go to the gym and see someone lean half their body weight on the control pannel or the hand rests!! You don't have to use the swinging arms or even hold on but leaning on the machine is silly! Yes it's easier to go faster, ie swing your legs faster, and the machine says you're going further and burning more calories, but when you take your body weight off the foot pedals you're decreasing two major things! First you're decreasing how much stress you're putting on your heart (which is a good thing when you're healthy!!) by putting all your body weight on the machine it keeps you're heart pumping stronger and keeps your cardio system healthier!! And by not using you're full body weight you're decreasing how much calcium you rebuild! There's only one way to increase the strength of your bones and it's through weight bearing exercises - which is uber important for women especially those predisposed for diseases like osteopenia or osteoporosis!
So please for your own health use the machine properly!!! It drives me crazy!
And I swear I'm done preaching now! lol I love you guys so take good care of yourselves for me!