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Cardio Exercise Equipment
Cardio exercise equipment is the secret weapon used by fit, trim, and healthy people to fight stubborn body fat. There are those few people who have the genetics to eat what they want and stay thin. However, most of us have to really work at not gaining weight. It is extremely difficult to lose fat and keep it off by diet alone. The main reason for this is your metabolic rate. Eventually your body adapts to the lower calories you take in every day. It does this by slowing down your metabolic rate. The net result is that your body requires fewer calories to maintain its current weight. Aerobic or cardio exercise burns calories and fat during the exercise. But that isn’t the only benefit. It also raises your metabolic rate so that you burn more calories at rest. There are certainly many ways to do your aerobic or cardio exercise. Walking, jogging, running, swimming, and rowing are all excellent exercises and can even be enjoyed outdoors. There are also some benefits to cross-training instead of using only a single form of exercise. I enjoy combining jogging outdoors with using a
treadmill,
elliptical trainer,
recumbent bike,
WaterRower,
and Stairmaster.
√ Can be used in all weather conditions √ Can be purchased inexpensively √ Most are very user-friendly √ Most are very kind on your joints √ Many require only minimal space in your home to use √ Many come with electronic features to monitor your workout √ Maintenance on most items is very minimal √ Can be beneficial for all levels of fitness There is some disagreement among fitness professionals regarding what level of intensity is best for aerobic fitness and fat loss. I think it is best to avoid two extremes: too low or too high. Casually using one of the best treadmills or one of the best elliptical trainers while you read a magazine is not going to be of much benefit. On the other hand, pedaling as hard as you can on the best stationary bike money can buy will only lead to injury and inactivity. A moderate level of intensity is best if you are to receive the benefits from your cardio exercise equipment. This will insure that you burn calories from both carbohydrate and fat. Exercising at 60-80% of your maximum heart rate will accomplish this. There are many ways to measure exercise intensity. A simple way of evaluating your exercise intensity is the "talk-test" method. It is subjective but still useful. You should be breathing heavier than normal but still comfortably without hyperventilating. If you are doing this you will be able to talk without stopping to catch your breath. The best way to measure how intensely you are exercising is by using a heart rate monitor. Even the best heart rate monitors are quite affordable today. A heart rate monitor will allow you to monitor your exercise session and prevent you from working out too casually or too hard. Yes, you can really use cardio exercise equipment to ramp up the speed at which you lose that stubborn belly fat. Even if you have a fitness club membership it will be very helpful to place a piece of cardio exercise equipment in your home. You will be surprised how many extra calories you can burn in one year by using it only 3 times each week. You can actually use cardio exercise equipment to change your body’s chemistry and create a fat-burning machine!
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