elliptical workouts

Aside from saving your knees, the low-impact elliptical can be a time-saver too, mixing a little strength training into your cardio. Hopping on a machine with moving handles means you can work your upper body; push the handles to work your chest more, and pull the handles with focus more on your back. Skipping the handles altogether gives you a chance to focus on your core. Just place your hands on your hips and keep the movement as smooth and steady as possible. And pedaling in both directions means you work both the quads and the hamstrings nicely.

Here's a half-hour workout that does all that, while getting your heart rate up too! Want to check it out?

By now, we all hopefully know that interval training rocks. Whether you're running, rowing, or swimming, playing with speed has multiple benefits. One way to push the interval envelope is to decrease the amount of rest time between your bouts of sprinting. By shortening your recovery time, you're pushing your anaerobic threshold and strengthening your cardiovascular system. Plus it's fun to mix it up once in a while.

My latest elliptical workout is 30 minutes of calorie-burning interval fun. Keep reading to check it out.