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Cardio Tip
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Thigh Time: Heels vs. Toes
After tying our sneakers, most of us don't give much thought to our feet while working out, but how you use your feet affects how you work the muscles in your thighs. By changing your footing you can target the front or back of your thigh.
When using an elliptical, a stationary bike, or a stair stepper, pressing with your toes works your quads more, while pressing with the heels targets your hamstrings and your tush.
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Lifting Tip: Warm Up With 10 Minutes of Cardio
If you have a regular fitness routine, you may prefer alternating between days of cardio and days of strength training. On your strength training days, don't just jump right into your squats and lateral raises. Do a little cardio before you lift.
Cardio Tip: Leave the Handrails Alone
If you use machines as your main source of cardio, resist the urge to use the handles. They are there in case you need a little help with balance, but they should not be used as armrests, with you leaning your body weight into them. This inadvertently takes weight out of your lower body, making your workout easier on your legs.
Fit Tip: Sprint Throughout Your Cardio Workout
Long, slow cardio workouts are great for relieving stress or if you're training for a race, but adding fast-paced intervals will help alleviate boredom, diminish belly fat, and make you stronger.
Whether you get your heart rate up by running, using an elliptical, swimming, jumping rope, or biking, include short sprinting bursts throughout your workout. Add 10- to 60-second sprints every few minutes, slowing down to a moderate pace just long enough to catch your breath between them.
Fit Tip: Include Cardio, Strength Training, and Stretching in Every Workout
When it comes to exercise, there's a huge push to do cardio. It burns calories, reduces stress, helps you lose or maintain your weight, helps relieve muscle soreness, and is good for your lungs and your heart. While that's true, cardio isn't the only thing your body needs.
Fit Tip: Beat Sore Muscles with Cardio
One of the best things about lifting weights is the hurts-so-good soreness that you can get afterward; it's also one of the worst things about it. When muscles start hurting, hanging out on the couch chilling and not moving seems like a good idea, but this is one of the worst things you could do. A light aerobic workout can actually help relieve the pain, since moving around will get your blood moving and bring blood to the sore area — new blood helps promote the healing process.
Fit Tip: Get Competitive with Cardio
I have a competitive edge. I don't know if it stems from having older siblings, but if I'm doing the same task or activity as someone else, you can bet I'm secretly trying to beat her.
I've noticed that while this is not favorable in many aspects of life (driving, anything involving my husband, etc.) it does have an advantage in fitness.
Fit Tip: Use Cardio Machines in a Different Way
Since the weather isn't quite warm enough for most of us to exercise outdoors, many of us have been using cardio machines at the gym. They can get pretty boring since they're so repetitive, so try to think of different and maybe even unexpected ways to use them to keep your workouts fresh. Not only will this keep you from getting bored at the gym, but you'll work different muscles too.
Fit Tip: Vary Your Cardio Routines
You all know I am a fan of cross training since it adds a nice variety to a workout routine. Even if you don't cross train, you should vary your workouts to reap even more benefits from your cardio time. You need to play with speed, distance, and rate and mix it all up.
Fit Tip: Have a "Go To" Cardio Exercise
Me, I love running. It know it's not for everyone, but running is an exercise I can always count on for getting the job done when I just don't feel like doing anything else. It is my go-to cardio.
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