Aerobics & Cardio Information
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Benefits of Elliptical Training





The basic motion of an elliptical trainer is a smooth, flowing...well...elliptical motion. The low impact nature of these machines greatly reduces stress on the joints of the lower body (ankles, knees, and hips).

Since it is a weight-bearing exercise, elliptical training promotes cell growth in the bones of the lower body and spine thus helping ward off the debilitating effects of osteoporosis. This is a distinct advantage that elliptical trainers have over other exercise devices that are not weight-bearing such as rowing machines and stationary bikes.

The other great advantage that elliptical trainers have over other exercise machines is that most models work the muscles of both the upper and lower body. This results in a cardiovascular efficiency that produces an equivalent training effect as other forms of exercise, but over a shorter period of time.

Joggers for example, will sometimes swing small dumbbells while jogging in order to achieve this training efficiency. This was popular during the height of the jogging craze during the 1980s, but is now rarely observed in the wild. Perhaps joggers decided it wasn't worth the hassle. Maybe they also finally realized how goofy they looked in the process. Remember, no one ever looks goofy while gracefully striding away on an elliptical trainer!

Cross Training with Elliptical Trainers

Cross training has come to mean several different things over the years. The original definition of cross training was the use of exercise movements that benefited an athlete's performance in a given sport. Lately, the definition has expanded to mean doing a variety of cardio exercises, which also may include working out with weights.

If you're looking to maintain your conditioning for a sport, then elliptical trainers can get your heart rate up quickly and keep you in good cardiovascular condition. For non-athletes that just want to stay fit and lose a few pounds, then alternating training days between lifting weights and 20 minute sessions on an elliptical trainer will get you to your goal.

Whatever definition of cross training you go with, you can be sure that cross training with an elliptical trainer will fit your definition!


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A woman walks along the boardwalk in New York September 4, 2007. REUTERS/Lucas JacksonHealthDay - THURSDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Obese women report that several mental barriers keep them from exercising to lose weight, according to a new study.



AP - A federal appeals court and Ohio's high court have rejected a death row inmate's argument that he is too fat to die by lethal injection.

Reuters - Heart attacks occur earlier in people who are overweight or obese, compared with normal-weight people, new research indicates.

Reuters - When it comes to exercise and physical activity, people who are severely obese often feel defeated and think -- why bother. But a new study shows why they should bother, according to the study team.

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HealthDay - THURSDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The inhaled steroids that are often used to treat asthma don't work as well in the overweight or obese, new research shows.

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HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have uncovered a genetic link between obesity and the risk for colon cancer. The discovery could lead to greater accuracy in predicting who is at risk for the disease, experts say.

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This undated file photo provided by Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows Richard Cooey. Lawyers for an Ohio death row inmate who has unsuccessfully argued that his obesity prevents humane lethal injection have filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to halt Tuesday's execution.   (AP Photo/Department of Rehabilitation and Correction)Reuters - Lab experiments indicate that people with asthma who are overweight or obese have a reduced response to steroid treatment, compared with their lean counterparts.



Drinking water bottles sit near two boys watching a game at OK Slim summer camp on the outskirts of Beijing August 3, 2006. (Claro Cortes IV/Reuters)Reuters - South Korea plans to help obese children pay for health club membership and other activities that can help them lose weight, an official said on Wednesday.



HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs used to treat obesity may be effective against a wide range of viral infections such as the flu, hepatitis, and even HIV, say researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center and Princeton University.

A woman stands outside a sandwich shop. The discovery of a genetic link between obesity and colon cancer may pave the way for more effective screening tests for the disease, according to a study published Tuesday.(AFP/File/Paul Ellis)AFP - The discovery of a genetic link between obesity and colon cancer may pave the way for more effective screening tests for the disease, according to a study published Tuesday.



HealthDay - THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The more overweight children and teens are, the more numerous and severe their headaches, according to a U.S. study.

A man rests at lunchtime in a fiel photo. (Will Burgess/Reuters)Reuters - Being obese may dim a man's chances of becoming a father, even if he is otherwise healthy, a new study suggests.



Time.com - A new study suggests that the common weight-loss surgery leads to less weight loss in patients with diabetes

HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- People with diabetes and those with larger stomach pouches are less likely than others to have good weight loss after gastric bypass surgery, according to University of California, San Francisco, researchers.

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