Elliptical Weight Loss Before and After – First, there were the treadmills, or treadmill, over which we saw New York executives sweat the jersey between the meetings; then the static bicycles, on which pedaled in a hellish rhythm of disco that gave place to the spinning, and finally, the elliptical arrived. Fitness machines combine the natural movement of the human body while walking, holding the rods in the Nordic Walking style, with the specific work of the legs when cycling. With one big difference: the person moves while standing, leaning on platforms that serve as pedals that give the sensation of being suspended in the air. This “aerial” feature is precisely what gives it one of its most significant benefits: it does not damage the joints (ankles, knees, hips) or back because the body does not hit and does not impact anything.
For all this, this type of bike is the favorite of some professional or amateur athletes, such as runner Cristina Miter, founder of the movement Women who run and author of the book Correr is living at the top of power (Ed Martinez Roca) [Running is life to the maximum of power]. “It has less impact than running, so I prefer the bike running on the treadmill. It helps work aspects of resistance through HIIT (high-intensity intervals) or Fartlek(exercises with a change of pace). In addition, as my trainer, Ángel Merchán of Home Wellness Madrid, explained, it helps protect joints from excessive wear when we accumulate many miles of running. ” This argument is confirmed by Dr. Edward R. Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic, although he, like other experts, makes it clear that this academy panacea will be effective as long as it is used correctly. Because, despite the simplicity, there are several mistakes we make when we are on top of it. Some of them are extraordinary.
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1. Bend over. “One of the most frequent failures is to lean forward and get bent,” says Antonio Rodríguez, director of Fitup Ávila, of the Fitup low-cost network. “The greater the intensity of exercise resistance, the greater the difficulty in moving the pedals. At this moment, people lean because in this way, theoretically, they exercise more force with the legs. But it is not correct, and it is dangerous because the elliptical motion implies a small twist or twist, which can cause injuries. But if the correct posture in the machine is adopted, with the back as straight as possible and the head perfectly erected, all kinds of physical hazards are avoided.”
2. Stand on tiptoe. Do your feet fall asleep in the middle of an indoor walking class? This is one more symptom: you are not doing the exercise very well. “You should not put a lot of pressure on your toes. To begin with, because it is an unnatural movement. We do not walk or run or climb the stairs on tiptoe. Second, the impact of the plant standing on the ground when walking or running is complete, causing the blood to circulate proportionally in that region. If a tingling sensation in the foot appears while you are on the elliptical is because the legs are carrying too much weight at the tips, and the circulation does not flow well, “explains the academy director.
3. Do not enter personal data into the computer system of the elliptical. There are many types of elliptical bikes: manuals, usually used in group classes in the gym, and other electronic ones, equipped with a computerized system of exercises of different intensity, duration and movements, with specific programs for climbing hills, for example, or some designed as if they were military training. When training with an automatic schedule, the recommended one is to enter the personal data. “Normally, the elliptical asks for weight and sex to better calculate the strength it will require during the session,” says Rodriguez. It is crucial to consider if you do not want to end the language off because the previously registered user was a Schwarzenegger prototype. At the same time, its constitution is similar to that of Kate Moss.
4. Do not place the center handlebar at the appropriate height. “This is another very common mistake,” said Jesús Galán and Ángel Guadaño, managers of Fitup Ávila. “On the manual ellipticals, the central script [remember that there are the side sticks and the center levers] can be adjusted vertically [from top to bottom]. The point is to place it at a height that, when you rest your hands on it, your forearm is at a 90-degree angle to the arm. If you do not fit into this measure, you will do the exercise in an improper posture: either leaning forward or falling backward. ” Conclusion: The muscles of the back and shoulders are tense, and it will be easier to have an injury.
5. Pedaling very slowly. Do not be lazy. It is essential to start cardiovascular training gradually, without much intensity in the resistance. Another very different is to keep the pedal hardness constantly to zero because, as the monitors indicate, “with little resistance the person moves as if jumping. The foot leaves a lot of support, and the position is inappropriate. “How to know if you are using the ideal level of intensity? It is the perfect position if your feet are firmly supported on the platform while pedaling. “It is always advisable to raise your heel a little but without exaggeration. It’s the natural gesture when we walk, “says Angel.
6. Ignore heartbeats. Remember that the elliptical serves to do an aerobic cardiovascular exercise, of which the WHO recommends 150 minutes per week. According to the latest evidence, it is recommended to warm all muscle groups before weights because a complete physical activity mixes aerobic exercise with force. If your goal is to lose weight, you should train at 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. “Above this range, we will burn less because what we are going to use as fuel will be muscle glycogen and not fat,” says Dr. Alfredo López González, a cardiovascular surgeon at the Hospital Puerta del Mar, Cadiz, and responsible for the website Comeconsalud.com. According to the specialist, co-author of the book, The Aitiedad diet. How to stay young inside and out (Ed Arcopress) [The antiaging diet. How to stay young inside and out], along with nutritionist Marta Villa, the ideal, if physical conditions allow, would be to stay on the elliptical at this aerobic level for 20 to 40 minutes. How to know your maximum heart rate? Note this infallible formula that the doctor says: 210 – (0.5 x age) – 20% of the weight. Women should add 4 to the result.
With the heart beating in these values, the expert says that one can lose between 400 and 500 calories (a dish of noodles to bolognese). “These are indicative numbers and depend on other factors, but a woman who weighs 60 kg could burn about 390 kcal for 30 minutes of training on the elliptical if she stays in the fat-burning zone. A man of 80 kg would lose about 460 Kcal in the same period, “notes the cardiologist. More than a bike ride, for example, but less than other high-impact aerobic exercises, according to the Mayo Clinic table published by the study results by Dr. Barbara Ainsworth of the University of Arizona.
7. Fall into monotony. Changing the series of exercises (now, upper and lower at the same time, then only the legs, holding the handlebars, then without arms, as if running, etc.) is unnecessary, but Antonio Rodríguez says that is recommended. The reasons? “If you always do the same thing, the body accommodates, and you do not go up the level. A month later, more or less, we can increase the intensity a bit, vary the order of the exercises or choose other programs that the elliptical has. “An essential advice to avoid fainting: “When we finish the training session, it is necessary to gradually decrease the intensity of the exercise so that the heart rate returns to the basal level smoothly. This period should be around at least 10 minutes, depending on the physical condition of each, “says surgeon López González.
8. Descend without braking. Please do not laugh and believe us. Getting off the elliptical with the device in motion is something that happens. By carelessness (the towel or the water bottle fell, the cell phone rang), the uncontrolled impulse to pick up the object without thinking about anything else is activated. “We’ve had cases like this before. A user fractured the fifth metacarpal. Another who came down without stopping twisted his ankle, “says Rodríguez. There is no button, nor does the bicycle instantly rest when you lift your foot. You need to know that these pedal platforms break as you slow down until you can stop it 100% with the strength of your legs. “It’s almost, almost like a bicycle, except it has no saddle and no brakes on the handlebar.”
