Steppers and Stationary Bikes

Beginners may find steppers not easy to use because the workout may prove too intense. But many people love the machine because of the intensity of the workout they get. Women are big stepper fans because it tones the thighs and buttocks.

The most common mistake people make with steppers or stairclimbers is to lean forward and rest their body weight on the handlebars. This results in three things: lower calorie burn, potential injury to the lower back and a decidedly silly-looking appearance because your rear end sticks out and waggles for the whole gym to see.

In an Ohio State University study, women who held the handrails burned fewer calories than those who swung their arms as if they were walking. According to researchers, even the lightest touch on the rails made a difference. Leaning forward and resting one's weight on the handrails was worse--it cut the calories burned by half.

Depth, not speed
Another factor that can affect the number of calories you burn is the depth of the steps you take. The machine assumes you are doing a step depth of eight inches, more or less the height of real stair rungs. If you are taking fast and quick "baby" steps, you are fooling yourself into believing that you are burning the mega-calories you see on the machine's console.

The correct posture when using a stepper is to stand upright and swing your arms. If you need to hold the handrails for balance, use only your fingertips instead of gripping them tightly.

Avoid leaning on the railing with your shoulders hunched, wrists reversed, fingers facing the floor and elbows facing the ceiling. Over time, this awkward position can lead to injury in shoulders, elbows or wrists.

Keep the whole foot on a pedal and avoid having your heels hanging off the edge. You can end up with Achilles tendinitis, an inflammation of the big tendon at the back of your heel. Stepping with your toes also forces your calves to work too hard and, if you have the genetic potential, make them look bigger. Lean slightly (only slightly) forward to avoid locking your knees when you straighten your legs.

Rude surprise
Don't just push down on the pedals. Raise your knees the way you would when climbing real stairs. But if you think that because you can spend an hour on a stairclimber it will be the same with real stairs, you are in for a rude surprise. Real stair climbing is much harder because you have to carry your entire body weight. However, since there is less weight bearing on a stepper, the workout is easier on the joints compared to climbing stairs.

If you experience "stair-climber's feet," an uncomfortable sensation of numbness and tingling in the forefoot, try wiggling your toes every now and then during the workout. Also, try taking your feet off the pedals occasionally. Make sure your shoes are not too tightly laced. Avoid leaning forward too much since this increases the pressure on the forefoot area.

Stationary bikes
Although chances of using a stationary bike the wrong way are less compared to treadmills and steppers, you shouldn't just hop on and pedal away. You need to adjust a few things.

Stationary bikes are either upright or recumbent. In the recumbent type, you sit on a bucket seat and your legs pedal in front of you. Recumbent bikes are kinder to the lower back because you have a back rest, eliminating the tendency to pedal with a rounded back.

Some people also find the recumbent type more comfortable because the weight of the body is fully supported by the buttocks unlike in an upright bike where there is more pressure in the groin area. This makes recumbent a good choice for the overweight.

Good cross-training
Recumbents put more emphasis on the buttocks and hamstrings while upright bikes focus more on the quadriceps or front of the thighs. Using both types is good cross-training routine.

Whatever bike you use, make sure you adjust the seat height correctly. In an upright bike, when the pedal is at the lowest position, your leg is almost, but not quite, straight. If you have to strain or rock your hips to pedal downward, the seat is too high. If your knees feel crunched up toward your chest when you pedal upward, the seat is too low.

The same guidelines apply with a recumbent bike except that you adjust the seat forward or backward.

Don't pedal with your toes or you may get calf or foot cramps. Make sure you press down from the ball of your foot and through your heel and then pull up with the top of your foot. Adjust the pedal straps so your feet are caught snugly in between but not so tightly that you cut off the blood circulation.

Don't hunch over an upright bike. Rounding your back can result in lower-back strain. Lean slightly forward from the hips. The load should be light enough for you to ride the bike in good form but heavy enough that the workout challenges you. If you are rocking back and forth or gripping the handlebars tightly, the resistance load may be too high for you.

Continue reading here: Yoga Becoming a Competitive Sport

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