Which Cardio Workout is Best For You?
By Simone Gardner
Hey there Jacks! The Rec Center has a wide selection of machines to whip you into shape before summer. But have you ever wondered which one of them is the best to spend your time on? The majority of the Rec Center's cardio machines are treadmills, stationary bicycles, ellipticals and stair climbers. I spent an average of 10 to 15 minutes on each of these machines and tallied down my results. Here's what happened:
Treadmill- Not everybody (including me) is a runner. I decided to do the treadmill for 15 minutes. I did a warm up of 4.0mph for two minutes, then I sped it up for five minutes at 7.0mph. After that, I slowed it down to 4.0mph and took my jog to an incline at 3.5.
Total Time: 15 minutes
Incline 3.5.
Heart Rate: 165
Calories: 180
Distance: 1.45
Stationary Bike- When it comes to cardio workouts, I don't always choose the stationary bike because I don't always wear shorts with padding, but this machine does wonders for your legs.
Total Time: 15 minutes
Resistance: 7.0
Heart Rate: 155
Calories: 107
Distance: 3.20
Elliptical: I must say this is my favorite cardio machine but whenever I find time to workout at the Rec, there's never a free machine to hop on since they're so popular. Luckily one of them was free...
Total Time: 15 minutes
Crossramp: 20
Resistance: 8.0
Heart Rate: 160
Calories Burned: 135
Distance: 1.25
Stair Climber: Out of all the machines I tried, this one made me sweat bullets. And whenever the Rec Center is crowded, hardly anyone is on the stair climbers.
Total Time: 10 minutes
Steps/Min.: 75
Heart Rate: 185
Calories Burned: 100
Floors: 60
After experimenting with these four machines, I'd have to say the Stair Climber would be your best bet for working up a sweat in a short amount of a time. But then again, running is also a great workout. You don't have to be a sprinter all the time on the treadmill, anything from a light jog to a power walk at an incline is a great way to work up a sweat.
Campus Rec~ your ticket to cardio
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