When you decide to approach a cardio discipline, the first option considered is almost always running because, at whatever level of intensity you practice it, the benefits are immediately evident: from the release of endorphins, which lower the level of stress, to the activation of the metabolism and weight loss.
Unfortunately, running is a high impact sport that affects the musculoskeletal system and joints quite significantly. This is why it is not suitable for everyone, and especially with advancing age or in case you have returned from injuries or injuries, it may not be the best choice.
However, this does not mean that you should give up on cardio activities. In fact, there are low-impact exercises that can provide the same aerobic benefits of running, but without impacting so much on the body and causing those disturbances due to the repeated impact of the foot with the ground. These are the best cardio alternatives to running.
, which also work in stretching, increases respiratory fitness, builds endurance, helps fight stress and facilitates weight loss. Also, practicing different styles allows for different muscles to be used, and the intensity level and distances covered also challenge the body in different ways.
without excessively straining legiuncture and ligaments sensitive to running is the bicycle. Also in this case, however, it is good to specify that cycling itself can be difficult to apply in the presence of certain "individual sensitivities" (pain in the lumbo-sacral area, etc. .).
Whether you decide to ride an exercise bike at home or use an outdoor bike, the benefits are many, such as strengthening the lumbar area and decreasing back pain, toning the muscles of the legs and buttocks, improving the system. cardio vascular and promote weight loss.
If you want to increase the difficulty of the workout, you can choose an uphill path if you use the outdoor bike, or increase the slope if you try your hand at an exercise bike.
she works vertically but unlike the step, it too, like running, is not suitable for those with joint problems, it requires slower and more fluid movements, which insert it in low impact activities.
Using the elliptical cross-country skiing gestures are mimicked and in a gentle way different muscles of both the upper and lower body are activated such as quadriceps, leg muscles, triceps and biceps, abdomen, shoulders and buttocks.
Basic training with the elliptical
The basic training with the elliptical trainer simply consists in performing a constant pedaling at a resistance and intensity that are also stable, moving at the same time the legs, even the upper limbs, placing the hands on the appropriate arms.
Indicatively, the time to spend on the tool can be between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on your resistance.
In half an hour of training you can burn up to about 450 calories.
If you want to increase the intensity of the exercise, you can accelerate the stride or alternate moments at a slow pace with others at a more sustained pace.
, which mimic in all respects the movements of rowing, so much so that originally they were mainly used by athletes of this discipline to train. Once they arrived in the fitness rooms, they quickly became very popular and included in almost all circuits for a very simple reason: they provide a complete cardio workout that is difficult to replicate in any other way.
A training with the rowing machine, in fact, in addition to allowing a large calorie expenditure, also trains endurance and activates a very high number of muscle groups, from the nape to the tip of the toes. In particular, it acts on the back, legs, buttocks and abdomen. In addition, it improves the cardiovascular system, relieves back pain and stress.
Also in this case, the results of the exercise can be improved by alternating moments of high intensity with others of low intensity.
High Intensity (HIIT) is an aerobic training method in which short bursts of high intensity activity are alternated, followed by longer intervals of rest or low intensity activity. This option is fully part of cardio activities and produces several benefits such as improving insulin sensitivity, lowering blood pressure and burning subcutaneous fat.How to do a HIIT workout
Several cardio disciplines have the possibility of being carried out in HIIT version, such as training with the elliptical or rowing machine and cycling.
However, if you prefer to apply this type to toning exercises, for beginners the ideal is to choose about 8 exercises, to be performed 10 times for 2 or 3 series, and then increase them over time and become more familiar.
After each repetition, take a 10 second break and after a completed set, one longer than one minute, during which time it is best not to stop completely in order to keep the circulatory system active.
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