I am not one to judge others much when it comes to cardio. I’m not a fan of cardio, afterall, and perform as little as I possibly can to get by. I’m totally on board with the painful monotony of moving in place for what seems like an eternity, day after day. Ugh!
I am, however, one who doesn’t like to waste time, and if that time is going to be spent on endurance conditioning, then it had better count! I see so many lost opportunities amongst the packed rows of cardio equipment at the gym. Guys, white-knuckled on the treadmill, hanging on for dear life in an attempt to keep pace with the hurtling conveyor belt below. Women slung over the tops of the Stairmaster handlebars like soggy towels, their legs trudging in slow motion beneath them. These people are so busy trying not to fall of the machine, they have checked completely out of the workout.
I understand that you may be wanting to move faster on the treadmill so you don’t have to spend so much time on it. But do you really stroll or jog around your neighborhood with what equates to a walker in front of you? I didn’t think so, so why are you hanging on now? If you can’t cope with the speed, then push the down arrow key. Same goes for the stepmill. Holding on for balance, like you do on an actual flight of stairs, is one thing. However, slumping over the rail and dragging yourself up is another situation entirely. This is not an effective workout, no matter what the calorie counter indicates.
Just let go. All those little muscles you’ll need to balance and keep pace will be working for you when you’re traveling at an appropriate, challenging speed. If you want to progress then do so slowly, but use your whole body in the process and don’t cheat yourself by hanging on.
What is your favorite type of cardio? How often do you do it?