On the days I don’t strength train or walk or run, I usually engage in a “cardio circuit” using a variety of aerobic equipment—a treadmill, stairmaster, elliptical machine, stationary bicycle, rowing ergometer, arm ergometer, versa climber, and/or jump rope.
Since I travel a lot, I create the cardio circuit with whatever equipment is available in the hotel’s health club. But I always book-end the sweaty exercise stations with 5 minutes of stretching before and after the routine.
I always alter my activities on consecutive days. And I also vary the activities of my exercise routines on specific days. My cardio circuit days, which might total anywhere between 30-to-60 minutes, can be varied by using different aerobic machines at different durations ranging from 5-to-15 minutes each. (For example, in our home we have seven different aerobic machines that might get utilized for 8 minutes each, resulting in a 56-minute sweat-producing cardio circuit.) Depending on your interest, your tolerance, and what machines are accessible, you can always create a varied and valuable aerobic workout.
Your heart is an amazing machine that doesn’t differentiate between, nor is it prejudice toward, any specific activity. The love muscle simply enjoys the benefits of continuous activity regardless of the source. However, in addition to stimulating the heart, the beauty of the cardio circuit is that it also utilizes and tones the muscles of your upper and lower body in an alternating fashion, causing maximum peripheral circulation and the burning of fat calories.
Obviously, your fitness routine is limited only by your imagination. You can select from a wide variety of physical activities. You can mix and match days and times. You can choose to exercise in the morning (like me) or plan your workout for some other time of the day. You can perform it solo or with a partner or group. You can engage a personal trainer, dance instructor, karate master, yoga guru, or any other trained professional. But wherever, however, and with whomever you choose to complete this vital strategy, the hardest part is the doing.
The reward, though—a high-energy existence—makes it worth the going. So go move your bones. -- PC |
