Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minutes Tuesdays where we are bringing you one exercise topic, talking about it for two minutes, and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. This week we are talking to those of you who want to do cardio without the high impact. You want to get your cardiovascular work in but you have to respect your joints and make sure that the load you are working with is not bearing down on your joints and is not high impact.
1) Use Different Pieces of Cardio Equipment
Our first piece of advice is to use some different types of cardio equipment. You don’t always have to be running. You don’t always have to be on the treadmill. You could try things like the elliptical, the bike, or the rower, which uses a little bit more of your upper body.
Action Step: Rotate through using a minimum of three different types of cardio equipment. Treadmills, ellipticals, seated and recumbent bikes, rowers, stair climbers, and jump ropes are all viable options based on your goals and your body’s ability.
2) Incorporate Circuit Training
Tip number two – incorporate some circuit training into what you are already doing. Going from one exercise to the next in rapid succession with minimal rest will not only get your heart rate elevated, it will keep it elevated as well, for the duration you are doing that circuit.
Action Step: Choose two to five exercises to do one right after the other over and over again. You can have them work different parts of your body–such as your lower body, upper body, and trunk–or you can work the same part of your body for each exercise. Remember, circuit training does not imply moving fast, so make sure you are still doing the exercises in a controlled manner.
3) Lift Heavy Weights
Our last tip is to lift weights that are heavy. Now, still be mindful, still be safe with it, and still make sure you are moving slowly. However, when you lift heavy weights, your body undergoes a strong cardiovascular challenge, similar to what you are looking for when you engage in traditional cardio activities. So, consider lifting heavy instead of running heavy.
Action Step: Challenging your body with heavy resistance training will not only improve your strength, it will get your heart pumping hard, as well. The next time you want to get some cardio in, consider hitting the weights instead of heading to the treadmill.
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