I hate cardio but I like the eliptical

nxd10

I know there are other people out there like me who hate the gym. I walk and bike a lot but have hated all exercise machines. I have a hard time running as I'm tall and it feels like I'm shocking my system.

I've been traveling and needed to exercise so had to use the fitness equipment. I LOVE the eliptical. No shock to the body. I can do it an hour while watching Netflix and feel no strain until I stop (and then my legs are aquiver). Just thought I'd pass it on.

karensdream

I'm with you. Although I am not tall (just the opposite, lol), running, and even walking for long distances is painful and uncomfortable. I hate going to the gym, and I am mostly intimidated by all the machines. But I found that I didn't mind the elliptical, and I am liking the recumbent bike a lot. It's also low impact. I am still too heavy to ride a regular bike but look forward to the day when I can. I just had to keep searching for something I liked to do., I like swimming as well, and do water aerobics/zumba .

stephenszymanski

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

juliekin

That is EXACTLY what I do! I have been catching up on years of not watching movies with Netflix as I use my elliptical and no knee pain! I sweat up a storm and feel weak at the end, but happy.

Puffingmuffin

I'm the opposite. I get so bored out of my mind with the elliptical. Prefer running outdoors and feeling the elements.

MyJourney1960

I love the elliptical too. I sometimes use the treadmill but prefer the elliptical - i feel that FOR ME it's less stressful on the joints (I know that there are those who disagree, but this is what works FOR ME). I was just thinking this morning that I want to go back to the treadmill, try to do a CT5K-style training as well as elliptical.

I am lucky that I don't get that 'feet falling asleep that plagues some people and also that we have cable at the gym with individual screens so i get to watch tv (no tv at home :laugh: )

WineMaiden

I have an elliptical that has been gathering dust but got used for 30 min today. I have near my computer where I can either listen to music, or stream something to watch. Of all machines I like the elliptical the best.

mperrott2205

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

Off topic but NEVER run before lifting.

dlanoux

I am lucky that I don't get that 'feet falling asleep that plagues some people........

My husband experienced the "feet falling asleep" thing on the elliptical last week at the gym. Honestly, I thought he was crazy! lol! I have never experienced it, or even heard of it for that matter. After reading this, I guess it is sort of common.

pennydreadful270

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

Off topic but NEVER run before lifting.

You don't warm up? Olympic weightlifters do 10-15 mins of rowing/treadmill before they lift. They know what they're doing.

marhod5

Love the elliptical!

I have had trouble with my feet falling asleep. I thought it was just me! : ) When I start to get that feeling, I try to change my foot position for a while. I'll try to lift my toes while putting weight on my heels. Or I'll scoot my feet forward on the pedals til they're all the way to the front, then I'll scoot them to the back.

pinkraynedropjacki

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

This. I'm the same. I quit trying to run on a treadmill. I much prefer outside. As for elliptical...forget it..... it's so not a natural form.

pinkraynedropjacki

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

Off topic but NEVER run before lifting.

Why? I've done it heaps when I was at a gym. Ran 10km & then lifted for about an hour.

mamosh81

all my cardio comes pretty much from the elliptical and weekly hikes. I watch my tv shows at night while doing HIIT on the elliptical it has helped me so much with my back pain and i feel restless when i dont get to use it during my rest days

ironanimal

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

Off topic but NEVER run before lifting.

I'd ammend that to say never perform a long, exhausting session of steady state cardio before lifting heavy weight. 10-15 mins does no harm, and it makes bugger all difference if your weights are pastel coloured.

mamosh81

Love the elliptical!

I have had trouble with my feet falling asleep. I thought it was just me! : ) When I start to get that feeling, I try to change my foot position for a while. I'll try to lift my toes while putting weight on my heels. Or I'll scoot my feet forward on the pedals til they're all the way to the front, then I'll scoot them to the back.

i had the same problem at the start i changed from my sneakers to flip flops and its gone

nxd10

I wore hiking sandals.

djshari

I used to like the elliptical but I hate the ones at my gym now. You have to make it move before it turns on. I can't pick a setting if I'm moving... I have short legs and short arms and bouncing up and down trying to hit the buttons does not work for me. I also don't know what setting to pick. Last time I picked too hard of a setting and after about 5 minutes one of my legs felt tickly. I stepped off and nearly fell over. My legs felt like jello - I honestly thought I would fall over trying to walk out. Then they hurt sooo bad for the next 4 days. Maybe sometime soon when the gym is empty I will hop on it again and give it a try.

GurleyGirl524

I have a very special place in my heart for the elliptical. I love that machine. Don't like too many of the other machines.

GurleyGirl524

I used to like the elliptical but I hate the ones at my gym now. You have to make it move before it turns on. I can't pick a setting if I'm moving... I have short legs and short arms and bouncing up and down trying to hit the buttons does not work for me. I also don't know what setting to pick. Last time I picked too hard of a setting and after about 5 minutes one of my legs felt tickly. I stepped off and nearly fell over. My legs felt like jello - I honestly thought I would fall over trying to walk out. Then they hurt sooo bad for the next 4 days. Maybe sometime soon when the gym is empty I will hop on it again and give it a try.

Start with a low resistance and work your way up.

scrapjen

I'm lucky enough to have a nice elliptical at home. I wear slippers (helps with the feet falling asleep thing) and do several 20min sessions throughout the day (usually 5-6). I don't ever just watch TV anymore, only if I'm on the elliptical ...

cherryd69

I do a different range of thing (tonight i did aqua aerobics..) But... i always feel iv done more and earned my calories on the cross trainer

Booksandbeaches

Of all the cardio machines, the elliptical is my favorite. I don't get bored on it whereas the treadmill and bikes can bore me if I do it on consecutive days.

basslinewild

I love the elliptical but I love the arc trainer even more!

Fitnin6280

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

Off topic but NEVER run before lifting.

Why? When I was in high school we always ran before we lifted during basketball practice.

CashierCantin

I love the elliptical. At first when I joined the gym in April I thought it was awkward (I am short and not used to the arm swinging/leg moving coordination) but the more I kept with it, the longer I was able to stay on. There was one machine by Lifestyle that I absolutely loved and had to fight co workers to get on it (we always ended up getting there at the same time and they only had one machine working at the time). One time BOTH Lifestyles were broke so I tried the one next to it, the ProForm where you dont move your arms but the legs were more fluid in motion and I was able to stay on it for more than 400 calories!!!

I do hills and intervals I couldn't imagine doing before. I have bad knees and CAN'T run or do anything high impact. The elliptical is perfect and while my feet do 'fall asleep' at the ball sometimes, if I get off and get back on after stretching it goes away. Its the pressure points is all...nothing to be worried about (asked my doctor ).

I only hope I burn the calories it says I do because each machine is different and the one I used before burned half of what I do now but it took me much longer to feel winded and start the sweat. On the ProForm I feel like I get a huge workout!

toutmonpossible

i do a combination of interval and steady state cardio work because it's believed to be a more efficient workout. I find it awkward to work flat out on the elliptical, so I use it only for the steady state portion. I do the intervals on the treadmill.

If the elliptical is the only machine you enjoy, by all means do it.

Christina8585

I have a heart condition and I find that I can't run or jog or do the treadmill whatsoever, but the elliptical is low impact and you can get your heart rate up there without the impact on the knees, so I try to use it 30 minutes a day. It works great and I love it. Whatever works to get the cardio in, works. I say do what works.

raingirl21

I'm the opposite. I get so bored out of my mind with the elliptical. Prefer running outdoors and feeling the elements.

Would love to do this, but I live in Washington and we have to do much of our running indoors.

I do like the low impact of the elliptical, and feel I can go longer without getting super tired.

EDollah

Elliptical is my jam. You can get a nice long workout on elliptical and burn substantially more calories than the bike or treadmill can offer. When I started off I'd split between elliptical and something else, just to alleviate boredom, but the elliptical burn was so much higher I had to switch to it full time. Is it boring? Heck yeah, that's what Netflix, Hulu and an iPad are for.

missmelissa919

I just started using the elliptical and everytime my feet fall asleep! I thought I was crazy but I guess not. Anyone know what causes this? I tried two different pairs of shoes, wiggling my toes, and moving my feet. Love the elliptical but hate my feet falling asleep:/