cardio indoors - why?

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  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
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    I see all these posts about people doing various at home cardio DVDs (Jillian, insanity, whatever), or spending all this time on machines at the gym...

    Why?

    Because it is a 104 degrees outside?
  • twinmama1987
    twinmama1987 Posts: 566 Member
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    i do workout dvds.. personally its better for me.. stay at home mom, its not easy to take my kids and go for a run. plus, p90x, insanity etc give better results than just running or whatever.. :)

    We still go for walks and go to the park, but i prefer to workout in my living room.
  • MissTomGettingThin
    MissTomGettingThin Posts: 776 Member
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    I just find it convenient that there is cardio equipment to mix things up, strength equipment if I want it, a matt to use and it's all within 50 yards of each other.
    Not to mention there is a social element and can be done regardless of weather.
    I cycle as well and go out in all weathers so it's not really a weather thing for me, but it's a focus.

    Just me.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    Why would you rather be on an exercise bike rather than an actual bike?

    I cant WAIT to be able to use my outside bicycle. But you see, I am too heavy. My bike weighs nearly 50 pounds. Add that to what I weigh and unless I have a totally flat route with no incline at all, I am screwed. I figure by next spring I should be able to use my regular bike.
  • pag41989
    pag41989 Posts: 39 Member
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    I live in Florida so it is 100 degrees right now in the shade. I am very prone to heat stroke so I choose to stay inside. Plus right now I workout at 5 am so I feel safer in a gym that is locked. I can't wait until the fall though so I can take my little girl on afternoon jogs with me in the park.. and all the fresh pumpkin I can eat.. mmm
  • Cmonnowguys
    Cmonnowguys Posts: 361 Member
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    Love working out outside, except for when I'm lifting. :D

    I understand the reasons people have for wanting to workout inside. Childcare can be an issue and the whole safety and weather thing. I personally don't mind a little heat otuside (and yes, I live in Texas) but I get that many people can't or don't want to deal with warmer temperatures.

    So many defensive people here, though! You would think the OP came to their house, peeped in on their workout (most people don't care enough to watch others exercise, FYI) and critisized what they were doing. He just asked a simple question, geez.
  • Alonnea
    Alonnea Posts: 70 Member
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    Right now it would be because it's been about 110 degrees outside in Central Texas and I'm not willing to risk heat stroke to be outside.
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
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    Well.... in the summer it gets up to 90-100 degrees here. It's not ideal to be outside for to long because of the sun. When I run I do so for hours... and I burn to a crisp no matter how many times I put on suntain lotion.. plus it's really hot and sometimes it makes it hard to breathe.

    Also with no track here outside it's IMPOSSIBLE to run in the snow unless you want to slide and bust your butt.

    With that said, I do prefer outside, but it's not always possible.
  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    I have a short attention span - so if I ran/biked outdoors every day I'd get sick of doing it :) (or, actually, "feeling" like that was my only option would make me lose interest). So i like having the option of doing a home work-out to mix things up so I can still enjoy running/biking and have other things to do!
  • ademiter
    ademiter Posts: 176 Member
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    Um, the humidity is super uncomfortable and the heat on top of it doesn't make for a GOOD workout. Why NOT get fit INSIDE in the AC with a fan blowing on me and get in shape just as well as those who go outside to work out?

    The answer to that choice is CLEAR to me! :)
  • DeeMac71
    DeeMac71 Posts: 10
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    Who cares where they work out? I mean, at least they ARE working out. There is an obesity epidemic in this country and more than HALF of our citizens don't do ANY kind of exercise. They can exercise while standing in a litter box for all I care. At least they are doing it. :)
  • jae28
    jae28 Posts: 8
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    well if you come to georgia and try that during the months of april - nov, you will have heat stroke so i go to a gym or at home and on freaky days when its not so humid and hot i go outside i love being outside i like to bike walk sports anything but i have not been able to live as i want for a year of living here my daughter has asthma and 10 min outside here she needs her rescue inhaler and she is very controlled some people go inside because outside isnt an option at certain times and in certain places im from ohio and i would trade that humidity and heat for this anyday
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
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    105 here yesterday, and we have this thing called a heat index that put it at 112. They actually tell people to stay inside when it's like that. I know it's hard for northerners to understand, but people in the US actually die from the heat sometimes.

    I feel ya girl!! Try running outside when it's 110 degrees---and that's not even the heat index! There are news stories every summer about somebody dying of a heat stroke here (I'm in Central TX), not worth the risk to me.

    and don't forget to add that it's over 100 degrees at 10pm here in TX.

    ^^ All of this. It's really not that difficult to find yourself face down on the asphalt after even a brief jog/walk in this type of heat. Heat exhaustion is something to take seriously... I've had my own bouts with it and I'd rather just wait until the weather cools down rather than putting my health at risk solely to run outside.
  • IamBlackMamba
    IamBlackMamba Posts: 229
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    Where I live is not runner friendly. Plus I like to work off the days aggression on the Tmill or elliptical where I don't have to worry about bikes or cars.

    If I lived out of the city I might have a different mindset.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    I always did indoor workouts after my kids went to bed because I couldn't just leave them home alone :wink: My husband works 2nd shift. I would go out sometimes in the morning but that usually isn't possible. I have to leave for work at 7 and my kids get up before 6 anyway so ....

    Then my home workouts started bothering my hips too much, and it got to where I cannot jog outside. I can rollerblade so I still do that. But the elliptical does not bother my hips at all. So I joined the gym and go on my lunch breaks. The bonus of that is that I also get to use the heavy weights there now.

    On the weekends, I go for walks and hikes with my kids WHEN the weather cooperates. lol.

    Anyway there could be any number of reasons people are working out indoors. Kids, injuries, weather, etc.
  • nwhitley
    nwhitley Posts: 619
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    105 here yesterday, and we have this thing called a heat index that put it at 112. They actually tell people to stay inside when it's like that. I know it's hard for northerners to understand, but people in the US actually die from the heat sometimes.

    I feel ya girl!! Try running outside when it's 110 degrees---and that's not even the heat index! There are news stories every summer about somebody dying of a heat stroke here (I'm in Central TX), not worth the risk to me.

    Yep!! I'm in South Carolina and it's the same. The heat and humidity make it a serious health concern. Unless, I make it out at 5am in the morning than there's no way I'm going out. And, they will tell you on the news not to go outside unless it's absolutely necessary. People with night jobs, like road construction, actually work at 9 and 10 at night b/c of the heat.
  • MrsLeyva11
    MrsLeyva11 Posts: 90
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    I attempt going jogging outdoors when I can.

    But I'm a stay at home mom with a husband who works out of town 6 out of 7 days a week, every week, and has since our daughter was 2 months old. With one income we can't afford a day care center or a baby sitter, and our daughter is still extremely sensitive to the elements so even early morning is too hot for her.

    If I don't do cardio indoors or do a work out video, it doesn't get done. On the days when my husband IS home and working in town, I have to get up at 4 AM in order to get my cardio in and get back in time for him to leave for work.

    It's only temporary, and I'd much rather be outdoors than in. But with our situation it's just not possible.
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
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    If its not 105 with a heat index of 115 and 100% humdity, I will run outside, but speaking I walk out of my house and feel like someone is suffocating me with a blanket and look like I just ran a marathon when I walk to class, I stick to indoor cardio. In the spring/late fall, I'll run outside. I do sometimes in the winter but I have a condition where my lungs and bronchioles freak out and start spasming similar to an asthma attack when I bring cold air into my lungs rapidly. I also weight train 3x a week and can't exactly do that without a gym.

    I also enjoy cardio classes as they allow me to switch things up and I tend to push myself harder during them because there are other people around and someone is motivating me.
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
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    Personally, I hate cardio in the gym. I hate that there are dozens of people who can potentially watch your entire workout while you stay in one spot. When I run outside, I pass people... they see me for a very short time and then I'm gone. I also don't believe the treadmill gives me the same workout as running outside. The "ground" is moving underneath me on the treadmill... all I have to do is keep my legs moving fast enough to keep up. When I run outside, I feel like I'm using more power to propel myself forward. The treadmill just doesn't do it for me at all.... I can run so much faster on the treadmill which makes me think it isn't nearly as challenging as running outside.

    And don't even get me started on the elliptical. I hate the unnatural way it makes your legs move and there's no flexibility there... you don't have a choice! Forwards or backwards, but the same weird motion. Blech. It doesn't challenge me cardiovascularly, it just makes my legs tired and pisses me off.

    I'll stick with road running. So much more effective, IMO. I can run for 90 minutes outside and never get bored, whereas 10 minutes on a gym machine and I'm ready to quit out of sheer boredom.
  • tinytoyjess
    tinytoyjess Posts: 139 Member
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    I typically don't have a chance to workout until the afternoon. If I were to go out running in the afternoon here this summer I'd likely die of heat poisoning.

    I'd like to own a road bike by next summer, though. Our summers typically aren't as hot as this one, at least not for these extended periods of time.

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