Exercise question

nickiejohnson
nickiejohnson Posts: 58
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone! Happy Thursday!
I have a question about exercise...my husband got me an elliptical a few months back and for the past month I have been doing it daily. I heard a while back that doing the same exercise all the time is bad for you...is this true?? I'm building my stamina every day and I still break a mean sweat and I also mix in ab workouts and free weights and am losing weight....I'm not able to use any other equipment and I really enjoy my elliptical....
Any help would be great!!
Thanks friends!

Replies

  • takethepieces
    takethepieces Posts: 98
    I don't think it's that it's bad for you, unless it's strength training. If you're doing a lot of weights then it's good to mix up the muscle sets you do because they need time to rest.

    In terms of cardio, you can do as much as you like but what you might be referring to is that sometimes you need to change it up because your body gets used to what it is doing and finds a more efficient way to do it and therefore it becomes less difficult and less effective. As long as you add in a little longer each week, or go a bit faster, or add in more resistance or something continuing on the elliptical with what else you're doing should be fine.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Not necessarly bad for you, although can cause repetitive strain injuries. the problem with doing the same thing over and over again is that our bodies get accustom to it and you will burn less calories overtime doing the exact same workout. In order to keep the caloric burn the same you would have to increase speed, intensity or both. It is best to change up what you are doing every 4-6 weeks, but if that is your only machine, try changing how you used it. Try intervals, higher intensity, higher speed, go backward, etc.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    It is good to switch things up every 4-6 weeks. Your body gets use to the same repetitive movement becoming more efficient at performing therefore burning less calories and not getting as much out of it as you could. As a woman do not be afraid of lifting weights, you still need cardio but weights play a big role also for many reasons. A great read explaining as to why is "New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler it debunks a lot of myths about weight lifting and has a great plan that has given me great results. As far as carido I switch it up and do several different things, but my absolute favorites are kickboxing and piloxing. Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone, this is where you will see your greatest gains, challenging yourself to do something different. Good luck!!
  • GabrielMaestas
    GabrielMaestas Posts: 88 Member
    The rule of repetitive use injury is more so true of resistance training and NOT aerobic activity. Its safe to use the eliptical as much as you want :o)
  • em_lou007
    em_lou007 Posts: 117
    Hiya

    I think it would be a good idea to have a break every other day so that your muscles can recover.
    From my personal experience this works for me, I can feel the new strength in my legs esp when I get back on my elliptical (plus I get bored easily lol!)

    Overall it's your body though and you know best, I think the good old rule of 'if it's hurting then stop' is a good guideline - don't burn yourself out

    good luck xx
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    The rule of repetitive use injury is more so true of resistance training and NOT aerobic activity. Its safe to use the eliptical as much as you want :o)

    More so with strength training yes, but can happen with cardio especially the elliptical which is not a "normal" motion that humans do or have evolved to do such as walking. Much more likely with the elliptical than with the treadmill.
  • trish2011
    trish2011 Posts: 31 Member
    I love the elliptical too and I will ask a professional the following question: I was told to switch directions if walking on an indoor track, something about the same motion phsically injuring you.... I vaguely remember someone telling me this about the elliptical too... Are you supposed to do one day "forward" on and elliptical and the next day in "reverse" so as to not get injured?
  • farmgirl88
    farmgirl88 Posts: 91 Member
    Nope, it's not bad for you. I think when people say it's "bad" to do the same thing all the time, they mean it's bad for weightloss. Once your body gets accustomed to a routine, it will stop losing weight. You have to "keep your body guessing," which it sounds like you are already doing just that. By mixing in other activities (like ab workouts and lifting weights), you are able to keep your body burning fat. Also, it sounds like you are pushing yourself each and every time you get on the elliptical. That helps switch things up for your body, too.

    Sounds like you are on the right track! Just keep at it!
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
    I agre with the above posts. Doing the elliptical regularly isn't BAD for you. Just be careful of repetitive use injuries. Try to stretch out or mix it up once in a while with a short walk or maybe even jump roping as cardio (a DVD is always a good idea too). Weight lifting can also help strengthen areas that might be weak and could lead to those injuries.

    Also, try to mix up what you do on the elliptical to avoid a plateau. Your body adapts, so if you want to keep seeing the weight fall off or the body definition, you'll really have to incorporate in some other things.

    Shannon
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