What is a better cardio?

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What is better? Doing a 20 min cardio workout like on exercise tv or doing 20 min walk/run on a treadmill?

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  • nosey_rosey
    nosey_rosey Posts: 380 Member
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    Personally I push myself harder doing a video... My heart rate monitor shows more calories burned for me doing a video vs. a walk =)
  • Bumblebee26
    Bumblebee26 Posts: 118 Member
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    I've got to say cycling! Like real bike riding! Nothing beats it, you can't get bored it's like being a little kid again!
  • mcneelymama
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    Personally I push myself harder doing a video... My heart rate monitor shows more calories burned for me doing a video vs. a walk =)

    Same here. But I didn't know if it was enough.
  • drmastermind
    drmastermind Posts: 17 Member
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    The best one is whichever you'll do. For calorie burn the higher intensity the better, but if you don't enjoy it the it becomes a chore. It's much better to find something you enjoy and stick to it.
  • Windress
    Windress Posts: 22
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    Well, if the goal is to burn calories, get your heart rate up, and tone/strengthen muscles, then a Workout video is going to be the best option for the effort you put in. This is because while running/walking/biking does burn calories and increase your heart rate, it doesn't challenge your body after a certain point. It's the same repetitive motion over and over again, which allows your body burn to plateau.

    Workout videos are designed to specifically avoid repetition, by challenging your body with new combinations of exercise every few minutes. This actually causes your heart rate to jump to a calorie-burning rate much quicker, and will keep it there as you change up which grouping of muscles you are working out. Work out videos also target muscles for the purpose of toning them and tapering the shape of the body in the process. You're more likely to see specific results from workout videos than from simply running or walking.

    Also, if you live anywhere remotely like Texas, I think you'll appreciate that you can do workout videos year round inside - without the risk of heatstroke! And videos become available at such a steady rate, I doubt you'll get bored of trying out something new! The only downside is that it can get expensive (although, for my money, Netflix has some great videos!)
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

    This.

    Seriously, interval cardio is craploads more effective for FAT loss (not WEIGHT loss...regular cardio promotes muscle atrophy via hormones, intervals promote fat loss via hormones), than any steady state cardio out there.