Gym Routine: Aerobic Machines

Exercise is important for a weight loss program. Going to a gym (versus working out at home) can be motivating because it represents a commitment.  An exercise program not only burns calories, it helps with appetite control, depression, stress, and provides a sense of accomplishment that can lead to better and happier moods. Studies have shown that exercise can beat the post Thyroidectomy fatigue encountered by most thyroidectomy patients. Best of all, exercise can be addicting: once you get started? You'll want to keep going because it makes you feel great.

I have a magic formula that I have developed across decades that works well for me. I have tried many things, failed at most of them, and have arrived at this optimum plan. The plan is:

10 weeks aerobic machines 

10 weeks aerobic machines and weight machines

10 weeks weight machines and free weights

10 weeks free weights and aerobic

Repeat

I am going to run through each of these 10 week segments during several posts.

10 weeks aerobic machines 

For Aerobic machines, I start with some simple leg stretches. I pull my foot up behind my but and count to fifteen

Then I stretch my calf muscles. Push against a wall, bench one knee, and straighten out the other leg.

Stretching helps avoid injury. I can't tell you how many times I see someone jump on a piece of equipment with no stretching nor warm up and I know they are headed for injury! There certainly are most stretches to do pre and post workout, but these are what I do and I would consider these stretches to be a minimum requirement.

Next,  15-30 minute warm up on a stationary bike. I have strong legs and damaged knees so it is difficult for me to get a really good workout on the stationary bike so I use the first 15 minutes just for warm up. If I am feeling it? I go an extra 15 minutes. I don't like to spend a lot of time on the bike because I know I can get a better workout using other machines.

Next comes 30 minutes on an elliptical. For the elliptical, I watch my heart range so I can keep increasing the challenge and pushing myself. It is too easy to get into a comfortable pace and loose the results. I like some kind of interval setting that continually changes the challenges making it difficult and then backs down to easy. This helps to keep the body confused and unable to get into a calorie conservation motion. The elliptical is a perfect machine because it is easier on the joints compared to, say, running on a treadmill. The last thing you want to do is have your weight-loss plans get sidelined due to an injury.

The final 30 minutes varies. And it is important to vary the final 30 minutes to maintain the body confusion. I look around the gym for the piece of equipment I hate the most and I do that. Chances are, whatever you dislike doing is what you need to do the most of - you dislike it because your body is weak in that area. Sometimes I do a different kind of elliptical,  sometimes stairs, sometime incline treadmill. Whatever I pick, I maintain the same aerobic levels that I did with the first elliptical.

I measure how good the workout was by how drenched my shirt is with sweat. I know that sounds gross... so I do a shirt change after the first elliptical and make sure I'm properly hydrating.

Tune back in later and I'll share my approach to weight machines, and later we'll get I to pyramids with free weights.