This week I take a look into the most efficient cardio machines and the most efficient ways to eat.
There are so many different cardio machines at the gym to choose from and I can never decide which one to use on a given day. Since I don't have much time to spend at the gym, can you tell me which machines burn more calories than the others?
-- Kwong Ninj, class of 2007
Of all the machines at the fitness center, the most efficient machine -- the one that will make you burn the most calories in a given period of time -- is the cross-trainer. The cross-trainer's dual-action capability gives you the ability to integrate a lower body workout, with the elliptical foot pedals, and an upper body workout, with the moveable handlebars, pushing your body to the max.
Next on the list, all at about the same efficiency level, would be the arc trainer, the elliptical, and the treadmill. These machines make you work hard, providing your body with a good lower body workout, but they don't give you the upper body workout that the cross-trainer does.
At the bottom of the efficiency list would be the stair-climber and the stationary bikes. These machines don't tend to work you as hard as the other ones do.
But this is all relative. Depending on how hard you push yourself during the workout, you could easily burn more calories at high intensity on a stationary bike than at low intensity on a cross-trainer. The efficiency levels above are only general guidelines.
If you're a traditional believer in treadmills and skeptical about the ellipticals and cross-trainers, one exercise physiologist at the University of Missouri-Columbia noted that "the physiological responses associated with elliptical exercises were nearly identical to treadmill exercises."
In addition, "both exercise machines are effective for increasing the amount of calories burned and for producing cardio respiratory health and training benefits."
So believe it: Ellipticals and cross-trainers work. Besides giving you a solid workout, they are much better for your joints than treadmills because they are basically non-impact exercise machines. This, in turn, makes you feel as though you're putting in less effort for the same amount of calories burned.
I've heard that eating five meals per day is better than the traditional three. What should the average college student do?
-- Hungry hippo, class of 2005
Since we college folk have awkward schedules that change day in and day out, there's really no set way to eat. The basic guideline I would suggest would be to get your average amount of calories every day in a reasonable manner, without overeating at any one sitting.
If you enjoy eating three meals a day, that's fine; if you do better with five a day, that's okay too. But you'll be in trouble if you're a normal five meals per day person and decide to overeat at lunch and dinner, forcing your body to metabolize overly large quantities of food twice during the day. Just stay with whatever reasonable plan works for you and fits your schedule; if you enjoy five meals a day but have eight hours of class on Tuesdays, bring a snack or two.
A final word of caution: If you like to eat before bed, be careful. All of the calories you consume near bed time will be floating around in your system while you're sleeping. At this time, your body's metabolism is slowest, making it much easier for you to pack on some pounds.
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