Exercising with an ergometer is useful for anyone who wants to exercise regularly to get more fit, get better oxygen saturation of the blood and feel better overall, and finally, to make the pounds fall off. Multiple muscle groups are exercised, circulation can be strengthened. Physical performance is maintained or increased. Athletes achieve greater endurance and better fitness. Another advantage of training with an ergometer is that you can train completely independent of the weather. An ergometer at home saves you a trip to the gym and allows you to train whenever you feel like it and have the time. Depending on your training goal and your personal fitness level, you can set several difficulty levels. An ergometer is good for fitness beginners, but it is important that you start using it properly from the beginning and increase the training time as well as the difficulty level in order to achieve the desired success and not get frustrated and disappointed at some point.
How to start training correctly
Anyone who starts pedaling on an ergometer will quickly realize that this is no walk in the park, unlike cycling in the great outdoors in sunny weather. At the beginning of training with the ergometer, many tend to make mistakes that are very difficult to iron out later. To avoid making these mistakes, before you decide to start exercising regularly and buy an ergometer, go to a gym and get thorough advice. Explain to the fitness instructor what your goal is:
- Get in better shape
- burn calories and lose weight
- train the circulation and feel better
- improve endurance
- become more active again after a long period of inactivity in sports.
The fitness trainer can work out a training program on the ergometer for you, but before that he will instruct you on the ergometer and observe you as you begin. He will point out the mistakes you make and give you tips on how to avoid such mistakes. Especially for beginners, it is tempting to pedal on the ergometer as fast as possible and for a long time. This is exactly the wrong strategy, as it quickly leads to fatigue and frustration, but not to the desired success. Exercise for only a few minutes at the beginning and only with a low level of difficulty. Slowly increase the training time, speed and difficulty.
The right steps on the way to success
To get started exercising on an ergometer, it's important to have the right seating position to avoid damage to your spine and to distribute your body weight properly. To identify the correct seat height, your back should be straight during the entire workout and the lower pedal should be easily accessible with the whole foot on and the leg extended. The correct adjustment of the handlebars is also important to prevent the hands from buckling and to relieve the joints. You have the right posture on the ergometer if you sit upright, keep your shoulders straight and do not bend your hands. In order to train not only the thighs but also the abdominal muscles, you should pay attention to strong trunk movements.
The right choice of program
Good ergometers allow for different programs depending on whether you are a runner and want to stay fit, want to burn calories or simply value better conditioning. For a casual workout, you can choose the appropriate program. For advanced runners, the interval training is suitable, where the resistance changes constantly and is a bit more strenuous. To get in better shape in the long run, you don't have to train on the ergometer every day, but training two to three times a week, 20 to 30 minutes each time, is sufficient. You should pay attention to the correct pulse level.
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Published on: 26 August 2014