Your options for aerobic training at home are mainly determined by the size of your home. All gym equipment takes up space so the more room you have the more different types of machine you can have. That’s always subject to your budget as well of course. If you live in a large house with a good sized room you can set aside, or a house with a large garage that you’re not using for anything else that’s ideal. You can set up a home gym complete with a variety of equipment if your budget will run to it.

If you live in a small flat or modest house you probably won’t have the luxury of a dedicated space at all. In that case you’ll probably have to look at equipment that you can fold up and pack away when you’re not using it.

One of the most popular options for aerobic exercise has long been exercise bikes of various kinds. Cycling is an excellent form of aerobic exercise especially on a static machine indoors out of the wind and weather. It’s easy to set the resistance low which is what you need for aerobic training, and the machine itself is fairly compact even when in use. There are dozens of exercise bikes to choose from, offering varying degrees of sophistication with prices to match.

Your choice will probably be determined by ease of stowage and price if, like most of us you’re constrained by both space and budget. However don’t get too carried away by a low price if it’s achieved at the expense of stability in use. Like most things it’ll probably end up as a compromise to get the best you can afford.

Treadmills are another form of aerobic training equipment you might look at. These are also available in collapsible form for space saving. A treadmill is one of the simplest aerobic exercise machines to use once you’ve learned how and got used to the action. Just like static cycling you set the machine’s resistance to a low level for aerobic activity. The range of choices available to buy is just as mind boggling as it is with exercise bikes. Like them treadmills vary enormously from the most basic to the super de-luxe models that look as though they’d do the exercise for you! They don’t of course. Somewhere amongst them you should find the model to suit your requirements at your sort of price.

If you’re a nautical type you might like the idea of rowing on dry land indoors. There’s no wind or tide to contend with and you won’t get wet, apart from perspiration that is! Rowing machines will give you just the sort of aerobic training you’re looking for. You exercise whilst you fantasise about winning the boat race for Oxford or Cambridge according to your loyalties safe in the knowledge that, unlike theirs, your “boat” is unsinkable! Once again you’re faced with a bewildering array of choices but the right dealer will be able to guide you to the right machine for you, just as with exercise bikes, treadmills and elliptical cross trainers.

Elliptical cross trainers are currently the hot favourite aerobic exercise machines. They provide all the right movements for aerobic training and take care of your joints. Your feet move backwards and forwards in a sort of sliding motion and remain firmly on the footboards so your joints escape the jarring impacts of running or jogging.

So the choice is yours. Any one of the machines we’ve looked at will provide the aerobic training you want. Whichever you choose it’ll do you good and you’ll enjoy it!

Author Bio:
Robert Nuttall
Priory Sports
www.priorysports.co.uk

Priory Sports stock a wide range of fitness equipment from treadmills, cross trainers and exercise bikes to multi-gyms and free weights.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://lexisclick.articlealley.com/aerobic-training-at-home–your-options-512720.html

Whats a good way to introduce interval training into cycling?

Sorry, boring question, but I would like some ideas!

Answer
Interval training is a training technique often practiced by long distance runners (800 M and above) although some sprinters are known to train using this technique as well

Interval training is broadly defined as repetitions of high-speed/intensity work followed by periods of rest or low activity.

Distance runners often practice intervals on tracks, running hard at a certain pace for a specified distance (or, less often, time) and jogging, walking, or resting between (again, for a set distance/time.) An example could be 12 repetitions of 400 meters with a 200-meter jog between each. Distances can also vary; one example would be a “ladder” workout consisting of a 1600-meter, two 1200-meter, three 800-meter, and four 400-meter repetitions, each at an appropriate speed and with an appropriate amount of recovery.

Interval training is a favorite of coaches because of its effectiveness in cardiovascular buildup and also its ability to make more well-rounded runners.

More generally, it can refer to any cardiovascular workout (e.g. stationary biking, running, rowing, etc.) that involves brief bouts at near-maximum exertion interspersed with periods of lower-intensity activity. One popular workout that incorporates this methodology is so-called “walk-back sprinting,” in which one sprints a short distance (anywhere from 100 to 800 meters), then changes directions and walks back to the starting point (the recovery period) to do it again. To add challenge to the workout, each of these sprints may start at a predetermined time interval, e.g. 200M sprint, walk back, and sprint again every 3 minutes. The time interval provides just enough recovery, but not too much.

It is believed by many in the fitness industry that this method of training is more effective at inducing fat loss than simply training at a moderate intensity level for the same duration. It has been said that in some instances—like long-distance running—moderate-intensity exercise for long durations may actually preferentially burn muscle tissue as opposed to adipose. At present, however, there is no conclusive research to support any of these claims.