The Great Indoors

You love a nice run through the neighborhood—out the door, down the road, past the lake and a turn at the playground. You go places, from point A to point B, with things to see in route. So the thought of getting in your miles inside on a treadmill or stationary bike has you feeling like a caged rat on a wheel. Right?

 

But pooh-poohing indoor cardio workouts may cause you to miss a great opportunity to add variety to your workout, boost performance and maintain consistency.

And face it, few of us have mailman-like devotion to our training. Rain, sleet and dark of night often do keep us from our appointed workout. With temps cooling and daylight hours fading, plenty of planned workouts this winter could be a washout if you don't take it inside.

Our guide to indoor cardio will have you focused inward on your performance gains, instead of pining for the outside.

The Cardinal Rules of Cardio Equipment

Bear the weight. Weight-bearing cardio, in general, is more effective than weight-supported cardio because more muscle mass is involved. Basically, the more vertical you are, the better workout you get. That gives us a pecking order of cardio machines with the stair climber and treadmill on the top and the recumbent bike on the bottom.

Vary the intensity. Just as with outdoor training, doing intervals is the most effective cardio-training method for almost any goal. Alternating segments of high-intensity efforts with easier efforts improves your aerobic capacity, training your body to work harder for longer periods. Interval training also keeps things interesting. Many folks get bored on cardio machines because they slip into autopilot, basically turning into machines themselves.

Change it up. Don't automatically jump on the treadmill every time if you're a runner or the stationary bike if a cyclist. Trying another machine will work your muscles in different ways and also work different muscles than using only sport-specific equipment. Changing it up is a great way to avoid boredom, improve your overall condition and avoid repetitive-use injuries. Try doing at least one workout a week on a different piece of equipment.

Take it to heart. Gauge your intensity by heart rate using your own heart rate monitor. Don't rely on the heart rate reader on the equipment. In fact, other than distance and time, you may want to ignore all the other numbers on the display. Most of these readouts are based on general criteria that can't accurately measure your individual fitness. For example, all things being equal, two different brands of treadmills can differ in caloric readout by as many as four to five calories per minute.

Surprise yourself. Select the machine's built-in interval program for your desired time and then cover the display with a towel. This way you'll get a great workout without pacing yourself or knowing what's ahead. You'll be challenged by the changes in speed or incline that will come without warning.