Ecstasy Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Do any of you cross-train with an elliptical? I'm re-stressing an old knee injury (had surgery on it many years ago) and lower back problem after months of using a treadmill and recumbent cycle and increasing duration. Yesterday a trainer suggested I try switching to an elliptical stating that my quads and calves were over-trained and I needed to work on hamstrings and shins/ankles. Today I went in and tried an elliptical and it was horrible. I tried three different types and all put the pain on my lower spine and knees just where they said it wouldn't. (?) Am I doing something wrong or is this machine just not for me? I'm annoyed and really need an upright cardio substitute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspberries4ever Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Kathy Lee,We have an elliptical. I've used it off and on -- and I'm hoping to get back in the habit of using it more often. Ours has an adjustable stride. I'm only 5' 1 1/2", so I need a shorter stride to get a comfortable workout and not strain anything. Check on that with the machine you're using. Also, my boss's wife had low back surgery about 10 yrs. ago and she loves their elliptical because it's easy on her back. Other than that, I really don't know a whole lot about them. I wish I could help you more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecstasy Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 Adjust the stride, huh? Ok, Linda, that's a starting point! Thanks for the feedback! The research I did online said something about adjusting the resistance and incline but that sounds like it would make matters worse. I guess I need to grab one of the trainers and have them teach me how to set it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspberries4ever Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Not all machines have adjustable strides. We specifically got one that did so all of us could us it comfortably. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 ya know, I wanted an elliptical, so I went to the local fitness center and tried a few out. It literally made me seasick! Lol! I just couldn't stand it. I do know they are really good for you though! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna R Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Kathie Lee,First off, I want to ask you what are your goals with working out? DO you weight train, or just use cardio equipment? I can honestly tell you that if you are not comfortable on an elliptical, then you should not use it. Some people like them, some do not. As we all know from experience, if you do not enjoy something, you will probably not stick with it.What other Cardio euipment does your gym have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecstasy Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 I had worked at the local Y for the past 6 yrs but we recently switched to Life Time Fitness (do a virtual tour at their site --- awesome!) so there's a LOT more available to me.I used to do hours of heavy training because that's what my doctor had told me to do. It ended up causing me to destabilize my thyroid and blow out my adrenals. I've spent the past three of those years slowly rebuilding what was damaged. I'm currently doing a lot of treadmill because research shows that walking is the most effective way to get rid of belly fat which increases your risk of diabetes. I also do a lot or recumbent cycling. The problem is that both put a lot of pressure on the knee and lower spine and those are high-risk points for me. I've recently re-added water resistance and this morning I observed a water aerobics class to see if I'm ready to resume that (I always got my greatest results in the water.) I had a trainer show me which elliptical would be best for beginners and I tried that out. He said I should talk to my chiropractor, though, because ellipticals destabilize the hips and make the lower back move too much. He said most chiropractors don't like them for back patients so he only let me do 5 min just to try it out. I don't feel quite ready to resume weight training yet but I think I'm getting close. I LOVE working out... I love the sense of control and the challenge of competing with oneself. I need to shake up my workouts so my body doesn't keep adjusting and becoming immune, but the question is going to be what can I do at this point and how should I do it?Goals --- well they've alway stayed pretty close to the same. I need to keep losing weight so that my glucose levels stay low and so hopefully my blood pressure will drop. I need to keep the muscles and connective tissues strong to help support joint damage (most especially the lower back) and rebuild stamina/energy output. And, like most women, I want to look and feel younger and better and not allow myself to age out of atrophy and neglect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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