Cardio for Bowflex Users

Doctors recommend you do some sort of aerobic exercise at least three times a week for at least twenty minutes at a time. This is to keep your body and your heart healthy (not to mention it burns fat), and is in an addition to strength training exercises.

In theory, you can get a decent cardio workout with your Bowflex. If you can change weights and exercises fast enough to keep your heart rate elevated for the duration of your workout (taking about 20 seconds or less between sets), it can qualify as an aerobic exercise. It can be difficult to change the power rods and switch out or adjust the bench/sliding seat fast enough though. Also, if your primary goal is to gain muscle mass, you may be lifting heavier weights and want to rest more than twenty seconds between sets. You can get an aerobic workout with Bowflex, but you may see better results by adding on some different kinds of cardio exercises.

Presumably, you bought a Bowflex so you would not have to buy a gym membership. We're going to suggest a few exercises that can be done in and around the home without a large investment of money.

Indoor Aerobic Activities:

Rowing: This is the most obvious since you can perform it on your Bowflex if you bought the Ultimate for Power Pro. Set the power rods at a weight that will challenge you enough to keep your heart rate elevated, but don't set the resistance so high that you can't continue to exercise for twenty minutes.

Jumping Rope: It's not just for kids. If you haven't tried to jump rope in a while, you may be surprised at how fast it takes your breath away. Choose a part of the house without carpeting, and set a slow pace at first.

Stair Climbing: Got stairs? Use them. Pump up the stereo and start hiking up and down the flight of stairs. Alternatively, you can just go up and down on one stair (i.e. step aerobics).

Outdoor Aerobic Activities:

Jogging/Walking: Both can be done outdoors around the neighborhood or on a local track. You will want to buy a good pair of running shoes to help produce a chance of injury and formation of blisters. If you're going to walk, you'll want to choose a brisk pace and mix some hills in if possible.
Bicycling: To spice up this classic exercise, try taking your bike into the mountains or off on some dirt road. If the weather is often poor where you live, you may think about purchasing a stationary bike. Some of the simpler models are about $100.

In-line Skating: The purchase of the skates will set you back about $150 (don't buy the cheap ones as your feet will suffer), but once you make the initial purchase, it's a cheap low-maintenance sport. Look for flat areas such as paved trails or roads with little traffic.

Snowshoeing/Cross-Country Skiing: These of course require snow, but both will have you sweating in no time. If you can go up in the mountains, your efforts might afford you an impressive view.

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