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9 Mistakes You're Making on the Elliptical

1. Your resistance is ZERO.

Use enough resistance to push and pull through a stride, otherwise, you won't see any results. Use a moderate pace to exercise until you are fairly exhausted. If you could go for another five minutes when you stop, your level is too low.

2. You SLOUCH when you exercise.

Standing up straight engages your core and lengthens your abs. Plus, it helps work your upper body muscles, especially, if you stop holding on to the armrests.

3. You don't enter your INFORMATION.

The default for most machines is 150 lbs so make sure you enter your current stats to get accurate calorie readings. Burning 100 calories every ten minutes is a good goal.

4. You don't change DIRECTIONS.

Change directions; going backwards not only livens things up, but it moves the focus from your quads to your hamstrings and glutes.

5. Your ROUTINE is the same.

Alternate your workout to prevent monotony and to boost your calorie burn. Use intervals of steady resistance but increased pace. OR maintain your speed and switch up your resistance

6. You have NUMB toes.

The most common mistake for elliptical misuse is improper weight distribution. Don't stand with your weight on your toes. This puts too much pressure on them, causing them to go numb. Instead stand with your weight on the back of your heels. This will allow you to have more stamina as well as strengthen other muscles.

7. You can HEAR your machine.

If you can hear the whurring of your machine, it means you don't have enough resistance which is letting you move too quickly. This also means you aren't burning as many calories as you could. Keep a steady medium pace with enough resistance to keep your heart rate up.

8. You don't work your ARMS.

If you aren't using your arms, you're missing half the workout. Try to use the moving handles two days a week for an upper body workout; then use the other days to hold the stationary handles. Focus on arms for 1 minute, then pump your legs for 4. Repeat this at intervals through your workout.

9. Hills are EASY.

Unlike treadmills, increasing the incline won't increase the difficulty of the work out. It actually makes it easier for you to push and pull. Try using a minimum incline or none at all for those hill intervals. You'll burn more calories with your increased heart rate.