Free ShippingWhat is Cardio Exercise Equipment?
Cardio exercise equipment consists of various machines and devices that can assist an individual in participating and maintaining an aerobic physical exercise routine. This type of equipment can be found in homes, fitness centers, rehabilitation facilities and gyms. Cardio exercise equipment can be designed to target specific areas of the body, usually the legs and arms, to create either low or high impact aerobic activity. It can also be used by physical therapists to create specific individual rehabilitation exercises for clients to assist with and enhance their rehabilitation process. Some examples of cardio exercise equipment are treadmills, ellipticals, stair climbers, recumbent cycles, upper body ergometers, and pedal exercisers.
What is Cardio Exercise?
Cardio exercise, also known as aerobic exercise, is a physical exercise of low or high intense activity providing cardiovascular conditioning. “Aerobic” translates to “with oxygen” which refers to the use of oxygen that adequately meets the energy demands of the muscles energy-generating process during cardio exercise. During cardio exercises, oxygen is used to “burn” glucose and fats to produce adenosine triphosphate, which is the primary energy carrier for all of the body’s cells.
The American Heart Association recommends that people partake in a minimum of 30 minutes of some form of aerobic exercise five to seven times a week, even having each daily exercise routine broken up into 10-minute time periods. The intensity of the exercise correlates directly to the individual’s heart rate; the higher intensity workout makes the heart beat faster, producing increased vascular movement and strengthening the heart. The intensity of the workout is determined by the individual’s goals, current fitness level, and what limitations the individual may have. Each individual heart rate level during aerobic workouts can vary based on genetics, fitness level, exercise tolerance and the environment, and knowing and understanding this can assist individuals in making realistic and safe health goals.
What Are Some Benefits From Using Cardio Exercise Equipment?
Using cardio exercise equipment can benefit the user in many healthy ways:
- Strengthening the muscles involved with respiration, helping to facilitate air flow in and out of the lungs.
- Strengthening the heart muscle, improving the pumping efficiency, and helping to improve the circulation efficiency while reducing blood pressure.
- Helps to better control blood sugar, reducing the risk for diabetes. Analysis has shown that cardio, or aerobic exercise does help decrease Hb A1C levels for type 2 diabetics.
- Helps improve mental health by assisting in reducing stress, increasing cognitive capacity, and lowering the incidence of depression.
- Increases the total number of red blood cells which facilitates the transportation of oxygen throughout the entire body.
- Increases the HDL or “good” cholesterol levels within the body.
To learn more about aerobic exercise, please see:
CDC-Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Some Examples of Cardio Exercise Equipment
Treadmill – Designed for walking or running in the same place by moving along a platform with a wide moving conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is driven by an electric motor or flywheel, moving the belt toward the rear, simulating a natural walking or running pattern and the rate of speed of the user.
Elliptical – An elliptical trainer, also known as a cross-trainer, offers a non-impact cardiovascular exercise workout that stimulates stair climbing, running or walking without causing excessive pressure to the joints. The aerobic workout can differ from light to high intensity based on the resistance and speed of the exercise set by the user.
Upper Body Ergometer – Used to offer cardio exercise to individuals with limited lower body function, this equipment can be used for basic, conditioning workouts along with grueling athletic workouts. It is most often utilized in orthopedic or physical therapy rehabilitation programs as well cardiac, wellness, and sport medicine conditioning programs.
Stair Climber – Designed to combine lower extremity muscular strength development with cardio conditioning. Stair climbing is ideal for preventative medicine in that it helps improve cardiovascular function as well as increasing bone mass.
Recumbent Cycle – Designed to simulate a recumbent bike, this stationary cycle puts the rider in a very low center of gravity, having the seat located almost in-line with the pedals. This position makes both the rider and the cycle very stable, as the rider reclines comfortably, with arms hanging naturally at the sides. This allows the rider to enjoy the cardio workout more by eliminating the weight or stress on the hands, wrists, and arms while riding.
Pedal Exerciser – Resembling the crank pedals of traditional bikes, a pedal exerciser is a device used primarily to provide aerobic workouts of the arms and/or legs. This pedaling device increases blood circulation while it tones and strengthens the arms, legs and glutes, as well as improving coordination and range of motion. The ability to increase the resistance level of the device, allowing a more or less challenging workout, works well with multiple users.
Rehabmart is pleased to offer a wide selection of innovative cardio exercise equipment from such superior quality vendors as SportsArt Fitness USA, Therapy Trainer, Fabrication Enterprises, Better Motion Group, Health Mark Inc., J/Fit, TFI Healthcare, Independence Medical, Carex, Drive Medical, and Chattanooga.
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Co-Founder & CEO
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