February is Heart Health Month so we're focusing on things that help keep your heart healthy. Proper nutrition helps to keep your cardiovascular system clean and functioning well and cardiovascular workouts can help work your heart regularly to keep it strong and healthy too. Here is a quick 20 minute elliptical challenge to try throughout your week to keep your heart active and healthy.
This challenge will work on your exercise bikes and can be tweaked to your treadmill by simply adjusting your speed instead of your resistance. You may have to tweak the resistance levels to accomodate the levels of your machine.
Your goal is to hit that elliptical 3 times this week! (If you're already doing cardio workouts 3 times way to go, try and take it up a notch!)
Cardio Workout 1
- 2 min warm up with 0 resistance – nice quick pace with 50% effort
- 2 min with 0 resistance – pick up your pace and push yourself to a 75% effort
- 2 min with level 3 resistance
- 2 min with level 6 resistance
- 2 min with level 9 resistance
- 2 min with level 12 resistance
- 2 min with level 3 resistance
- 1 min with level 6 resistance
- 1 min with level 9 resistance
- 2 min with level 12 resistance – give it your all for 2 min – Go Hard!
- 2 min cool down with 0 resistance – slow your heart down with a nice slow pace, but keep moving.
WAY TO GO! You've just completed a 20 min workout! Don't forget to drink water and rehydrate.
Cardio Workout 2
- 2 min warm up with 0 resistance – nice quick pace with 50% effort
- 2 min with 0 resistance – pick up your pace and push yourself to a 75% effort
- 2 min with level 3 resistance
- 2 min with level 8 resistance
- 2 min with level 12 resistance
- 2 min with level 15 resistance
- 2 min with level 3 resistance
- 1 min with level 8 resistance
- 1 min with level 12 resistance
- 2 min with level 15 resistance – give it your all for 2 min – Go Hard!
- 2 min cool down with 0 resistance – slow your heart down with a nice slow pace, but keep moving.
WAY TO GO! You've just completed your second 20 min workout! Don't forget to drink water and rehydrate.
Cardio Workout 3
- 2 min warm up with 0 resistance – nice quick pace with 50% effort
- 2 min with 0 resistance – pick up your pace and push yourself to a 75% effort
- 2 min with level 6 resistance
- 2 min with level 12 resistance
- 2 min with level 15 resistance
- 2 min with level 15 resistance – go Hard for 2 min – Give your best effort!
- 2 min with level 3 resistance – go back to a 75% effort level and pace
- 1 min with level 12 resistance
- 1 min with level 15 resistance
- 2 min with level 15 resistance – give it your all for 2 min – Go Hard!
- 2 min cool down with 0 resistance – slow your heart down with a nice slow pace, but keep moving.
WAY TO GO! You've just completed your 3 rd 20 min workout for the week! Don't forget to drink water and rehydrate.