Top 5 home exercise machines for cardio fitness

Cardio fitness is something we’ve definitely all heard of before, even if we haven’t tried it! Also known as aerobic or cardiovascular fitness (to give it its proper name), it’s a popular form of exercise mainly due to the number of health benefits to be had. Cardio gets the heart pumping more blood around the body, so there’s more oxygen reaching muscles and vital organs. The long-term benefits include a healthier heart, a better functioning body, lowered stress levels and weight loss. 

At Bluefin Fitness we’re big fans of cardio workouts and have a number of home gym essentials to get your heart pumping and the endorphins flowing. Here, we’ll go through some of the best machines we have for cardio workouts as well as some of the benefits of each type to help you find your perfect match.

Ellipticals

Also known as cross trainers, ellipticals are hugely popular at gyms, mainly because they’re so versatile and manage to work out both the upper and lower body simultaneously.

Benefits of ellipticals

• Ellipticals offer a form of low impact exercise which is much kinder to knee, hip and ankle joints than other sports like jogging. They’re great for anyone who has a soft tissue injury but still want to keep their cardio fitness levels up. 
• You can change the resistance and incline of elliptical machines which means you get to choose how you work out your body.  Many people stick to the same level they found the machine set to which means they could be using momentum rather than effort to really work their muscles. Elliptical pedals also move in reverse, so you can change up your stride direction and work different muscle groups including the often neglected (but oh so needed) hamstrings. 
• A little known benefit of ellipticals is that they can help improve balance and stability. The simultaneous motion of arms and legs can help with better coordination between the body and brain, while letting go of the handles helps to work the core muscles, improving sense of balance.

We recommend…

The Curv 3.0 is our most advanced elliptical cross trainer packed with smart, interactive features to keep workouts interesting. With 16 levels of resistance and 12 automatic programmes this elliptical is also smartphone and bluetooth compatible, so you can listen to your favourite tracks while working out.

Treadmills

Treadmills have become a go-to for anyone who is fond of running but wants to do it their way, without navigating busy roads or encountering inclement weather. Gone are the days where you’d have to wait in line to use one at a gym – home treadmill use is on the up and we think it’s a great way to get your daily dose of cardio in.

Benefits of Treadmills

• Of all the cardio machines, treadmills are the ones that burn the most energy and arguably, have the biggest impact on aerobic activity.  They expend more calories than ellipticals and rowing machines which is what you want if you’re also looking to lose weight.
• Heard of people getting ‘runner’s high’ after a session? That’s because running triggers the release of happy chemicals such as endorphins, which can have a positive impact on mental health and even reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression long term.
• Running on a regular basis can help to lower blood glucose levels in the body which is beneficial to people with diabetes. Exercising for more than 20 minutes makes the liver release glycogen which muscles use to create energy, reducing the amount of blood glucose elsewhere in the body.

We recommend…

The Bluefin Kick 2.0 Treadmill is a high-speed treadmill that comes with an integrated fitness app for video streaming, live coaching and training. It has adjustable incline and resistance settings and has built-in heart rate cardio sensors to monitor your progress so you can keep on top of those fitness or weight loss goals.

 

Rowing machines

A great way to combine cardio with strength and resistance training, rowers are growing ever more popular. In fact, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (USA) states that the number of people rowing indoors has grown by almost 20% since 2014.

Benefits of rowing

• Contrary to popular opinion, rowing actually works out the lower body more than the upper body. It’s thought that the arm muscles make up less than 20% of the movement. The motion of rowing mainly targets the core muscles and glutes.   
• Rowing is a great way to correct posture and release muscle tension if you spend most of your time hunched over a desk. If done correctly, the motion can help to stretch out the spine in the upright pull motion.  Be sure to increase resistance in small increments to protect your back and avoid injury.
• As rowing is a low impact, high intensity workout, it means you can build resistance, pace and distance over time without causing strain on joints. In addition to getting aerobic exercise, rowing uses many of the movement patterns associated with bench presses, so you’re actually building muscle strength and endurance at the same time. 

We recommend…

The Bluefin Blade Aqua W-1 Rowing Machine uses water resistance for the most realistic rowing motion from the comfort of dry land. It comes complete with integrated Kinomap fitness app for use with smartphones, an LCD console and a heart rate monitor. Made from sustainably sourced wood, this machine folds away for quick and easy storage when not in use.

 

Exercise/spin bikes

Spinning classes have been popular since they burst onto the scene in the early ‘90s as a high intensity, low impact workout. The advantages of indoor cycling are that the rider is in total control of the environment, adjusting resistance, intensity and pace on their own terms.

Benefits of indoor cycling: 

• Cycling works out the lower body, primarily targeting the quads, hamstrings and calves. Depending on technique, this can also extend to the core muscles and glutes. 
• Ramp up the cardio with interval training. As it’s easy to adjust the resistance while pedalling, so cycle for 10 minutes at a low intensity before switching things up a gear with another five minutes at medium intensity. Finally, go for the burn with 1-2 minutes of high intensity pedalling to finish. This type of routine will burn calories and aid weight loss if made part of a daily regime.
• Cycling is a great boost booster and probably the reason why spin classes took off in spectacular fashion. The combination of pulsing music and motivational pep talks keeps participants engaged and motivated. Look for smartphone and bluetooth enabled bikes with integrated fitness apps to recreate the experience at home. 

We recommend…

The Tour SP home exercise bike comes with adjustable resistance levels to burn calories and build muscle at your own pace. Up the ante with the integrated fitness app for live video streaming, video coaching, and training.

 

Vibration plates

Finally, don’t forget there are a number of ways you can accelerate cardio workouts. A relative newcomer to the home gym, vibration plates are a great accompaniment to anyone already doing cardio activities such as step aerobics at home. Although not technically cardio machines, vibration plates can amplify the hard work done during cardio workouts. They stimulate muscles by relaxing and contracting multiple times per second, making them work much harder than before. This means you get the added benefit of muscle strengthening in addition to your cardio.

Benefits of vibration plates

• As the vibrations work the muscles up to 50 times harder, it’s possible to cut workout times by as much as half. Just 15 minutes a day, three times a week could be enough to aid weight loss, burn fat and build muscle strength in conjunction with a cardio workout. 
• Improve your core strength by incorporating the plate into cardio workouts. Vibration plates work on the principle of instability training. By creating an unstable platform, leg and core muscles work harder to adjust and stay upright, thereby improving coordination and balance in the process.
• Vibration plates are convenient in that they’re relatively compact and quiet to use. They’re easy to transport around the home and take with you to classes (or anywhere else you want, for that matter!) and can easily be stowed under a bed or sofa when not in use.   

We recommend…

The Bluefin 4D vibration plate is the ultimate all-in-one package delivering vibration, oscillation, and micro-vibration or a combination of the above. The curved surface of the plate offers increased resistance to power up your cardio workout, improving core balance and strength. Micro-oscillation is on hand to provide magnetic bead therapy to stimulate and soothe any joint and muscle pain post-workout.

 

So there you have it – some ideas to get you started on your cardio fitness journey. We always advise contacting a medical professional first if you have any health concerns or queries about the suitability of our products. Remember our friendly, expert customer service team is always on hand to answer any questions should you need any further help!

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