Q and A With The Health Coach

Member writes in:

Does pedaling backwards on the elliptical do anything for me or is it a waste of time?

Health Coach Answer:

Most elliptical machines are actually designed to go forward AND backwards. Let's face it, cardio can be very boring but it's necessary if you want good heart health.

Changing direction may cut down on your boredom.

Changing directions also makes your body work different muscle groups.

For example, pedaling forward puts more emphasis on the front of the thighs while going backwards tends to work the glute muscles (your butt) more.

Also, the body tends to burn more calories when it performs an activity that it’s not used to. So in theory: More calories burned, might mean more weight loss in the end.

So, go for it and switch up that cardio routine.  Try going forward for 1 minute, then switch to a backwards motion for 1 minute. Do this for 15 minutes alternating every minute and you just "kicked up" your cardio workout! 

Hope that helps!