Cross Training Questions - Cross trainer questions.?

Cross trainer questions.?

Hi ive just bought a elliptical cross trainer,i stopped smoking in october & have put weight on.(could do with losing a couple of stone!!) Ive tried it for the last two days & i quite enoy using it !! (I dont normally do any exersise) Seeing as i like it,im going to stick with it. I just want to make sure im doing everything right so i get the best results. I've been doing it by distance at 2 miles at a time which takes 10/15mins. Should i be doing more? Or is this this ok just to start with seeing as i hav'nt done any exersise fo a while? Could someone advise me on how long or far & what settings to use etc, so the i dont over or under do it. Thanks in advance.

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Starting with 10-15 minutes is fine. You should add 5 minutes each week until you are up to 40-45 minutes. You want to be working at a level that is moderate intensity. Use the talk test. The talk test method of measuring intensity is simple. A person who is active at a light intensity level should be able to sing while doing the activity. One who is active at a moderate intensity level should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably while engaging in the activity. If a person becomes winded or too out of breath to carry on a conversation, the activity can be considered vigorous.
to know if you are over or under doing it, you have to go by your heart rate. Take your resting heart rate for 1 min. before you get out of bed. subtract 220 from your age, subtract your resting heart rate, then multiply it by .60, then add your resting heart rate. That will give your a heart rate zone of 60% of your maximum heart rate. Repeat this but multiply by .80. That will give you a range of 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. What ever those numbers are, thats how many times your heart should beat in 1 minute. If you dont have a heart rate monitor, take your pulse for 6 seconds, then add a 0 to it. The more conditioned you get, the lower your resting heart rate will be, so keep checking every few months or so. Good Luck
Moderation is the Key! If you really wanna be realistic then you can lose 4-5 lbs a week. Losing 30lbs should take roughly 6weeks. Simply lower your eating intake by 1/3 and eat as soon as you get hungry. This will increase your body's metabolism and help to burn that excess energy instead of storing it as fat. (Most importantly avoid light snacks in-between meals as this will increase your food intake without you even realising it). Also some exercises, nothing too drastic. Just 20 sit-ups in the morning, 20 sit-ups at night before bed. 10 push-ups morning and night and some extended brisk walks up-to 30minutes a day (a slightly hilly terrain is ideal), and a 15min jog only once a week. (and increase the number of walks/sit-ups etc as you get used to them). Follow this regime and your 30 lbs should drop within 6 weeks. And the best thing of all you really don't have to drastically change your diet or even exert yourself during exercise. And can actually be enjoyable. With this method, your not actually dieting, it;'s more of a lifestyle change. P.S. Walking on hilly terrain, at steep angles is great, probably the best from of buttock and leg exercise, they get real firm! And Drink plenty of water - preferably 5litres on average, this will help replenish your body, rehydrate your skin - it will have a healthy glow and also give you a more accurate reading of your weight when you weigh yourself as the initial weight loss is due to a lack of water retention. If you don't eat breakfast, your metabolism doesn't get started until you DO eat. You body goes into 'fat storing mode', just in case it doesn't get fed again for a long time. Its a defence/survival mechanism. Can I suggest that you have a good breakfast before anything else. Don't plan your day around food and eat when you're hungry and not fanciful. Stop eating when your tummy feels full. If you chew slowly the brain tells you are full a lot quicker.
Well done for exercising! I, too, LOVE the cross trainer. 10-15 mins is a good way to start off, but make sure you get out of breath and you sweat, if not, you're not making any difference to yourself. If you feel it's becoming easy, go up a resistance level and add 5 minutes. This morning I was at the gym for the first time in a few weeks and I did 15 mins on the treadmill and 30 mins, resistance 5 on the cross trainer. I'm now exhausted! lol. But it's just because I need to build my fitness back up again. Keep going with your exercise! And remember, judge it yourself and wheather or not it's too hard or too easy. Listen to your body!