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"Few people No one likes cardio enough to do it for fun. If you want to get the most out of your workout and side-step machine-induced aches and pains, avoid these Major Mistakes the next time you get on a... ... Treadmill:  1. You amp up the speed or incline too quickly. Beginners should put in the time, not intensity, says Alison Peters, M.S., a clinical exercise physiologist at the Sports Performance Center at New York University Langone Medical. You&amp;#039;ll feel pain in your calves, lower back, hip, and knees if you ramp things up too soon. Instead, alternate between running and walking. This will help you get used to being upright and mobile and give your body a chance to adapt, Peters says. 2. You race the woman on the next treadmill. For all you know, she could be an Olympic sprinter or training to run her fifth marathon. So relax and don&amp;#039;t worry about what the people next to you are doing. Then proceed at your own speed to avoid injury and/or utter exhaustion.  3. You never change your pace or use those pre-programmed workouts. Interval training (aka alternating between sprinting and recovery \u2014 running slower or walking to reduce your heart rate) doesn&amp;#039;t only make your workout more effective. It also keeps your head in the game, so you&amp;#039;re less likely to half-ass your workout. Pre-programed workouts make it easy to challenge yourself. 4. You run at a zero percent incline. Gradually adding a 1 to 3 percent incline can help simulate outdoor running, says Debora Warner, founder of Mile High Run Club, a fitness studio dedicated to running in New York City. 5. You lean forward while you run. This prohibits proper knee bending and messes with your stride, Warner says. Focus on keeping your shoulders stacked over your hips as you run. 6. You watch TV and/or read while you run. While the entertainment options at your gym might be robust (they have so. Many. Channels.), they can also distract you from things like a shoelace that desperately needs to be tied and oh, actually trying to get legit exercise. &amp;quot;The treadmill is a great tool to make the most of your workout, but you have to be present for it,&amp;quot; Warner says. If you need a distraction, ramp up your party playlist and try to sync your strides to the beat.  7. You only run or jog or walk. Boring! Warner suggests lunges or side shuffling to mix things up. 8. You hold onto the handles. Because humans run with their entire bodies, grasping the handles looks incredibly awkward. Even worse, it limits your range of motion and interferes with your natural stride.  ... Stationary Bike: 9. You don&amp;#039;t use the pedal cages or straps. When your feet slip off the spinning pedals (which they will), your shins will almost definitely take a beating.  10. You talk on the phone while you pedal. Just because your butt is in a seat that doubles as a cardio machine doesn&amp;#039;t mean you&amp;#039;ll get a workout just by sitting there. You have to put in at least a little effort. If you can have a full conversation while you pedal, you&amp;#039;re probably not working out hard enough.  ... Elliptical: 11. You don&amp;#039;t slow down to change the song or channel. And you inevitably get whacked with a handle or lose your balance. Bad. Idea. 12. You death-grip the handles and sit back with your hips. This can cause lower back injury, says Peters. While it&amp;#039;s great to use the handles (mobile ones simulate a natural running stride), keep your chest upright and shoulders over your hips to avoid aches and pains. 13. You increase the incline all the way. You probably think you&amp;#039;re working your butt (and hey, a little incline doesn&amp;#039;t hurt, if that&amp;#039;s your goal). But beginners can actually strain their hip flexors if they set the incline too high from the get-go. Work your way up by adding incline intervals to your workout. Add about 1 percent incline per session, and remember to stretch and warm up beforehand. ... Indoor Cycling Bike:  14. You adjust the bike seat yourself. Yes, you are an adult and you should be able to lower the seat and strap in, no prob. But first-timers really should put their pride aside and ask an instructor for help. He or she will make sure your saddle is approximately at the same height as the top of your hipbone, so you can fully extend your knees while you pedal. If the seat is too high, your hips will rock back and forth (not comfortable or efficient), and if it&amp;#039;s too low you can injure your knees, says SoulCycle instructor Lindsay Waxer. 15. Your handlebars aren&amp;#039;t level with the bike seat. If the handles are too high, you&amp;#039;ll strain your neck and back. If they&amp;#039;re too low, you could injure your back and shoulders. The perfect position is level with the bike seat, Waxer says. 16. You lean on the handlebars. They&amp;#039;re not there to bear the brunt of your weight; they&amp;#039;re just there for support, Waxer says. If you rely on your upper body, your core will miss out on the workout.  17. Your handlebars and seat are too far apart. The perfect distance between them is about an inch longer than the distance between your fingertips and elbow, Waxer says. Too close and you&amp;#039;ll put extra pressure on your upper body. Too far apart and it will mess with your lower back. 18. You skimp on resistance. Think your cycling instructor won&amp;#039;t notice when you gear down while the rest of the class climbs a major hill? Your feet could spin out of control. If your feet move without you trying, you&amp;#039;re not getting as good of a workout as you would if your legs were actually doing the work.  19. You use too much resistance. Your feet will stop moving. Your workout will end.  20. You don&amp;#039;t use the brake when you clip and unclip. Clip-in pedals can do major damage to your shins. They slow down for nothing, so don&amp;#039;t get in their way. ... Stepper: 21. You only use your calves and hamstrings when you climb. Guilty? Congratulations, you just robbed your butt of a perfectly good workout. Actively squeeze your glutes as you climb to effectively sculpt your tush. 22. You support your entire body with your arms. To maximize the burn and avoid straining your back, only place your hands lightly on the railings for support, and let your legs do the bulk of the work. 23. You extend your arms and lean forward. This makes you look like a sprawling stomach sleeper, and you&amp;#039;re not doing any favors for your posture. Stand up straight to recruit the right muscles and prevent straining your back.  24. You look down while you climb. It&amp;#039;s an excellent recipe for neck strain. Look straight forward to promote neutral posture and improve your balance. ... Row Machine: 25. You secure the foot strap near your arch. It&amp;#039;s not a sandal. The strap should lay where your toes meet your foot for a stable base of support without constricting movement, says Annie Mulgrew, program director and instructor at City Row, a rowing studio in New York City.  26. You generate power from your arms. &amp;quot;The majority of the stroke power should actually come from the legs,&amp;quot; Mulgrew says. &amp;quot;The stroke is 60 percent legs, 20 percent core, and 20 percent arms.&amp;quot; For a proper stroke: Begin with your knees bent and the seat pushed all the way forward. Then drive backward with your legs, engage your core to lean back to 45 degrees, then pull your arms to your chest. To return to starting position, straighten your arms, sit upright, and then use your legs to pull your body forward.  Follow Elizabeth on Twitter. Want to avoid exercise machines altogether? Try a fitness video at CosmoBody, the new fitness and lifestyle channel. You can get a free 10-day trial here!  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/advice/a30104/26-cardio-machine-mistakes/>