My workout--Tips??

Okay... I'm going to list what I generally do at the gym, and if anybody could tell me anything I could do to improve it, that would be great! Id like to note that I am pretty stationary throughout the rest of my day, mostly sitting at a desk or standing behind a till.

I start with 20minutes on the healthrider, I work my way up and down on intensity and slope. Then I usually do 10 minutes on the treadmill, or stairmaster depending on my energy level. I then do some reps of arm muscles on the machines (I hate my arms!)... Some crunches and situps, streches... lie on the floor and feel like dying, lol... And then header home

Im mostly wondering if 30 minutes is enough cardio?? Im usually sweating up a storm, especially when I do the stairmaster! But someone told me today I should do 45 minutes?

i would say 30 min of cardio is definitely not enought cardio to maximize your fat burning. but it would also depend on your fitness level, if you are a beginner then you are ok, because anytime is better than no time. but your goal should be to get up to 45 minutes of cardio and soon after that 60 min. and from what i hear and read anything after that is pointless for weight loss. so just stay focused and really aim to beat your time the day before, even if its by one minute.

So is the ideal window for weight loss in terms of cardio 45-60 minutes?

The best cardio work out is total body movement. Working everything down to your arms, chest, hips, buns, thighs, abs, and legs. I got this thing that i do. I dance a lot. So with my dance cardio workout i put every thing into it. As in body parts..

I do what ever it takes and learn that hip hop moves works every things out really good and it give you a high level to maximize your fat burn. I do it all down to the cabbage patch kids dance LOL. What ever works for a good total workout I do it. 

One day my 11 year old was doing a dance called pop and lock. But she said to me------ It is locking MA!

 Anyway. When she started to show me these moves. I felt it here I felt it there all in my chest and down into my upper and lower abs. I said i got to add this into my night time dance cardio... I think adding it has done a lot of work on my Gut.. It really works..

She even shown me these moves that has the legs going all over the place. I told her i will just stick with the old kid and play moves on that one. I can't handle that.

But my almost close to 29 getting close to knocking at 30 butt can handle the locking..

Dancing is a great way to get your cardio. It is Fun. Try that for a week and tell me how you like it. Dancing for fun to lose the weight..

My kids thinks i am cool because i dance with them and have fun.. And it is really great for weight loss.

Oh i for got. i dance for 45mins to a hour and i do 30 mins of total body toning with weights.. I offset my days. I do alot of other things so i will never get board. But dancing is my number one cardio thang.

If I danced, that would be an option. Im sure if i took up dancing, the people downstairs would complain to no end and have me booted out of my place, lol.

Im going to attempt to do 45-60 minutes. 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, 10 on the stair-master (hopefully increase that as I get in better shape) and finish off the rest with a brisk walk on the treadmill.

I cannot run or jog, so I find the treadmill really boring!

I got one of them  thigh trainers. That one i saw on tv that woman Linda . I got it because that woman that was on it looked like she was having fun. I got that thing and it was pain from the start.. The bottom of my right foot would hurt all the time.. I had to add that to the rest of my work out junk. But i am going to get it back out and dust it off and give it and the thigh and bunn roller thing another try. I am going to work my way up on that thing. Starting off with 10 mins working my way up to 30.. Wish me luck with that..  My hips buns and thighs needs HELP..

I know the feeling... I have HUGE thighs... Mostly from horseback riding, so Im trying to slim them down without lossing the muscles I need to ride. Ugh! Luckily, even being 40lbs overweight, I still have a really nice butt! I thank my trusty stairmaster

a long light to medium intensity cardio workout should just be part of you weekly workout.  Try these workout below to mix it up and trick your body into burning more calories.  Theese all maximize the calories burned after the workout.

- 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening of fairly high intensity cardio (on a machine or outside).  You should be working hard enough that you can only say a short sentence without needing a breath.

- intervals - 1 minute of a pretty high intensity (on a machine or outside) to 2-5 minutes of recovery.  Do this for 30 minutes or so, increase time when you feel up to it. 

- more weightlifting - lunges, squat, chest press, shoulder press, etc.  All the major muscle groups.  Maybe incorporate this in to a circuit style workout too. 

I forgot to add.  you could probably do all the cardio programs dancing in your living room. 

And MOST IMPORTANTLY:

the best workout is one you will actually do... so try to make your workouts fun.  I use all the options described above because it makes my workout less boring...

I wish I had time for a "fun workout". Between class and work, I have about an hour a night, its Im lucky... So I grad my MP3 and just go to the gym. Its boring, but its the only time in my life I am bored. *lol* I am going to increase the time I spend on the ellipitcal trainer though.

I will give you a tip that my kids find funny.. When i am folding clothes or washing dishes or cooking. I am always moving and dancing my body around. I just do that to get more calories buned. I even do that when i clean the house. The more you move the more your going to burn. That is what i do.. I dance even when i am cleaning. Put a song in my head and be moving to sounds the kids can't hear. Or i have my ipod on me and i am doing it like that. What ever works for you will always be the best way to go.

But you don't want too get bored with your work out at all. YOU just want to have fun. And i know it is hard to have fun at the gym.. I go to the gym on fridays with my girl friend on her free pass to do a high power cardio dance. All the other women in there think i am the enegry of the room.. Because when the women the trainer yells shake it girls.. I Yell yeah! Girls shake what your ma'ma gave ya! And then the whole class starts to yell it. I love to have fun. Fun is the key to getting the weight off. I think my best friend is going to get me to join her gym. She said they miss me on wednesday's because i can't go on the free pass until fridays and she only got 10. And she is always bring me..So i just may join up.. Just to have fun with the girls.. In the cardio jam blast dance class.. I dance at home.. But going to a gym and dancing in a group doing good moves with more than yourself is even better. If my kids get there home work done early.. They come down with me in the den.. And we get to dancing and having fun together. I think that is the best fun ever. Losing my weight with the help of my kids. They love the dance moves i show them..They think it is fun. So do i..

I'm going to be joining a kickboxing class in May when I can afford it. I used to find it fun, so Im hoping I will again! Until then I'm gonna keep doing my gym, just adding more time one each machine. I downloaded a couple yoga and pilates DVDs today, so Im going to start doing those too

Something that you can do is to perform some exercises while you are stationary at work. For example, tightening and squeezing your abs for 10 seconds is equal to doing one sit up. The same holds true for all the muscles in you body. Create yourself a routine that you can perform at work, turn it into a habit and you will see more results for workouts. Another benefit from doing this is creating leaner muscles which in turn burn more calories.

lynn60gonow, i LOVE your post about dancing with the kids.  i hope everyone reads this one.  you have the spirit!! that we all need.  i'm posting this just to move it to the top of the list so everyone will see it this morning.

staggsdragon, too, great idea!!

everyone??  just say you read it. . .

I think the dancing with my kids is the best work out ever. I get to share a hour with them having fun.. Then when they go to bed. I get down to business.. Toning.. I really love the fact that the kids like dancing with me. It is a great thing to do.. Having fun with your kids dancing.. My mom use to do that with me and my brothers when we was kids..  So with this diet. You can say i kept that going..

Okay, so I was cooking lunch and decided to bust out some moves to the music while I was cooking.... and my roommate decided to come home and caught me dancing in the chicken.... Its official, he thinks Im a total freak now, hahah

baby, Next time ask him to cut a rug with you.. Then he will really think you lost it. Keep on dancing. I was walking from the mail box a few weeks ago, and a car was going by. I was just swing my hips and the car slowed down. Then i looked at the car and said.. Yeah Baby, I'm dancing you got a prob with that.. That man that was getting his peep on got the hell out of here.. LOL

Dancing is FUN.. I don't care who see me do it.. I love to dance.. My boy friend thinks it's funny.  A man that likes to see his woman dance so he can laugh.. Now that is funny. I dance around a lot. He tells me. One day them hips isn't going to swing like that no more if you don't stop. LOL. I swing them even harder now that i'am ligher. LOL

LOL the last I want to do is encourage my roommate to think Im interested...

But I have picked up dancing at work, which is hilarious, my boss leaves notes in the communication book about my "increased energy" and my customers laugh at me, but not in a bad way

Just think of it as this.. The dancing does pay off. If you belly dance you can get some good ab workout's. I get a good ab work out with the pop and lock moves my 11 year old shown me..

LOL dancing can get you a man.LOL