I Like the NuStep… But It’s Boring
If you enjoy doing low impact cardio and also like sitting while doing it, chances are you have come across a nustep machine before in the gym. Many of the individuals I work with, whether they are seniors who have just finished physical therapy, or beginners in the gym trying out new machines, enjoy using the nustep to keep their cardiovascular system strong and their body moving. Despite this, they may often find that they get bored of doing the nustep machine for a long period of time. This makes sense as.. well you are just moving your arms and legs. This article, in additon to the video above, will give you a few different ways to spice up your nustep machine workouts, and keep you consistent to your exercise goals!
Before You Begin
Something I wanted to note before you try to do any of this exercises, is the fact that you should make sure you are physically okay to exercise, before doing anything too intense. If you are at risk for a cardiovascular event, some of these workouts might be too intense for you. Consult with your doctor before doing a high intensity program if you are concerned.
Make Your Workouts Easier!
If you are interested in purchasing a nustep machine to have for yourself at home, feel free to check out the product below! I’m also going to link another article I made, showing you exactly how to use a nustep machine as well.
How to Use a NuStep Machine – Low Impact Seated Elliptical For Seniors
There are many daunting pieces of gym equipment that is available for individuals to use to improve their strength, endurance, and overall fitness. One of the pieces of equipment that is excellent for seniors, and individuals with mobility impairments is called the NuStep. The NuStep machine is a essentially a seated elliptical, which allows you…
Nustep Machine Workouts for Beginners
It’s A Climb
This nustep machine workout involves you using the intensity lever on the side of the nustep machine. For this workout, you will start with the intensity lever at “0.” You will then pick a step cadence on the nustep machine that you can easily do for one minute. After one minute of this, you will bump up the intensity lever to “1.” You will then follow this sequence all the way up until you are doing a “10” on resistance, while keeping the same step cadence as you did at the beginning.
30 On 30 Off
This one is as simple as it gets. Level up the resistance all the way to 10 on the side of the nustep machine. Then, for thirty seconds, you will pedal as hard as you can on the nustep. Once you do 30 seconds, you will then rest for 30 seconds. Complete this sequence for as long as you comfortably would like, or until exhaustion.
5 Minutes in Heaven
This version of 5 minutes in heaven, isn’t quite as enjoyable as… well you get the idea. For this nustep machine workout, set the intensity on the side of the machine at a medium setting. Next, you will pedal on the nustep machine for 5 minutes straight, trying to keep an 8/10 difficulty on how hard you are pedaling the entire time.
Fartlek
Sometimes it’s enjoyable to do whatever! Although it won’t help with progression well, simply freestyling a nustep workout is a great thing to do when you don’t feel like sticking to a strict routine. A fartlek workout involves you doing a wide range of intensities and duration. Perhaps you do one minute of “light” pedaling, followed by 10 seconds of “hard” pedaling, with 30 seconds of “rest,” followed by 2 minutes of medium pedaling. Really, do whatever feels right, and go with it!
Hills
Doing hills is a variation of the 30 seconds on 30 off protocol we outlined above. For hills, I would start with the intensity at the 10 setting on the side of the machine. Next, you will pedal for thirty seconds as hard as possible. Next, you will drop the intensity down to zero, and lightly pedal on the nustep machine for thirty seconds, mimicking yourself coming down the “hill”. Complete numerous rounds of this until tired or done with a set time you would like.
One Last Thing
If this provided value to you, please consider subscribing to our blog, to help you navigate through the gym and become healthier in life, regardless of your current abilities. Otherwise, if you are dealing with chronic pain in your body, I think you would enjoy this article I am going to link below.
Stop Chronic Pain: 6 Low-Impact Strength Exercises for Shoulders, Knees, Low Back
Say Goodbye to Pain If you are dealing with chronic pain in your knees, back, or even shoulders and still want to improve the strength of your body, you are in the right place. These areas are some of the most common parts of your body to be in pain, which is why I’m going…
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