What is the best exercise machine for me?

Have you been thinking about buying a fitness device for a while, but have no idea which one? Are you going for a device that helps with your goals or are you purely going for fun? Or are you looking for a fitness device that, for example, counteracts back pain? Read on to see what suits you best.

Fitness device and weight loss

It is often said that if you want to lose weight, you should only do cardio. But is this actually true?

Yes and no, it is true that you can lose weight with cardio, but strength training is just as important. With cardio, you burn more calories at that moment than with strength training. The big difference is that strength training has a long-term effect on your fat burning. This is the so-called afterburn effect. This way, you can still burn calories two days after your strength training.

Now we are not saying that you should stop cardio training, but try to make a combination of it, a so-called concurrent training. For example, first run for half an hour and then do strength training, such as training your chest and biceps. What we can also recommend are interval training sessions. These are training sessions where you alternate short intensive periods with short periods of rest. You do this, for example, with an exercise bike, spin bike, rowing machine, etc.

Training muscle groups

For most people, it is important to train as many muscle groups as possible simultaneously. This can easily be done with a rowing machine or cross trainer. You train your upper and lower body at the same time.

Do you prefer to focus on your muscle strength? Then you can go for strength training. You can use, for example, a home gym, barbell with weights or kettlebells/dumbbells.

Improving condition

By doing cardio training, you can improve your condition. In principle, it doesn't matter which fitness device you use. You can use a treadmill, cross trainer, exercise bike, rowing machine or spin bike. Just make sure you don't have any injuries/joint complaints. Then it is important that you choose a fitness device that is suitable for you. Below you can read about the most common complaints and which device you can best use.

Fitness device for knee or hip complaints

Do you suffer from an injury-prone knee or do you have hip complaints? Then the treadmill is a no-go for you. An exercise bike is ideal for you. With the exercise bike, your body weight rests on the saddle. Your legs therefore have less weight and shocks to endure.

Your knees receive a shock with every step on a treadmill. Nowadays there are treadmills with shock absorbers and it is better than running outdoors due to the flat surface. However, it is not wise to go for a treadmill with an injury-prone knee.

Fitness device for back or neck complaints

Do you suffer from back or neck complaints? Then choose a rowing machine. A rowing machine is suitable for you because you make controlled movements with your back. This strengthens your back. Not only your surface muscles are strengthened, but also the deeper muscles. Rowing also ensures that your core is stabilized. You will soon notice that your posture is improving. A bad posture often causes back or neck complaints. Are you curious how to row correctly? Watch this video.

Core stability ensures that your complaints are reduced. But how do you improve your core stability? This can easily be done without equipment. These three exercises will help you with your core stability:

• The bridge
• Superman
• Plank | side plank

Fitness device for muscle atrophy

Briefly explained, in muscle atrophy, muscle cells are broken down faster, leaving you with less muscle mass. This often occurs if you generally do not use your muscles enough. People who have had an accident or surgery often suffer from this because they have been unable to move for a while.

A desk bike is recommended for muscle atrophy. A desk bike stimulates your blood circulation. With good blood circulation, more blood flows to your muscles, which leads to faster recovery.