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Treadmills are a good mode of exercise, but not the only type that should be done, Professor of Exercise Science Mark Deaton said. Cardio exercise can be overdone.
When entering the Wellness Center, aerobic machines such as treadmills and ellipticals are often filled with students, however, these activities are not utilizing all parts of the body.
Deaton said that in order to have a full workout, students must have a variety of different cross training activities, meaning doing different exercises to work different parts of the body.
Freshman Jaylah Hayes said she is using other exercise machines after running exercises.
“When I go to the Wellness Center, instead of just running on the treadmill or around the track, I like to use other machines to work other parts of my body,” she said.
Hayes has experienced the dangers of a too long training session.
“Eating before you workout is important,” she said. “I learned the hard way when I passed out on the treadmill in the Wellness Center from low blood sugar.”
Varying the forms of exercise can be beneficial, too much cardio exercise can be dangerous.
Deaton said that too much of one activity can lead to overtraining, which can break down the immune system and cause chronic fatigue.
“Rest is as important as the activity itself,” Deaton said. “Always allow for adequate recovery time or even active recovery sessions at lower intensities to adapt in a healthy way.”
Another component of cardio work outs that is sometimes overlooked is progression, Deaton said. When progression is overlooked, cardio dangers can occur.
Deaton said it is best to always follow the 10 percent rule, meaning that students should never increase the level of their workout more than 10 percent than their last workout. This allows the body to adapt to the new rate of cardio exercise.
Deaton said it is best to remember the “FITT” principle: frequency, intensity, time, and type. To have a successful and healthy cardio workout, an individual should start working out two days a week, and build up to 5-7 days. One workout session should last 30-45 minutes.
“Remember to choose an activity that is fun and enjoyable and then stick with an active lifestyle,” Deaton said.
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