Cross-Trainer Machine for Senior Exercising

Cross training is a form of exercise that allows you to work multiple muscle groups throughout your body. A cross-training machine allows you to achieve this goal using one piece of exercise equipment. It also helps you maintain strength, cardiovascular health, balance and flexibility. Most cross trainers are safe for senior use as they help control the range of motion when you exercise and the resistance can be adjusted to accommodate various fitness levels.

  1. Traditional Cross Trainers

    • There are many different brands of cross trainers, also known as elliptical trainers, but they generally operate the same way. With a traditional cross trainer, you stand on the machine and step in an elliptical motion. You can also hold on to arm levers that work your upper body as you pump them back and forth with each step. Those with no resistance or that allow you to set the resistance low are best for senior use. This provides a low-impact exercise that is gentle on the joints. What's more, the movement works the arms, chest, legs, glutes and core muscles to provide a complete workout the combines cardiovascular training and strength training. Using a cross trainer can also help you stay flexible, improve mobility and maintain energy as you age.

    Recumbent Cross Trainers

    • Recumbent cross trainers are cross trainers that allow you to exercise from a seated position rather than standing up. They allow you to cycle your legs like a stationary bike and pump your arms like an elliptical trainer. Some machines have seats that allow you to sit upright while others have seats that allow you to sit in more of a reclined position. Since you are seated when exercising, this machine reduces the pressure on joints even more than typical cross trainers, making them extremely effective for older adults who are beginning a workout routine or recovering from an injury or who are overweight.

    Take It Slow

    • The most frequent injuries experienced by seniors when exercising are overuse injuries; these can be made worse by arthritis. Therefore, it is important for seniors to moderate their routine when exercising with a cross trainer. This means keeping the resistance setting low and only increasing it as your fitness improves and your body is able to handle it. You also need to keep your speed slow to moderate when exercising and allow time for recovery between exercise sessions. If you do too much too soon, you could pull or tear a muscle as well as cause joint pain.

    The Routine

    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that older adults who are in good health participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity each week. Even if you are just starting out, using a cross trainer can help you build up to this goal. Before you begin, do a five to 10 minute warm-up to circulate blood to your muscles and prepare them for exercise. Warm up with dynamic stretches -- such as shoulder circles, arm swings and legs swings -- to gently take your muscles through the range of motion that will be used during exercise. You can start out by doing 10-minute increments on the cross trainer once or twice a day with the resistance set low. This can be done two to three times a week with at least one rest day in between exercise days. Gradually increase the duration of your exercise sessions, the resistance settings and the number of exercise sessions each week as your fitness improves.