However, are you getting the most out of your cardio machine workouts? Are you using the cardio workouts machines for getting the best benefits of your exercises?

You probably are not if you just go to the gym and workout by yourself without the help of personal fitness trainers to show you the correct methods, therefore might not catch yourself doing some mistakes when exercising on cardio machines.

We shall now examine the more popular cardio workout machines and the common mistakes people commit when using these machines for their workouts.

Let's take a look at these common cardio machine workout mistakes:-

• Step up stair climber – This is perhaps the most common mistake for not getting the most out of the step up stair climber machine. Many exercising on this machine rest too much of their arm on the railing. By putting your arms on railings like that, they will support some of your bodyweight making the workout much easier, but less intense.

• Treadmill – The treadmill is perhaps the most popular cardio workout machine in the gym. A careful look at the people in the gym tells me that many treadmill users run too much up and downs. This mistake will wear out the person’s ankle and knee joints over time. The best method is to take nice long, smooth and porposeful strides during your cardio exercise routine.

• Stationery Bike – When exercising on the stationery bike, do adjust the height of the seat to a comfortable level. I really don’t understand why many stationery bike users adjust their seats to be either too high or too low. I mean, why be uncomfortable when exercising when you can be comfortable.

When the seat is too low, it adds strain to your knees and spine. When too high, your will butt will rock from side to side. So besides not getting the best from your cardio workout on the stationery bike because your body weight will be involved when you peddle, you will also look weird. That is such a awkward cardio routine mistake right?

Another common mistake is that I often see stationery bikers reading a book when exercising. That means that they exercise at a very low intensity level. Hey, how can low intensity cardio exercises work your heart and lung effectively?

• Elliptical Trainer – This is also another bewildering common cardio workout mistake. You use the eliptical trainer machine to achieve good cardiovascular health and tone your body right? Then why is it I often see people who use the elliptical trainer exercising at a high speed? And the mistake is? The mistake is that they have set the resistant level too low.

You see, you should sweat, puff and feel burning all over your muscles - if not, you are probably not enjoying the full benefits of your cardio workout program. There is no wonder why people are not seeing the results they want with cardio workout routines?

Now that you know how to avoid these common cardio machine exercise workout mistakes, you can now head for the gym and get the best out of these exercises. In a very short time, you will see your body toning up nicely, improvement on your cardio health being felt and visibly losing excess body fat.

When you belong to a gym or health club it doesn’t really matter what the brand name or features of the treadmills that they have to offer are. It is basically a case of “it is what it is”. If you don’t like what they have then you either don’t use them or you find another health club to go to.

Buying a treadmill for the home is a completely different story. Like every other major purchase, you are going to want to get the biggest bang for your buck that you possibly can. With that in mind let’s take a look at the things that you should be concentrating on if you are looking to buy a treadmill.

Of course, the first consideration for most people is money… how much exactly does a quality treadmill cost. You can get a quality treadmill for around $1000. You can actually get one for a few hundred dollars but many of these lower-priced pieces of exercise equipment are not of the highest quality.

When you want to buy a treamill and really want to go with a top-of-the-line model then plan on spending anywhere from $1000-$3000. A brand name treadmill in this price range will usually include a high-quality motor, an excellent shock absorbing belt and a computer program in which you can vary your workouts and monitor your heart rate.

As far as the motor goes you are going to want to get at least a 1.5 hp continuous duty motor. The belt should be at least 48 inches long and 16 inches wide. Any smaller than that and you risk accidentally stepping off of it and injuring yourself.

It is nice to be able to set the treadmill on an incline to increase the intensity of your workouts. You absolutely need cushioning under the belt as well to absorb the impact on your feet, knees and hips.

Make sure that the treadmill you are looking at has a stable base. You do not want it to shake or vibrate. Many people also prefer to have a computerized program built into the treadmill itself that allows the user to input information such as age and weight in order to show you how many calories you’re burning during your workouts.

The program can also have different workouts loaded into it so that you can vary your physical fitness routines. This is important for several factors including optimizing your cardio workouts and it also keeps you from getting bored by doing the same exercise over time.

A great place to shop and compare just about anything you can imagine is the Internet. You can also read reviews and join forums to ask questions of people that are familiar with the equipment. That way when you are ready to buy a treadmill you will be armed with as much valuable information as you can possibly get.