The treadmill and the stair stepper are both long-time cardio favorites at the gym. Both are great ways to elevate the heart rate, burn calories and improve cardiovascular endurance.

The Total Gym home fitness system is a weight-training machine, sold most prominently through infomercials. You can use the Total Gym to train your arms, shoulders, chest, back, abs and legs. The Total Gym has more than 100 exercises to choose from.

NordicTrack makes all kinds of exercise machines, including folding treadmills. Folding treadmills are great for apartments, home gyms, dorm rooms and anywhere that space is at a premium. With a foldable NordicTrack treadmill you can store your treadmill in a closet or other discreet location.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends raising your cardiovascular activity to between 60 and 90 minutes a day a minimum of three days per week if you want to lose weight.

Because time is often a factor, many people wonder which cardiovascular activity will give them the best workout for their effort. Walking outdoors is available to most people, though weather and location can be a limiting factor in some situations.

Modern treadmills provide a variety of information to users. Along with speed, percent grade, heart rate and distance, you will also see a display for METs. METs stands for metabolic equivalents. It is a measure of how much oxygen you are burning during treadmill use.

Elliptical machines are effective alternatives to higher-impact cardio exercises, like jogging and treadmill exercise. However, many elliptical machines don’t track your distance traveled, at least not accurately.

Punching bags are found in boxing training facilities and fitness clubs around the world. The punching bags are used by boxers and fitness enthusiasts as a strength and cardiovascular workout. The fast-paced punching and kicking combinations require technique and focus to maximize performance results.

Exercise clothing is typically designed to allow free movement. However, women who discard their bra during exercise should consider the effect this has on their breasts.

Lifting gloves protect your hands from calluses, relieve pressure on your hands and wrists and help you obtain a better grip on heavier weights. Proper fit is important to ensure that you a proper grip.

Since you already know that exercise is important for good health, you might be trying to decide which type of workout plan is right for you. Swimming and running on a treadmill are both excellent conditioning exercises, each providing an all-over workout with cardiovascular benefits.

Keeping your feet in good shape and protecting your joints ensures you can continue with your workouts. Selecting the right shoe for the type of workout in which you're engaged is a critical part of your training preparation.