Ellipticals and stationary bikes erase pounding altogether, and treadmills offer a more forgiving surface than city streets, as well as at-your-fingertips incline control that can nearly triple your calorie burn. Combine these joint-friendly features with our high-energy interval workouts and you’re guaranteed to torch megacalories and slim down quickly—up to 6 1/2 pounds this month—without wreaking havoc on your knees, hips, or lower back. More from Prevention: Considering a joint replacement?
Workout at a Glance
What you need: Any type of cardio machine, such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, or stationary bike, and supportive athletic shoes. When to do it: Aim to complete each of the 3 workouts once a week on alternate days (to avoid injury, we don’t recommend doing these high-intensity workouts on back-to-back days). How to do it: Use the pacing guide below to find the right effort level for each interval. For quicker results: Do the 60-minute Weight Loss Workout 3 times a week, plus 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardio such as walking or biking on the in-between days. Also, shave off 200 calories a day from your diet.
Find Your Calorie-Burning Level
Follow these suggested degrees of effort for a challenging workout precisely tailored to your ability. Experiment with speed, resistance, and incline options on your cardio machine to push yourself without causing joint strain. *Based on a 1-to-10 scale where 1 is sitting on the couch and 10 is all-out sprinting
30-Minute Energy-Revving Routine
Burns: 250 Calories** Regularly alternating 1-minute high-intensity bouts with 1 minute of recovery ensures that you maximize your calorie burn even when you have limited time to work out.
45-Minute Fat-Burning Plan
Burns: 370 calories** Each high-intensity interval in this workout is shorter than the last, making it easier for you to give it your all right up to the finish and incinerate more calories.
60-Minute Weight Loss Workout
Burns: 450 calories** This pyramid-style routine gradually inches up the intensity, hitting your peak effort midway to keep your energy high so you can go longer and see results sooner. **Based on a 150-pound person. The Expert: Jay Blahnik, a certified personal trainer, spokesperson for IDEA Health and Fitness Association, and consultant to exercise equipment manufacturers like Nautilus, created these workouts.
