Exercise Hands Free

According to a recent study, hanging onto the handrails of the step treadmill may hinder your workout. The digital readout with the number of total calories burned is only based on someone who's not using the handrails.

Sharon Christman, RN, a researcher at Cedarville College in Ohio says, "You burn 7 to 8 percent fewer calories when you hold onto the handrails." So, in a 30 minute-session on the stepmill at level 6, a 130-pound woman hanging onto those rails only burns 270 calories, if she went hands free she'd burn 294.

Researchers also found that exercise intensity and heart rate are significantly lower when using any handrail support versus no support. Bottom line -- let go to maximize your calorie burn and fitness benefits.

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.