I've been trying to exercise lately, not just to burn calories and look better, but to increase my abilities. I want to be able to be fit enough to do any number of physical activities, like playing games, etc.

So I've been worried that working out on cardio machines are only increasing my ability to move my body in the way the machine moves. Lately I've been doing recumbent biking (with hand petals), elliptical, and treadmill. But what else can I do to make sure I'm getting a total body work out? I want to make sure that I can be "up for anything". I go to the school's gym, so just about any piece of equipment is available for me, although I'm not sure I'm able to participate in things like tennis or sports yet.

Also, I've been thinking about getting rid of resistance training and working in yoga a few times a week instead. Is that a good idea?

Cardio machines can help increase your cardiovascular abilities but honestly the best way to train for a sport/activity is to do that activity.

Resistance training is great and I think yoga is complimentary to resistance training. I'd mix in resistance training, cardio and yoga.

Are you doing any strength training? Strength training has helped me be more efficient at running and playing ball. I am able to burn more calories with strength training than if I were to just walk everyday. I love to do 30 second interval sprints during my walks or jogs. I pretty much lost 50 pounds last summer doing that and WW. I just started strength training again to lose that last 10 pounds.

Core workouts are very good to for sport specific activities, Google core workouts and you'll get lots of hits...

Yeah, what they said.

Right now I'm doing treadmill and cardio machines a lot because I want to have my endurance levels back up once it's warm enough to run outside again, but I can't say they do anything else for my overall fitness.

My best overall results so far come from resistance training with free weights and body weight (focusing on functional movements and compound exercises that involve most of the body instead of focusing on individual body parts) and especially from yoga, because it helps my strength, flexibility, balance, breathing and my mind.

to increase your "Fitness" you need to work over and above your lactate threshold. this is the point at which your body can no longer cope with the amount of blood lactate being produced in the muscles and the level starts to increase.

without doing a lactate threshold test using a v slope component you can't work this out very easily. however what you need to do is fartlek training. on the treadmill. walk, jog, run (so its hard) then when you feel your legs getting heavy and you can't carry on slow down to recover then go fast again.

just like pushing your muscles past their normal usage to make them bigger and stronger you need to push your aerobic system.

I'd ditch the elliptical, I find it gives you a false impression of working out. The machine is doing the movement for you and it's not a movement you'd ever do in real life. I used that thing nearly everyday for a year and it amounted to nothing. To feel more fit I run and do a lot of ab work, lunge squats and intervals that push me to the point of feeling sick. Running outside is a lot better than the treadmill, I used the treadmill for a long time but never got much definition in my legs until I started outdoor running.

Weights are also good. Sometimes I use weight machines but I find free weights produce more results. Just keep doing a variety of things like this everyday and you'll see results fast both in the way you look and the way you feel. If it's sport you want to do I would try doing things that require you to have a lot of agility and speed, like burpees, jumping over a rope side to side as fast you can. There's a ton of other sutff but I can't put my ideas into words lol.

I definitely understand the issue you're having. That's the way I used to feel. I was at the gym all the time but still had trouble doing normal things. I'd say the simple solution is to get out of the gym. Everything that has worked best for me includes the outdoors and a yoga mat.

what sm177 said ^
You can try hiking/running outside on trails, and more uneven surfaces. It forces your muscles to balance while you're working out, and is more realistic to what you do day to day than a treadmill is.
I would also try some hill workouts. Like walking up hills (or incline on the treadmill), even if its only for a short time.
As for helping with other sports, a lot of them require short quick bursts of energy. So maybe try some sprints here and there with your workouts.
Oh and yoga is really great too!!

I'm going to have to add a "Your Mileage May Vary" to this. I was doing various cardio (not assisted by a machine) and didn't start getting fitter (better stamina for other activities) until I started using an elliptical 3-5 days a week. I would have to disagree that it gives you a false impression of working out, OR that the machine does anything for you except force you to move a certain way. Especially since there is resistance (and sometimes incline) on it, working against you. Also, since it's low impact it is possible to get a better workout on it especially when you're overweight/out of shape because it is easier to breathe and get enough oxygen when you're not constantly bouncing up and down.

I get an awesome workout on the elliptical, I just want to put in my 2 cents because I feel like it gets falsely accused of being a wimpy way to work out. It's less painful, but it uses your muscles and gets your heart rate up just like running. (Wasn't there a whole thread on this, actually?)

The elliptical is an awesome workout if you are using challenging resistance and inclines... if you're not well than yeah you're slacking off so it's going to be easy.

As for the origional topic... I think you will benefit from mixing it up. If you want your overall fitness to be better work on a lof of different things.

As mentioned outdoor stuff like hiking or if your by a beach walking/running in the sand. Indoor resistance stuff and weight training is also great. I don't like lifting weights much so I prefer things like yoga or pilates that use my own body weight as weights (in my mind it doesn't feel like I'm doing weights even though I am so it's more enjoyable). Flexibility and core stuff is important too, there are tons of great core exercises. You can go swimming which can be great for cardio and resistance. I'm a huge fan of spin classes, running stairs and recently started speed training too. More ideas that are convenient but tough... jumping jacks, butt kicks, jumping rope, squats, push ups, lunges, etc.

Basicially, find a variety of things that are challenging and you enjoy doing!

sm177, i agree wholeheartedly with you on the elliptical, however i've been having a discussion on another board about it. it appears that some people swear by them saying they are fantastic i however believe its the worst form of cardio as its momentum, a claim furiously disputed by others.

the bottom line on it is its never going to be resolved my personal view is how can i last an hour on an elliptical with a heart rate of 180bpm and yet i can only last a few mins on a treadmill at 180bpm