Treadmills have been among the first choices of gym equipment for people who enjoy working in the comfort of their own home. However, this short guide would like to point out that the elliptical trainer is just as efficient, even though it has not been on the market as long. Consequentially, before you head out to purchase a treadmill, you should compare it with an elliptical machine and afterwards decide on the gym equipment that meets your requirements.
Some Basics About Ellipticals
For starters, by comparing the two machines you will soon realize that the elliptical trainer can provide an impact-free workout. Because there is no impact on the ground, the vast majority of fitness experts recommend this equipment for people that are experiencing joint or back pains. In fact, the elliptic cross trainers are one of the top choices for the seniors who want to exercise, but have knee, back or ligament problems. At the same time, this device is commonly used in medical centers that focus on rehabilitating people with movement impairments caused by sickness or injury.
Why Choose Ellipticals Over Treadmills?
The treadmill provides a higher impact and considering it cannot help strengthen the bones, it is not recommended for individuals with arthritis. As you can observe, the strong point of treadmills over elliptical trainers resides in the fact that they are best suited for people in great physical shape, such as runners, for example. The bottom line is that if you are preparing for a long marathon or a competition, the treadmill is quite useful during the colder months.
However, the aforementioned facts should not mislead you into thinking that the elliptical trainer is inefficient or only addresses those with certain conditions or impairments. This device provides a high quality cardiovascular workout with a maximum of efficiency. In order to understand things more clearly, you need take into consideration the shape of the machines. While the treadmills focus more on the lower body and building endurance and muscles in the legs, the elliptical trainers have dual action via the handlebars for the hands and the pedals for the legs.
With regards to the amount of calories that can be burned during a regular workout, you will be glad to know that there is an insignificant difference. However, the elliptical trainers still win this round because they are not so stressful on the articulations and confer the sensation that you are putting in less effort to operate them. Furthermore, because you do not feel the burn too soon, you can extend your workout session by several minutes every time.
Aren’t These Rather Monotonous?
Many have associated the elliptical machines with monotonous and less-motivating workouts. While it is true that treadmills offer certain versatility and options to combat these effects, it is necessary to point out that the newest models can incorporate similarly interesting features as well. Even the older models permit variations of intensity and the ability of simply not using the handles. In addition, the feature proprietary to elliptical trainers is the forward and reverse function on the pedals, a characteristic that is proprietary only to this device.
Pauly Singh is of the view that top ellipticals have replaced the good old treadmills for effective CV workouts.
Leave a Reply