A popular search term on the Internet is “Treadmills vs Ellipticals.” For people interested in losing weight and/or getting in shape, they are trying to determine which machine is best for achieving their fitness goals.
Treadmills are still the #1 selling fitness equipment, although elliptical trainers are starting to catch up. What makes treadmills popular is they accommodate two of the most popular forms of exercise - walking and running. Also it doesn’t take much coordination to walk or run. You get on the treadmill, set the speed and incline, and you put one foot in front of the other.
The new kid on the block is the elliptical trainer, and it is gaining popularity. What makes it appealing is it is a low-impact machine that works out both the lower and upper body. The elliptical motion guarantees your feet never leave the pedals. In the process there is never any impact from striking a surface. This low-impact exercising is particularly attractive to an aging baby boomer generation like myself. Go here to learn more about elliptical trainers.
Elliptical trainers also exercise your upper body, with the movement of upper handlebars. This combination of upper and lower body exercise tends to give you a more efficient workout. In fact, experts claim you burn more calories with what appears to be less exertion.
The downside of an elliptical is it requires a degree of coordination. Getting both your legs and arms working in harmony. Furthermore, with an elliptical, even at the lowest level of resistance you are going to exert yourself more than at a slow walk on a treadmill.
Another problem with an elliptical is you need to be selective on the design of the machine. The strides vary, as do the distance between the pedals. For short people, they want a small stride. Woman generally are more comfortable with a model that has the pedals closer together.
Regardless, the low-impact, dual action design of an elliptical trainers is getting a considerable number of converts.
Treadmill vs Elliptical Trainer - Which is best for you?
The answer is, whichever machine is most likely going to get you to achieve your fitness goals. If you buy an elliptical and it sits around gathering dust or being a substitute for a clothes hanger, it obviously is not very effective.
If you are considering buying fitness equipment go to your local “Y” and spend some time trying each out at the fitness equipment stores. Determine which machine you will want to use. Both can give you some excellent results if you use them on a regular basis.
One Comment
I have owned ths treadmill for about 8 years. I have used it a mderate amount of time. It is a great piece of equipmant for the price. I do not jog on it but for walking it is great. NEVER had any problem with it at all. I love the space saver deck that fold up. Very nice feature. Cant beat it for the price.
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