Elliptical Workouts Vs. Treadmill

At One Love Fit Club in Chino Hills, CA, we try to improve people’s fitness and also their knowledge of fitness and different types of exercises and fitness machines. One question that seems to be on the mind of clients is that if there were a competition for the best fitness machine that was elliptical workouts vs. treadmill, which one would win. First, both will give you a good cardio workout and both are far better than doing nothing. With that being said, let’s look at the differences.

What’s an elliptical machine?

If you’ve never used an elliptical trainer, sometimes called a cross trainer, it’s a device that lets you do several types of exercises. You can use it for walking, climbing, running and even for upper body exercise if it offers moving upper body parts. It provides a low impact way to workout, so it’s good for preventing injuries. Just like treadmills, they provide weight-bearing training to help maintain bone density.

Treadmills offer the advantage of strengthening your bones more than elliptical machines.

The treadmill is another classic cardio machine that people still love and look forward to using. It’s particularly good for runners who often choose it above all other types of machines in the gym. You can change the incline of your run to make it harder. While it offers more of an impact to help strengthen your bones, that can be a negative as well, since the impact can take its toll on your joints.

Which should you choose?

Consider the elliptical machine if you’re recovering from an injury or have problems with your knees or ankles. People with those situations will definitely benefit. If you’re like most people, without any special needs, why not opt for both. Getting exercise is all about mixing it up and working your body in different ways. Use a treadmill on some days and the elliptical on others for your cardio workout.

• If you choose to use a treadmill, the best type to use to mimic the actual act of running is the non-motorized type. Your feet drag the belt backward as you push off and go forward, which is more like running outdoors.
• While the elliptical machine may provide total body exercise as you get a great cardio workout, it also does much of the work for you, so you burn fewer calories.
• You get less of a core rotation on an elliptical if you’re hanging onto the handles than you would on a treadmill swinging your arms. Since a small amount of the weight is put onto the railing as you do, you get less of a workout on your legs, too.
• People have been debating which is best, the elliptical or the treadmill, for ages. The best one is the one you use and the one that’s best for your body and situation.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club