Overview
Two popular machines for home or gym workouts are the treadmill and the elliptical trainer. Both provide you the opportunity to burn significant calories while strengthening your heart and legs. The machine that works best for you depends on your personal goals, physical issues and overall preference. Remember, the best exercise machine is the one you will actually use.
Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers combine the feeling of stepping up stairs with the back and forth rhythm of cross country skiing. Some elliptical trainer models include arm poles to move back and forth in conjunction with your legs to work your upper body. Change the angle of your leg movement with adjustments of the “cross ramp” to focus on different muscles. The elliptical also offers you the ability to change the resistance, or the difficulty of pedaling. A higher resistance makes your workout significantly harder and increases your calorie burn and cardiovascular benefit. Another way to change your routine on the elliptical is by pedaling backward instead of forward.
Treadmills
Treadmills offer you the opportunity to walk, jog or run indoors. Many commercial treadmills found in gyms go as fast as 12 to 15 mph. Simulate hills on a treadmill by increasing the incline, from level to a 30 percent grade, depending on the model. The treadmill adapts to almost all fitness levels; walkers may increase their intensity by raising the incline, and runners may practice speed or hill drills.
Prevention/Solution
You can fulfill American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for cardiovascular exercise on either piece of equipment. As long as you work at the same perceived intensity, the calorie burn for the treadmill and the elliptical are virtually the same. The ultimate amount of calories burned depends on how hard you push, your size and your efficiency. For example, a 150-pound woman can expect to burn 300 to 350 calories in a half hour on the elliptical or at a 6 mph pace on the treadmill. Both machines tone the legs. The elliptical offers some postural training because it forces you to assume an upright position.
Considerations
Certain health conditions, such as arthritis and back issues, make impact-based exercises uncomfortable or even contraindicated. For these people, an elliptical would be a better choice of exercise because you can approximate the movement of running without the jarring effect. The faster your pace on the treadmill, the more impact you incur. Those who are significantly overweight may also find running or jogging on a treadmill uncomfortable and are at greater risk of joint injury. The elliptical, however, requires significant self-motivation. While on the treadmill you set the speed and follow the belt in order to work harder, the elliptical requires you to make your stride speed fast enough to raise your heart rate. It is much easier to cheat or let yourself be comfortable on the elliptical trainer.
Recommendations
If your goal is general health, it is best to incorporate both modalities in your workout routine. By cross training you decrease the chance of developing overuse injuries or reaching a plateau in your fitness levels. Beginners may also prefer the elliptical because it is less likely to cause shin and foot problems that can be created by working too hard too soon on the treadmill. If you are a beginner committed to the treadmill, start slowly with walking and gradually add in jogging intervals. Seasoned runners will prefer the treadmill to reach their mileage and speed goals, but they can also benefit from sessions on the elliptical to challenge their muscles with a different movement pattern.