Here is the oldest question in the book: Which is better? The treadmill or the elliptical? Or maybe running will do the trick? Many people favor one, or two, or all three. It is really a personal preference, but there is a larger number of people who strongly prefer the elliptical over both the treadmill and running.
If you are trying to decide between a treadmill and an elliptical for your home gym, take a look at what we have compiled about the best elliptical trainer to help make your decision a little smoother. In most areas, ellipticals offer more than treadmills and can be better for your body.
Most elliptical machines are compared to different machines that claim to give you a great workout, like treadmills and others. Most people aim for a high quality, high cardio workout, and that is what you end up getting with an elliptical trainer. In terms of a cardio workout, the elliptical trainer raises your heart rate, works out most areas of your body, and leaves you breathing heavily by the end. This is what people look for in a machine, and this is what the elliptical trainer provides. Overall, the elliptical prevails.
The elliptical trainer also has many other features that make it preferable over other machines. First of all, you can change the level of intensity in an elliptical to find your perfect fit, thus proving that the elliptical is a perfect fit for everyone. That being said, you have the ability to change the intensity as your body strengthens. You can choose to go slow one day, then take it up a notch the next day and get a great workout. You have different levels of intensity to choose from, giving you more of a variety for your workout.
Most ellipticals are paired with handlebars, which help you work out your upper body as well as your lower body. Treadmills usually don’t have moving handlebars, so the points go to the elliptical trainer. The handlebars allow you to reach the muscles in your arms and back while you also workout your legs. They’re incredibly helpful in achieving that full body workout everyone strives for.
But while ellipticals have handlebars, it is important that you spend some time in your workout away from the handlebars. Not using them can help you improve your sense of balance and it can strengthen your core. With this, your abdominal muscles will work at being tighter and you also have a chance to improve your posture, which is important in exercise and in daily life. Having bad posture while you work out can lead to serious injuries and make working out – or other daily activities – feel uncomfortable.
Many ellipticals have consoles that contain pre-set programs, which opens up more variety for your workouts. These programs have different intensities, different workout lengths, and much more to help switch things up once in a while.
These consoles also have helpful tools, like calorie trackers and distance trackers to keep you informed while you work. Some are equipped with heart rate monitors and others can tell you what your fat burning zone is for a person of your weight and your height. These consoles can help make your workout a lot more enjoyable.
Most importantly, you can customize an elliptical trainer to fit your needs, whatever those needs may be. It’s important to set your elliptical at the right settings because your future workouts probably won’t be very comfortable if you don’t. Be sure you know what settings you are comfortable with, as they can make a world of a difference in the quality of your workout.
If you are looking for a decent workout machine that will give you the cardio session you need, look no further than the elliptical. Other exercise machines try to measure up, but ellipticals always seem to come out on top. They have dozens of pre-set workouts to help you get started and shake things up a little, and they are low impact machines, which means that they won’t apply too much pressure to your joints.
Ellipticals are perfect for anyone who is trying to get in shape, but doesn’t feel comfortable with running outside. Ellipticals can give you the same workout that running does, but within the comfort of your home and with more options.
In the end, everything is based on personal preference, but the elliptical is a strong candidate for those searching for a new way to exercise.
