Category: Guide

The elliptical and stationary bike are two popular pieces of cardio equipment, and almost every gym in the world has them. 

But have you ever wondered which of the two is superior?

Today, we’ll go over the elliptical vs. stationary bike debate and help you choose the one that will work better for you. 

Ready? Let’s dive in. 

The Pros and Cons Of Elliptical Machines 

Let’s go over some pros of elliptical trainers: 

1. It Burns A Lot Of Calories And Improves Your Endurance 

If you’re looking for an activity that burns through calories at a fast rate, then jump on an elliptical for 30 minutes and see the result. 

The truth is, among the many pieces of cardio equipment, the elliptical is one of the best ways to several hundred calories in a relatively short cardio session. The reason is, ellipticals train both the upper and lower body. The more muscles involved, the greater the effort, and the higher the energy needs. 

Because the elliptical is so demanding, it also does a fantastic job of improving your endurance and work capacity, thus making you better able to tackle physical stressors and do more work before you start feeling tired. 

2. You Can Emphasize Specific Muscles In Your Lower Body 

Changing the resistance on an elliptical machine is a standard option. On top of that, many of these machines come with the option of changing the incline of the foot pedals.  

By tweaking these variables on a machine, you can emphasize different parts of your lower body more. For example, increasing the level of incline on the pedals, you can emphasize your posterior chain more (the calves, hamstrings, and glutes). If you decrease the incline, you can better target your quadriceps. 

3. It’s A Great Way to Stay Fit While Healing an Injury 

Let’s face it:  

Injuries can be debilitating and incredibly challenging to recover from – both physically, as well as psychologically. 

If you’ve ever had to take time off training because of an injury, you probably remember how guilty and sad you felt for staying at home and barely moving. 

The great thing about an elliptical trainer is that you can use it to maintain your fitness as you’re working through an injury. Since the activity is low-impact, it puts a lot less stress on your body than other activities like running, lifting weights, and jumping. 

Before we move to the stationary bike, here are two cons of ellipticals: 

1. It Can Get Repetitive 

The most significant roadblock people face when using an elliptical trainer has to do with its repetitiveness. The movement pattern is relatively monotonous, and it can start feeling like a chore eventually. 

Because of that, if you want to stick with an elliptical for a long time, it’s essential to find ways to make it more engaging. For example, you can set different challenges and work to overcome them. 

2. You Can Unintentionally Slack Off 

An overlooked drawback of the elliptical is that you can unintentionally slack off if you’re not careful. The reason is, you get to control the speed with which you move the pedals. Once you become fatigued, you may slow down without even realizing it. 

So, you always want to be mindful of that and maintain a consistent and sustainable tempo. 

What Benefits And Drawbacks Does a Stationary Bike Offer? 

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of a stationary bike: 

1. It’s A Low-Impact Cardio Option 

Much like the elliptical, a stationary bike is a low-impact option, and it’s a fantastic choice for beginners, especially those who are overweight. 

Plus, if you have injuries or nagging pains, using a stationary bike is a great way to stay active without risk. 

2. It Allows For Some Multitasking 

One of the biggest problems people face when doing cardio has to do with boredom: how to keep the activity engaging. 

The great thing about stationary bikes is the fact that cycling is not difficult to learn, and you can easily pair it up with other activities. For example, you can listen to your favorite audiobook or podcast. You can also watch Youtube videos on your phone or tablet. If you want, you can also catch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix. 

That way, you can keep things much more engaging and use the time even more productively. 

3. It Burns Calories And Improves Your Endurance 

While the stationary bike doesn’t burn as many calories as an Elliptical, it can still burn hundreds within thirty to sixty minutes. So, if you’re interested in cycling for weight loss, go ahead – this is a great activity. 

What’s more, cycling also improves your lung capacity and makes you much more endurant. 

With that said, let’s take a look at some drawbacks of the stationary bike: 

1. It Mostly Trains Your Quads 

Equipment like rowing machines and ellipticals train your entire body. A drawback of stationary bikes is that they mostly train your quad muscles and not much else. So, to develop your upper body, you should do extra work for it. 

2. It Doesn’t Burn As Many Calories As An Elliptical 

Because the elliptical involves your entire body, you can expect to burn more calories in each workout. The difference for one workout isn’t huge, but it can add up over the weeks and months. 

3. It Can Lead to Lower Back Discomfort For Some Folks 

To cycle properly, you should keep your back mostly straight. The problem is, keeping that posture becomes difficult as you get fatigued. So, many people slouch, and that can bring about back discomfort. 

So, you have to be mindful of your posture at all times, especially as you pass the halfway point of your workouts. 

Elliptical vs. Stationary Bike – Who Wins? 

From a general fitness standpoint, both pieces of equipment have merit, and both offer some unique advantages. 

If you’re looking for an affordable and compact piece of cardio equipment for home use, then the stationary bike will probably work best. Alternatively, if you enjoy the elliptical, your budget is slightly larger, and you have a bit more space at home, you can invest in an elliptical. 

Both options work well, and both offer only a limited number of disadvantages.  

Have you ever wondered what makes an elliptical function? Unlike many cardio machines out there, ellipticals come with a unique design and movement pattern. 
The question is, what makes all of this possible? More importantly, how does it all work together?

One crucial component inside elliptical machines makes all of this possible: the flywheel.

In today’s post, we’ll take an in-depth look at the elliptical flywheel, how it connects everything, and what that means for you.

Ready? Let’s dive in…

What Is The Motion Of An Elliptical Trainer?

At first glance, you might conclude that an elliptical has a movement pattern similar to that of a stationary bike – a circle. The truth is, ellipticals offer an ellipse movement pattern, hence their name.

When seen from the side, the elliptical pedals form an ellipse (a squashed circle). The pedal moves forward, down, back, and up to the starting position. Simultaneously, the other pedal moves in the opposite direction, which allows for an alternating motion. As one pedal moves forward and down, the other moves back and up.

To initiate this movement pattern, you must push through one foot and force the pedal to go forward and down. Once you get started and gain some momentum, it takes less effort to keep going.

This movement of your legs is also combined by the activation of your upper body. Ellipticals come with dynamic handles that move with the pedals and create a natural movement pattern. Specifically, when one pedal goes up and forward, the opposing handle also moves forward, which forces you to extend that arm. As a result, you get to remain balanced and pair opposing limbs, similar to how you would while walking or running.

Ellipticals typically have a stationary set of handles to grab onto if you wish to keep your upper body out of the movement or take a brief break. In that case, the upper body mostly works isometrically to keep you balanced.

In general, the movement pattern can be described as something that involves walking, jogging, and sliding (similar to the movement you would do while rollerblading or skiing).

All of this is thanks to the flywheel of the machine. So, let’s see what it is.

What Is An Elliptical Flywheel?

The elliptical flywheel is the essential part of the machine. This large and circular piece of the device controls everything that happens on the inside and out. As you apply pressure to the pedals, it turns and controls the level of resistance you feel. The flywheel is also the piece of the machine that allows the pedals and handles to work together.

In general, the handle and footplate connect through a joint system and attaches to the flywheel that dictates the movement. Ellipticals come in different designs and sizes, but the premise is simple:

Alternating motion between your legs that is synchronized with your upper body and allows for natural and low-impact activity.

The quality of the elliptical also determines how good the flywheel is. Premium ellipticals have a heavy, stable, and durable flywheel, where cheaper models offer a lighter one that is more prone to breaking.

The flywheel’s weight and quality significantly impact your workout experience. Specifically, a heavier flywheel offers a smoother and more predictable motion. It also impacts the noise of the machine and the overall workout experience.

In contrast, low-quality ellipticals with cheap flywheels tend to rattle, offer poor motion, and feel less predictable. The noise is also higher, which makes for a bad experience. 

According to some experts, the flywheel’s weight can also serve to predict the machine’s longevity because that part is what typically gives out and needs replacement. Flywheels typically range from 15 to 40 pounds, which is quite the difference.

The Importance of Paying Attention to The Flywheel

If you’re looking to buy an elliptical for home use, you might feel a bit anxious. After all, there is so much to pay attention to, and it can be easy to miss something and make a costly mistake.

The truth is, getting yourself an elliptical doesn’t have to be so difficult. What matters most are the build quality, noise, and smoothness of motion. The moment you step on an elliptical, you will know. Is the ride smooth and seamless? Is the build quality good? How about the overall balance and silence of the machine? Can you reasonably see yourself using this machine for 30-60 minutes several times per week?

Since you can’t disassemble the elliptical in the store and examine the part itself, explore all of these characteristics because they mostly come from the elliptical flywheel. A high-quality flywheel means a more enjoyable experience, more motivation to exercise consistently, and better long-term results. It also means that your elliptical will have a longer lifespan, given that the flywheel is typically what gives out and causes problems in used ellipticals.

Elliptical Position: Does It Matter?

In general, elliptical trainers come in three configurations: front-drive, rear-drive, or center drive. Let’s take a look at each:

a) Front-drive

Front-drive systems (also known as front-drive trainers) are those in which the flywheel is positioned at the machine’s front with the pedals behind it. This configuration tends to be more common among the cheap and mid-range ellipticals, but some premium models also come with a front-drive.

Similar to other cardio machines like the Arc Trainer, using this configuration forces you to lean forward a bit more, which can be more beneficial for training your posterior chain – hamstrings, glutes, and back.

The motion itself resembles walking uphill, which can be fun, especially if you enjoy hiking. These devices also tend to have more fluid pedals that adapt to the trainee’s specific style and anatomy, making them more comfortable for some people.

Given that front-drive ellipticals tend to be more affordable and compact, you might consider one for home use. But, keep in mind that these machines tend to have more moving parts, which can lead to more problems and a higher maintenance cost in the long run.

b) Rear-drive

As the name suggests, a rear-drive elliptical has a flywheel and driving system in the back. These are direct opposites to front-drive systems, and the trainee’s weight is placed in front of the flywheel.

Rear-drive ellipticals are far more common, especially in gyms. Most mid-range and premium ellipticals come with a rear-drive system, making them the ideal choice for gyms and other training facilities.

Unlike front-drive ellipticals, having the flywheel in the back typically means that you don’t have to lean forward to use the machine. Depending on your goals and preferences, this could be a good or bad thing. In general, it shouldn’t make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

If you’ve been used to training on a front-drive elliptical, switching to one with a flywheel in the back can feel strange at first because you get to remain much more upright. Also, the pedals of a rear-drive elliptical tend to be less fluid, which might not be great for some people with specific structures. 

On the other hand, rear-drive ellipticals are typically larger and more solid machines, which often means that their flywheel is of higher quality. As a result, the training experience tends to be more enjoyable because you don’t have to deal with instability, excessive noise, or a choppy motion of the pedals.

c) Center drive

As you’ve probably guessed, center drive ellipticals have their flywheel and drive system in the middle, right beneath the trainee. These are by far the least common ones. They are also a relatively newer technology, so it’s difficult to say how durable they are in the long run. Maintenance cost is also difficult to predict at this point.

A significant benefit of these elliptical machines is their size. Since the flywheel is in the middle, the machine tends to be smaller, which can benefit people who have less space to work with. 

These machines also offer a more upright training position, which some people find to be more natural.

With center drive configurations, the pedals tend to be closer together, allowing for a more natural movement pattern, mimicking jogging.

Conclusion

Think of an elliptical flywheel as the engine – it’s the central piece that impacts everything else and can elevate or ruin your training experience.

Like with a car, an elliptical engine is a huge determinant of the machine’s longevity. A cheap and light flywheel doesn’t last as long, begins to rattle with use, and offers an unstable and shaky training motion.

In contrast, a solid and well-built flywheel is durable, will last you for many years, and will offer engaging workouts.

While seemingly insignificant, the flywheel is a vital component of the elliptical, and you need to pay attention. Hopefully, this guide has given you all of the information you need to make better choices.

We understand you completely:

You enjoy exercising and using the elliptical. But, you’re pregnant and are wondering whether it is safe to use it? Perhaps there is a hidden danger you should be aware of? Or maybe there is a safer and more effective alternative you can use?

A thousand questions arise, and it feels like everyone has their unique take on it.

In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know about the elliptical and whether using it during pregnancy is safe.

Ready? Let’s dive in…

Is The Elliptical Okay to Use While Pregnant?

The elliptical provides a low-impact and versatile way to do highly-beneficial aerobic exercise. Instead of performing impactful activities like running or dull ones like using a stationary bike, you get to exercise your entire body without putting undue stress on your hips, knees, or ankles.

Furthermore, the elliptical offers a natural movement pattern, and you can vary the intensity and resistance level to suit your needs. For example, if you don’t want to stress your lower body musculature, you can decrease the resistance and use the elliptical for a longer period. In doing so, you can burn a respectable number of calories and prevent rapid weight gains that are common during pregnancy.

The last thing worth noting is that you can use the elliptical at home, so you don’t have to exercise at a gym if you don’t want to or feel particularly self-conscious.

Here are some guidelines:

• Keep the intensity low to moderate
• Aim for between 20 and 40 minutes of exercise
• Use the elliptical between two and five times per week
• Avoid working too hard, to the point where you feel sore or overly-fatigued in the following days

Now that we’ve covered the primary question, let’s look at a few other essential considerations. Read on to find out what they are.

Can I Use An Elliptical After The Fourth Month of Pregnancy?

To answer this question, we first need to look at what happens to your body after sixteen weeks of pregnancy.

The most notable change is that you now have a much more noticeable baby bump. Still, depending on how long you’ve been pregnant, the baby bump shouldn’t be too much to handle, and it shouldn’t be too restrictive. So, unless your doctor specifically advises you to avoid it, the elliptical should be a perfectly viable exercise option.

For one, the elliptical won’t interfere with your baby bump in any way. The type of exercise is also low-impact, so you won’t experience any disturbances.

Here are some safety tips to keep your exercise sessions fruitful:

1. Wear loose and comfortable clothes. This will help you move around freely and not feel anxious.
2. Pick a pair of comfortable shoes for your workouts. Though you might not have to lift your feet off the pedals, it’s still important to have the right footwear for optimal training.
3. Take it slow and easy. You’re not training for a marathon, so you don’t have to push yourself that that. The most important thing is that you enjoy your workouts and avoid pushing yourself to your limits. If needed, take occasional breaks.
4. Keep a water bottle handy, and make sure to sip regularly. This will help keep you hydrated throughout your workouts.
5. Keep some healthy snacks around for when you’re done with the workout. Good options include fruits, trail mix, and protein bars.

What Type of Exercise Is Safe To Do While Pregnant?

Now that we’ve established the safety and productivity of elliptical training, you’re probably wondering, “Well, are there other types of safe and effective exercise I can do while pregnant?” 

In fact, there are. Below, we’ll look at four fantastic alternatives:

1. Walking

Yes, walking is a fantastic way to keep active, burn some calories, and reap many benefits. For one, walking helps you clear your head, organize your thoughts and boost your mood. If you feel anxious or are struggling to figure something out, there is a good chance that a short walk might be just what you need.

Walking also helps you burn calories, promotes a healthy metabolism, and helps prevent unwanted weight gain during pregnancy. As little as ten to twenty minutes of walking per day can make a significant difference in the long run.

Walking is also easy to integrate into your day. Instead of taking the car everywhere, why not figure out where you might want to walk to instead? For example, if the destination is less than ten minutes away on foot, put some comfortable shoes on and walk.

2. Yoga

Yoga is another great activity. Most notably, it brings about a deep sense of well-being and relaxation. Thanks to its calming effect, yoga can help you go through periods of anxiety, depression, or self-doubt. The second trimester of pregnancy is typically characterized by unpredictable hormone fluctuations, which often make it difficult to deal with life. Yoga is an activity that helps you remain centered and focused on the positive things in life.

Yoga is also a low-impact activity with profound benefits. You get to improve your flexibility, strength, and whole-body balance. All of these characteristics are beneficial, especially as your pregnancy progresses. Plus, practicing yoga regularly is profoundly satisfying and gives you a real sense of progress.

You can pick several breathing exercises for starters and slowly add non-threatening yoga poses for beginners to your routine.

3. Swimming

Like the previous two activities on our list, swimming is another fantastic example of a low-impact activity that delivers incredible benefits. More importantly, swimming is incredibly natural and safe during pregnancy.

As an activity, swimming encourages the involvement of many different muscles in your body. This is fantastic because it helps you burn more calories and improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness at the same time. This is also great for toning your whole body and keeping yourself in shape well into your pregnancy.

For example, you can do thirty minutes of swimming a few times per week. You don’t need to push yourself too hard. Gentle swimming will be more than enough to help you reap the associated benefits.

4. Squats

Contrary to what you might have been told, squats are incredibly beneficial to do while pregnant. The primary reason is that squats strengthen your lower body’s muscles, which become increasingly important as your pregnancy progresses and you have to carry more weight around. 

With that said, you must go about squats safely and avoid pushing yourself too hard. Begin with bodyweight squats, perform each repetition slowly and with control, and stop a set if you feel uncomfortable. It’s also a good idea to consult with your doctor before incorporating squats into your exercise routine.

Here are some pointers:

• Assume a wider stance and point your toes slightly out
• Bring your chest out and shoulders back
• Extend your arms in front of your chest for balance
• Begin to squat by bending your knees while keeping your torso upright – imagine that you’re trying to sit in a chair
• Go down as comfortably as you can – ideally until your knees get to 90 degrees
• Hold the bottom position for a moment and push through your heels to get back up

Is It Safe to Use an Exercise Bike?

As a popular exercise option, the exercise bike is the go-to choice for many people. If you’re one of them, you’re probably wondering how safe it is to use while pregnant.

In general, an exercise bike is safe to use during your pregnancy. Still, before hopping on one and cycling away, it’s essential to be mindful of a few things. More specifically:

• Make sure that you’re cycling at a low to moderate intensity and avoid overexerting yourself.
• Avoid using too high of resistance. Instead, aim for moderate resistance that allows you to maintain between 50 and 60 cycles per minute comfortably.
• Maintain a more upright posture, especially as your stomach grows. Take care to keep it away from the bike, even as you lean forward when you get tired.

Is Walking too Much Bad During Pregnancy?

Too much of anything can be bad, and this fully applies to walking. While this is one of the simplest and most convenient ways to remain active, you must avoid going overboard.

Like any other type of activity, walking also leads to fatigue, which you need to keep in mind. Walking too much can lead to fatigue in your legs and back because you’re carrying extra weight. Too much walking also causes systemic stress, which might not be good for the baby.

As a whole, some walking is great, and you should go by feel. If you start feeling tired from it, that is a good sign to take a step back and perhaps lower your daily step count a notch.

Conclusion

Exercising is not only beneficial but mandatory, and this fully applies to pregnant women.

If you’re pregnant and you’re wondering whether you should even exercise, don’t worry. So long as the activity is comfortable and doesn’t tire you out, it should be okay.

Still, what matters most is that you go by feel, use your best judgment, and avoid doing too much.

We’ve listed some of the most beneficial activities above, so there is plenty to pick from. Plus, you can combine some of them and create yourself a fantastic weekly fitness routine.

This year has been challenging so far. It seems like we can’t catch a break, and the most recent development is the Covid-19 pandemic that is shaking up the world right now.

A significant percentage of the world’s population is advised to stay at home and only go out for food, medicine, and banking needs.

Most gyms and sports clubs are closed, and it appears like our exercise options have been cut severely.

But is this truly the case? Are we doomed to lose all of our hard-earned progress in the gym?

No. The truth is, there is always something we can do to stay fit – where there’s a will, there’s a way. Don’t let the quarantine be the end of your fitness habits. Stay consistent and exercise.

With that in mind, we’ve put a list of seven incredible exercises you can do while in self-isolation.

1. Elliptical Trainer Sessions

The elliptical (both the classic and recumbent versions of it) is an incredibly valuable piece of fitness equipment because it:

• Trains the entire body;
• It burns a lot of calories and helps with weight loss;
• It brings about the numerous health benefits of exercise;
• It improves our energy, mood, and cognitive function;
• It’s low-impact and doesn’t stress our joints;
• It’s easy to learn and use, so it’s also great for beginners;

The list goes on and on, but you get the point. What’s more, a decent elliptical won’t cost that much, but it will last you for well over five years of regular use.

But, if you don’t have the money or space for a full-sized elliptical, you can also go for the under-desk elliptical, which is a smaller, cheaper, and more compact version that brings about many of the same benefits.

2. Push-Ups

If you’re looking for a simple exercise to develop your chest, shoulders, and triceps, then look no further than the classic push-up.

What’s even better about this exercise is that it doesn’t require any equipment, you can progress on them for a long time, and they also promote shoulder health.

Rehab specialists from all over the world prescribe push-ups in their shoulder programs, as they appear to promote scapular stability, which itself is essential for shoulder health, especially in athletes and other active people.

And if you ever feel like the push-up is too easy, you can always find a more challenging variation such as the close-stance push-up, the one-handed push-up, and the plyometric push-up.

3. Bodyweight Squats

Squatting is one of the most natural things we can do.

Performing bodyweight squats is a great way to strengthen the lower body, maintain our muscle mass, keep our hips and ankles mobile, and burn a lot of calories.

Plus, as with push-ups, bodyweight squats have an impressive overloading potential, as there are always fun and creative ways we can use to make them more difficult.

For example, if the bodyweight squat becomes too easy, you can always:

• Use a timer and see how many squats you can do per minute. Try to improve that number over time.
• Perform jump squats – a great way to spice the classic exercise up, and work on your vertical jump.
• Add an external weight on yourself – a weight vest, a dumbbell or kettlebell, a jug filled with water, your small child, or something else.

4. Glute Bridge

Glute bridges should be part of any decent home training program because they do an excellent job of strengthening a range of muscles in the body – our hamstrings, glutes, adductors, lower back, and abdominals.

What’s more, glute bridges are incredibly easy to learn and are beneficial for weight training exercises like hip thrusts and deadlifts.

And, should the classic glute bridge become too easy, you can always make it more challenging. For example, you can do them unilaterally (one leg at a time), or you can add an external weight on your lower abs (for example, a jug filled with water or an old dumbbell that’s been lying around your home).

5. Planks

If you’re looking for an excellent exercise that builds core strength incredibly well, then the classic plank is for you.

Because the plank is done by holding a static position, you can expect to build great isometric strength not just in your core, but in your entire body. What’s more, the plank develops the rectus abdominis, lower back muscles, obliques, and transverse abdominis (the deep core muscle).

Doing planks while in self-isolation is a great way to prevent back pain from occurring, and it also helps us maintain a good posture that can otherwise worsen due to physical inactivity.

What even better is the fact that you don’t have to invest too much time in doing planks. As little as two to five minutes per day will help you reap the incredible benefits of the exercise.

6. Recumbent Exercise Bike Training

If you have the means to get yourself a recumbent exercise bike, you shouldn’t wait a day longer. The truth is, along with elliptical trainers, the recumbent bike is among the most useful pieces of cardio equipment out there.

Sure, it’s not the cheapest thing you can buy for your home training, but the investment will be well worth it.

Training on a recumbent bike is a great way to burn a lot of calories and prevent weight gain while in self-isolation. What’s more, the recumbent exercise bike is incredibly easy to use, offers excellent comfort while exercising, and does a great job of helping us maintain our lower body strength and muscle size.

7. Pull-Ups or Chin-Ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups are two of the best bodyweight exercises we can do to develop the back, biceps, forearms, and core.

What’s more, being able to do pull-ups says a lot about your fitness level and is incredibly impressive for most people. Here’s an idea:

While in self-isolation, work your way up to twenty straight pull-ups. Then, once things go back to normal, head back to the gym and show people what you’ve been working on.

What’s even better about pull-ups is that all you need is a pull-up bar, which you can get for as little as twenty dollars.

If you find yourself wondering if you need an elliptical, the answer to that question is yes! Who couldn’t benefit from an exercise machine capable of improving the functioning of your cardiovascular system, respiratory system, building endurance and strength? Elliptical trainers are an essential all in one machine mistaken for a cardiovascular trainer. For those that still need convincing, here are five reasons why you need an elliptical.

You Get to Skip the Membership

Gyms are great of course but according to statistics, 67% of people that have gym memberships have never used them. Yes, NEVER. People live busy lives and have very little time to commute to the gym on top of work and other responsibilities. Rather than wasting money on something you may not use, it makes more sense to invest in a trainer that will last years and be used often.

Convenience

Let’s be honest. If something isn’t convenient, the chance of you actually doing it decreases significantly. This especially applies to fitness. Being fit is a lifestyle and committing to that lifestyle is easier when those changes are easy to follow through on. With an elliptical, hundreds of workouts are waiting to be completed right in the comfort of your own home. Convenience also means no excuses.

Fun

You also need an elliptical trainer at home because it will enable you to have fun with your fitness. At the gym you have to wipe down the machine prior to use (gross!), may have to wait until one is free and machines are often close together meaning another person is working out right next to you. All of these factors are likely to take the fun out of training and encourage you to keep your training pretty basic. Having a trainer at home allows you to experiment more and let loose! You can blast your playlist to encourage an intense session, sing along, dance to the music (for those comfortable with hands-free training), work in super intense intervals that yield some super intense workout face and more. A trainer presents endless possibilities.

Ellipticals Prevent Overtraining

Elliptical trainers are low impact machines and usually monitor the user’s heart rate during training. Being low impact and displaying this useful statistic will prevent you from pushing your body too far, especially when you’re just starting out. The ability to regulate speed will also prevent you from making this common mistake. Injuries are not fun.

They Allow You to Make the Most of Your Time

Elliptical trainers are straight to the point and allow you to make the most of your time. Every stride is one step closer to your fitness goals and the repetitive nature of the machine decreases the duration of inactivity. Although not recommended, elliptical trainers also present the opportunity to multitask during training.

Ellipticals Allow Gradual Progression

Elliptical trainers, especially those with an adjustable incline feature and a wide range of resistance levels, allow you to progress over time. Like any other type of training, you want to start slow with elliptical training and gradually increase the intensity. You can start by working against a moderate resistance for a certain period of time, gradually increase that time and eventually move on to explosive intervals.

Greater Muscle Activation

Research has shown that elliptical training activates more muscle fibers than other activities like walking and running. Elliptical training better utilizes the quadriceps as well as the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings. The machine also improves quadriceps/hamstring coordination. Increased muscle activation means a stronger body since it encourages muscle development. As a plus, physical performance will improve across the board.