Ellipticals Vs Treadmills

Elliptical trainers and treadmills are two of the most popular exercise equipment. When considering which one is the better option, you may consider which burns the most calories though there are a few other aspects which should be considered. Here is a quick guide to how the two compare.

Treadmills

Treadmills provide a fitness solution that allows you to go for a walk in the comfort of your own home, no matter what the weather is like outside. They work by using a motor that rotates a belt upon which it is possible to walk or run without having to use a large open space. Treadmills today offer functions for walking, running and climbing simulation.

The treadmill is extremely simple to use and provides a number of programs for different levels of fitness and exertion. Many treadmills will also allow you to input your personal statistics and workout aims to produce an individualised fitness program, and will provide details on the number of calories burned in a given workout.

When it comes to treadmills the main benefit is the cardiovascular workout that they can provide, therefore increasing the potential for burning calories and burning fat. You are also much less likely to sustain an injury on a treadmill than running outdoors, and the handles can help you feel more at ease when continuously running on the belt. However the health benefits will be maximised the less you come to rely on the rails.

For these reasons treadmills have been the most popular exercise solution for a number of years. Technology is always improving, adding greater functions to the workout. However, their main draw lies in the simplicity of running or walking as a healthy and popular workout.

Elliptical Trainers

Elliptical trainers are far newer than treadmills but offer their own benefits when it comes to working out. They are designed to simulate walking or running, but instead of using a moving belt users push pedals in an elliptical motion to simulate the movements, without their feet ever leaving the pedals. Elliptical machines can work forwards or backwards to add variety to workouts, and many feature adjustable incline.

The main benefit of elliptical trainers is that they offer similar results to running over ground or on a treadmill, but without the strain on joints and the back. The fact that your feet do not leave the pedals reduces the impact of the exercise that would typically be experienced when using a treadmill.

Not only can users see the benefits on the low impact nature of the elliptical trainer, but the handles allow for a full body workout. As the feet go through the elliptical running motion the hands will continuously move the handles up and down which mimics the action of skiing. This allows for an upper body workout as well as lower body when using an elliptical trainer. Treadmills in this respect are limited to a lower body workout.

Quick Comparison

So which workout method should you choose when it comes to a choice between these two popular methods? Firstly, if you want a full body workout then you may want to go with the elliptical trainer. The fact that the workout is low impact means that you will be burning more calories but you will feel as though you are doing less work than with the treadmill. This will also be extremely beneficial to those with joint or back problems.

However, treadmills are always extremely useful for experienced runners who wish to stick to what they are familiar with and that they know works for them. Technology in newer treadmills also allows for a lower-impact workout, and the amount of calories burnt is usually higher with a treadmill than elliptical trainer.

Whether elliptical trainers will overtake the treadmill in terms of popularity is unclear. However, they certainly offer an effective way to burn calories as well as keeping pressure off the joints.