Reasons Why an Elliptical Machine is Better than the Treadmill

by Tanza Tripp on March 10, 2009 · weight loss

in weight loss

For several years, people have argued as to which works better, the elliptical trainer or treadmill? Everybody have their own opinion and each of them took sides. Today, we will know why really does the elliptical trainer works best.

An eliptical trainer and treadmill looks like they perform the same. They both work for the lower extremities such as running and walking for the treadmill and foot pedals for elliptical cross trainer. An elliptical machine, however, has the advantage for the upper extremities because of its hand bars.

An elliptical machine gives you overall body workout because you use the foot pedals for your legs and handle bars for your arms. Using a treadmill, you you can only do running, walking, or jogging. Your upper extremities are not given any priority so you will have to perform other means of exercising them.

Elliptical cross trainers imitate walking and running without putting too much pressure on your joints. Therefore, it slims down your chances of damages due to impact. It is obvious, however, that treadmills give big impact on your joints because you simulate running on a hard surface.

In terms of the amount of calories burned and training benefits, both machines give almost the same results. The difference is that, with cross trainers you give small effort while you getting greater impact injury protection. With the same amount of calories burned, treadmill posts impact injuries to your joints.

These fitness machines have their own special features but let’s discover which one has the best. The treadmill can differentiate in incline and intensity of execution for your lower body. An elliptical trainer has almost identical capability but with an added feature like forward and reverse maneuver on the foot pedals.

These are only some of the reasons why an eliptical trainer far exceeds the treadmill. It is but an old notion that the treadmill works better just because it came earlier in the field of fitness. With advances in science and technology, eliptical machine proves to be the new reliable fitness aid.

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