Walking Vs. An Elliptical Machine

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults ages 18 and over should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise each week. Both walking and working out on an elliptical trainer provide healthy aerobic exercise that can help you fulfill this weekly minimum. These two forms of exercise offer slightly different benefits. If you can, work them both into your weekly exercise routine.

Intensity

Walking provides a low-intensity workout that can help you ease into a regular exercise routine. As you begin to feel stronger and fitter, you can walk more quickly or choose more difficult terrain or steeper hills to cover. The elliptical machine can also provide a low-intensity workout, but you can get a vigorous workout on these machines if you increase the incline or resistance of the pedals or simply pedal faster.

Impact

The elliptical trainer offers a low-impact form of exercise. Your feet do not leave the pedals on these machines, meaning that your joints do not have to pound repeatedly on a hard surface. The Mayo Clinic suggests that this low-impact exercise puts less stress on your knees and hips, and might lead to fewer injuries than running or walking on a treadmill. On the other hand, the Mayo Clinic suggests that the higher impact of weight-bearing activities such as walking can help strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Muscles Worked

Both walking and working out on an elliptical trainer emphasize the leg muscles, including the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Some elliptical machines also have ski poles that you can push or pull with your arms, allowing you to work your upper body as well.

Weight Management

Both walking and elliptical training can help you manage your weight. The number of calories you burn while exercising will depend on your weight and the intensity and duration of your workout. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 160-lb. person can burn about 183 calories in one hour of walking at 2 mph, 277 calories in one hour of walking at 3.5 mph or 365 calories in one hour of low-impact aerobic exercise on a machine like the elliptical trainer.

Health Benefits in Common

When you increase your heart rate while walking or working out on the elliptical trainer, you work your heart and lungs and promote more efficient flow of oxygen through your blood. With regular aerobic exercise, you will begin to breathe more deeply and efficiently. The Mayo Clinic suggests that this increased lung capacity contributes to a variety of benefits in your daily life, including higher energy levels, higher self-confidence, better mood, deeper sleep and even better sex.