Anytime you move your body in a repetitive motion for an extended period, you are doing cardiovascular exercise. Elliptical machines give your body a cardiovascular workout, and they are well known for their many benefits. For example, according to MayoClinic.com, elliptical training machines work directly on the bones in your legs, hips and lower spine to slow mineral loss. But there are disadvantages to an elliptical machine, too.
Calories Burned
In order to lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit where you burn more than you take in. A common way to lose two pounds a week is to cut out 500 calories a day and burn 500 calories a day through exercise. Being that it takes a 3,500-calorie deficit to lose one pound, your 1,000 calorie daily deficit will come out to 7,000 calories for the week, which equals two pounds. If you have a specific weight-loss goal you are trying to reach and you rely on the accuracy of the elliptical calorie counter, you can fall short of your goal. They generally read higher than your actual expenditure. This, in turn, will slow your progress.
Too Easy
Exercises such as running, jumping rope, rowing, swimming and swinging kettlebells all take a maximal amount of force and effort to perform. Basically, the body needs to be moved on its own power. A con and pro of the elliptical machine is that it is low-impact. It's true that this is beneficial for people with injuries and complications, but this also makes the exercise easy to perform. While gliding back and forth, momentum takes over, and you do not experience the same type of effort you would on a treadmill or rowing machine.
Awkward
To use an elliptical, you need to move two foot pedals back and forth as you simultaneously move two poles back and forth with your hands. For someone who is new to exercise, has bad balance or has a pre-existing injury, this upper- and lower-body motion can be difficult and dangerous. This is especially the case if you are short and cannot hold the handles properly.
Light Reistance
Elliptical machines are said to tone the muscles. In actuality, a muscle needs to be progressively overloaded with a resistance greater than it is accustomed to for it to grow. If this is your intention, you will not get the resistance you need on the elliptical machine. Even at the highest resistance, your muscles do not get the same effect that they would with weight-training exercises.
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