Elliptical trainers are a popular type of stationary cardiovascular exercise machine found in health clubs and in sporting goods stores for home purchase. The low-impact nature of the elliptical, coupled with its ease of use, made it one of the fastest-growing machines in terms of participation, going from 7.37 million users in 2000 to 26.52 million in 2009, as reported by ClubIndustry.com in May 2010. The elliptical has some advantages over other forms of aerobic training.
Features
An elliptical trainer includes two foot plates affixed to gliding rails. You stand on the plates and move your legs front to back in a jogging- or stepping-like movement to burn calories, build aerobic fitness and strengthen your legs. Some ellipticals feature arm poles that may be moved in conjunction with your legs. You control the difficulty of the pedal stroke with a resistance button on the console. Many machines allow you to adjust the height of the gliding rails -- known as the cross ramp -- to target different leg muscles during your workout.
Advantages
Because your feet never lift up off the pedals, the elliptical trainer provides a low-impact workout that may be beneficial to people with joint problems. Other modes of aerobic training, such as jogging or even walking on a treadmill, can aggravate knee, hip and back pain. The elliptical trainer is appropriate for most levels of fitness, making it more appealing than electric stationary bicycles that may not be challenging enough for the highly fit. You can easily perform endurance or interval-style workouts on an elliptical trainer.
Considerations
If you're extremely overweight, you may find a workout on the elliptical uncomfortable, because you must stand and bear your weight. People who are overweight by 50 lbs. or more may prefer the stationary bicycle, because it does not put stress on the knees, hips, back and ankles, notes the Cleveland Clinic. The elliptical trainer can become monotonous if you use it every day, but the smooth movement makes watching television or reading relatively easy, which isn't the case with workouts such as running on a treadmill or using a rowing machine.
Calories
A 150-lb. person burns about 232 calories in a moderate 30-minute elliptical workout, or 275 calories in a very vigorous routine. A walk uphill, a moderate 30 minutes on a stationary cycle or a vigorous aerobics class also burns about 250 calories for the same person. Running at 6 mph burns about twice as many calories in half an hour. The readout on your elliptical's console may display a higher calorie burn, but be warned that these counters are not always accurate. John Porcari, a professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, told the "Los Angeles Times" that such counters may be off by 25 to 30 percent.
Strategy
An elliptical trainer may be part of a complete fitness routine. Cross-training, or varying the mode of aerobic exercise you do from day to day, can help prevent boredom and taxes different muscles, which may help prevent injury, advises the American Council on Exercise. If the elliptical is your favorite, use it for three of your five weekly workouts, and on other days attend a class, take a walk or cycle. Ultimately, machines and exercise modes that you enjoy will help you stick with your exercise plan for the long term.
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