The elliptical trainer is a low-impact exercise machine that has movable poles and foot pedals. It is often referred to as a "cross trainer" because it simulates a number of aerobic exercises, including walking, running, stair-stepping and cross-country skiing, according to the Spine-Health website. Stay disciplined and motivated to get the best results out of your workouts.
Stretching
When you operate an elliptical, you activate numerous muscles and joints. If you go into a workout without loosening up, you not only compromise your results, but you also open yourself up for injury. Execute eight or 10 dynamic stretches to prevent this from happening. These are performed in a steady motion instead of being held. Leg swings, knee highs, arm crossovers, shoulder shrugs, reverse lunges, side rotations and heel raises are examples.
Proper Form
Utilize proper form in order to get good results on the elliptical. Once you place your feet on the pedals, grasp the poles at about chest-height and look straight ahead. Keep your core tight, back straight and gaze fixed forward as you move the poles and your legs back and forth in an alternating motion.
Time Frame
To get favorable results on the elliptical, you must work out for a long enough duration. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of physical activity for disease prevention and 60 to 90 minutes for weight loss. If you have a busy schedule, break your exercise sessions into smaller bouts and accumulate your time. For example, exercise for 20 minutes three times a day. This is just as effective as doing your exercise in one long session. Work out four or five days a week, and exercise every week to achieve sustained results.
Effects
When you use an elliptical, you engage muscles in your upper and lower body. The glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and calves all get worked on the lower body, and the chest, back, triceps, biceps and trapezius get worked on the upper body. The trapezius is the muscle that runs over top of the collar bones. By building muscle, you will boost your resting metabolic rate and further contribute to weight loss. To increase the emphasis on your muscles, adjust the resistance, incline or both at the same time.
Variation
Ellipticals come with non-movable handles at the bottom of the console. For a variation, take your hands off the movable poles and place them on the handles. This will shift the emphasis to your lower body. With most ellipticals, you also have the option of moving in reverse, which will work your muscles differently, according to MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
Your diet has a lot to do with your elliptical results. If you eat an excessive amount of calories and choose unhealthy foods, you will not make much progress. Eat nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains, and reduce your calories if weight loss is a goal.
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