Treadmills and ellipticals are indoor exercise machines that provide aerobic workouts, an important part of any fitness routine, according to MayoClinic.com. The Spine-Health website states that low-impact workouts are important for some fitness enthusiasts. Treadmills provide a lower-impact walking and running environment than sidewalks or cement and ellipticals deliver a great low-impact workout.
Treadmill Description
Treadmills are designed to provide a walking or running surface in an indoor environment. Treadmills are made of a frame, a display screen, a small electric motor and a wide rubber belt that serves as the exercising surface upon which you walk or run. In operation, the rubber belt moves and you use the display screen to control the belt's movement. A series of sensors connecting the belt with the display screen provide feedback on your workout.
Elliptical Description
Ellipticals are designed to create a low-impact walking or running motion in an indoor environment. Like treadmills, ellipticals are made of a frame, a display screen and a small motor, but instead of a rubber belt, ellipticals have two foot pedals or platforms to stand on, and they rotate in an ellipse that's parallel to the ground. Many ellipticals have handlebars that either swing back and forth or are stationary. The display screen allows you to control your workout and receive, via sensors from the foot pedals and handlebars, progress on your workout.
Treadmill Pros and Cons
One benefit of exercising on a treadmill is that the exercising surface is much softer than walking or running on a sidewalk or cement outside. Also, treadmills can be set to move fast or slow and to mimic the terrain of flat ground or a hill. This allows treadmill users to adapt the machine to their specific fitness needs. The primary con of a treadmill is that it's a stationary machine. When you walk or run outside, the scenery constantly changes, offering variety to a workout. Another possible con is that walking or running on a treadmill might still provide too much impact for an athlete recovering from injury or someone with arthritis.
Elliptical Pros and Cons
Perhaps the best feature of ellipticals is that the machine mimics the walking and running motion in a low-impact manner. For athletes who are injured or who have painful joints, an elliptical can be a healthy alternative. Ellipticals also can be set with wide variability in a workout's type and difficulty, allowing many people to meet their exercise needs. One possible con of ellipticals is that they, like treadmills, are stationary devices that provide no opportunity for changing scenery. Another potential con is the lack of specificity in an elliptical workout. In order to be a skier, you need to ski. In order to be a good runner, you must run. While an elliptical might provide ample cross-training, it's not specifically preparing you for any sport.
Treadmill and Elliptical Workout Comparison
Although both treadmills and ellipticals deliver lower-impact, aerobic workouts, they do so uniquely. On a treadmill, you are actually walking or running, albeit on a much softer surface than many outdoor surfaces. On an elliptical machine, you are mimicking the walking or running motion, and you're doing so with less impact than if you were actually walking or running.
Warning
Get a physician's approval before you exercise on a treadmill or elliptical, says the American Council on Exercise. Stop working out if you experience any pain, including chest pain, during your workout. Begin exercise programs on a treadmill or elliptical gradually over weeks or months so that your body can adapt to the rigors of the workouts.
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