For many years, treadmills dominated the cardiovascular fitness markets at both the home and club level. They offered a way to have greater control over your workout and the weather conditions you exercised in. After the turn of the century, elliptical trainers were introduced as a low-impact alternative to the treadmill. Choosing which machine is right for your exercise routine depends on your physical condition, budget and overall workout goals.
Calorie Burning
Many people use aerobic workout equipment solely to burn calories and lose weight. Both the treadmill and elliptical trainer are well suited for this purpose. In July 2004, the Harvard Medical School published calorie burning data for many common exercise and daily tasks. The Harvard researchers found that a 155-lb. person can burn 335 calories every 30 minutes when exercising at a moderate pace on an elliptical trainer. The same person running at 5.2 mph, which is the pace needed for an 11 1/2-minute mile, would burn 335 calories over 30 minutes as well. Increasing your pace on either machine will increase the amount of calories you can burn.
Ergonomics
One of the biggest drawbacks of treadmills is the impact that they impart on your ankles, knees and hips when running. Treadmill manufacturers attempt to counteract the impact of your footfalls by adding shock absorbers to the running deck, but it is impossible to eliminate the negative effects entirely. Elliptical trainers gain an edge on treadmills in this regard because your feet never leave the platforms while exercising. This means that there is very little impact on your joints while using an elliptical trainer. However, strain may be created on your hips if you are tall and the elliptical stride length is too short.
Price
Treadmills and elliptical trainers range widely in price from less than $500 to several thousands of dollars. Buying a low quality machine of either variety is not advised as they will soon break down with regular use. Brett Spottke of the Exercise Equipment Expert website states that a high-quality elliptical trainer will be more durable than a treadmill in the same price range. He says that this is because elliptical trainers have fewer moving parts than treadmills and are therefore less likely to break down.
Workout Features
When choosing between a treadmill and an elliptical trainer, it is important to consider the specific workout features of the model you want to buy. Training programs, a heart monitor and adjustability in the running surface are all essential features that will make your training time more fruitful. One workout benefit of a treadmill is that the motorized belt keeps you running at an even pace throughout the workout, so you are more likely to push yourself out of your comfort zone when you are tired. Because elliptical trainers have self-propelled pedals, you may be inclined to slow your pace when you get tired.
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