While weight loss can be difficult to achieve, the prescription for weight loss is fairly simplistic: You must burn more calories in a day than you take in. One part of that prescription involves consuming fewer calories. The other can involve burning more calories each day through exercise and building muscle that is more metabolically active than fat. That is where exercising on an elliptical machine can come in: Through burning more calories on a daily basis, you can achieve weight loss.
Significance
An elliptical exercise machine is chiefly a piece of cardiovascular exercise equipment. While elliptical features may vary depending on the brand of the machine, most ellipticals feature two moving foot pedals that follow an elliptical --- a squashed oval --- circuit. When you move your legs, the elliptical pedals move. The action is similar to low-impact running mixed with cross-country skiing. Some elliptical machines feature movable handles, which can add to the total-body workout. Other features may include adjustable resistance and incline, which can make your legs work harder.
Calories Burned
You burn calories throughout the day by just being you; walking, talking and eating all cause your body to burn calories. However, exercises like using an elliptical machine increase the calorie burn by causing your heart to pump harder and your muscles to use stored energy. A 140-lb. woman burns 256 calories by exercising vigorously on an elliptical for 30 minutes or 216 calories exercising with moderate intensity for the same amount of time. The American Council on Exercise likens the amount of calories burned using an elliptical to that of intense aerobic dancing or running an 11.5-minute mile.
Muscle Built
Another aspect of the elliptical machine makes it beneficial for weight loss is that exercising on elliptical machines with adjustable resistance helps you build muscle. Building muscle in your body helps you burn more calories when you are at rest, which further contributes to the calorie deficit that helps you lose weight. You must really challenge the muscles, however. Increase the incline to work your quadriceps and buttocks, and add resistance to the arms to work your triceps and biceps. You can tell when you have worked to build muscle when you feel slightly sore the day after exercising.
Considerations
Exercise is only truly beneficial when you do create a calorie deficit. Many exercisers use their elliptical exercise sessions to validate eating more after they get done exercising, according to a "Time" magazine article. Exercise also can stimulate your appetite. Keep in mind that if you are trying to lose weight through elliptical exercise, it's important to exercise at a higher intensity and to watch what you eat. When you do, weight loss will likely follow.
References
- Smooth Fitness; Do Elliptical Machines Work?; January 2011
- EllipticalTrainers.com: Benefits of an Elliptical Trainer
- MayoClinic.com; Are Elliptical Machines Better than Treadmills for Basic Aerobic Workouts?; Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.; June 2009
- American Council on Exercise: Are All Elliptical Trainers Created Equal?
- "Glamour"; Calories Burned Calculator; David Nieman; 2003
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