The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that all adults in the United States strive to get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise each week. You can reach this goal in several ways by either doing outdoor activities or using exercise equipment at your local fitness center or at home. Two of these pieces of equipment are elliptical trainers and treadmills, each of which has its own benefits and disadvantages.
Movement
Treadmills and ellipticals use completely separate movements. Traditional treadmills rely on the same movement as walking, jogging or running, which entails an up-and-down movement of the legs and feet, using the muscles of the legs to propel the body forward as your feet impact the ground. Ellipticals use a movement similar to cross-country skiing, which is more circular and relies on the leg muscles to move the pedals in a forward or backward motion.
Impact
An elliptical trainer creates less stress on the joints of your body, especially your back, knee and ankle joints. The up-and-down motion on a treadmill creates a jolting effect on your joints each time your feet touch the treadmill track to push you forward. Ellipticals remove this impact all together by using a circular motion, which removes the need for your feet to impact the ground. This means that ellipticals create less stress on the joints, while at the same time still creating a substantial aerobic workout.
Intensity
Both pieces of exercise machinery can change the level of intensity level by altering characteristics of the exercise. For example, on a treadmill, you can increase or decrease your exercise intensity level by increasing either the speed of the treadmill or the incline. On an elliptical, you can change the exercise intensity by altering the speed or the resistance level on the pedals, with higher resistance equaling more intense exercise.
Calories
Ellipticals and treadmills burn varying amounts of calories depending on the intensity level of the exercise. However, in general, a 145 lb. person can burn 626 calories per hour on an elliptical trainer. Similar calorie burning potential can be achieved on a treadmill at approximately six mile-per-hour, according to Livestrong.com's MyPlate. Your current weight may also affect how many calories you burn per hour on the machines. The heavier people are, the more calories they will burn.
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