If you visit any gym, you'll likely find several rows of gleaming treadmills and elliptical trainers. If you're trying to decide whether you should incorporate their use into your cardio workout routine, or if you're considering buying one for your own home gym, knowing their general pros and cons can help you make the best decision for your body --- and your wallet, too.
Pros: Burning Calories
Everyone burns calories at a different rate, depending on varied factors such as their body weight and personal metabolism speed. However, in general, both treadmills and elliptical machines rank as the top fitness machines for expending calories. This high caloric expenditure potential may be especially important to people who are trying either to lose weight or to manage their existing weight.
Cons: Not as Caloric Efficient as Outdoor Running
In many cases, running on a treadmill or simulating running on an elliptical trainer can't fully match the caloric expenditure rates experienced while running or jogging outdoors. That's because you don't experience running environments such as hills and slopes, resistance from the blowing wind and other obstacles. However, you may be able to make up for this by increasing the resistance of your elliptical machine's pedaling system and raising the incline of your treadmill's running track by 1 percent.
Pros and Cons: Price
For a high-quality experience not marred by expensive breakdowns and repairs, you'll need to spend approximately $2,000 or more on your elliptical machine or treadmill as of 2011, notes "Consumer Reports" magazine. Depending on how you look at it, that can be both a pro and a con. Granted, $2,000 is a lot of money and a cost that some individuals simply can't accommodate. However, with the average U.S. gym membership costing $775, buying your own machine can save you money over the course of several years. Plus, you can view it as investing in your health and reducing other costs, such as health care costs related to being obese or overweight.
Cons: Not Training-specific
In the exercise world, athletes often follow what's known as the "law of specificity." Essentially, that says that you should train at the same pace and in the same environment as whatever end goal you have. For competitive runners, joggers or walkers, that means training outdoors in a course that mimics your race or marathon. No matter how you adjust your elliptical trainer or treadmill, that simply won't happen if you only train indoors. Thus, if you plan on running or jogging competitively, prepare your muscles accordingly by incorporating outdoor running with your indoor training regimen.
Pros: Gentler On Your Joints
Elliptical machines create a minimal impact on your joints, making them perfect for athletes who want to burn plenty of calories but who also suffer from joint pain or poor joint health. This includes people with arthritis. Similarly, treadmills offer up a padded running surface --- some treadmills even include shock absorbers in the running track --- that also creates a gentler running experience than what's encountered on hard surfaces outdoors.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Exercise: Recommended Exercise Methods; Harvey Simon; May 2009
- NetWellness; Treadmill Vs. Outdoor Running; January 2010
- "Consumer Reports"; Elliptical Shopping Tips; February 2011
- "Smart Money"; 6 Ways to Cut Gym Membership Costs; Kelli Grant; January 2010
- "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide"; Hal Higdon; 2005
- "Day In, Day Out"; Elliptical Machines: Good News for Bad Knees; Mike Perko; January 2005
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