If you are looking to lose weight and burn more calories, you may want to choose the treadmill to use over an elliptical machine. If used at a moderate pace, treadmills are likely to burn more calories and enhance energy expenditure more than an elliptical trainer. However, if you have arthritis or joint problems, the elliptical machine may be preferred.
Features
Moderate to vigorous jogging and running on a treadmill will burn more calories than a workout on the elliptical machine. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you weigh 160 lbs., you'll burn approximately 584 calories during one hour of jogging at 5 mph and 986 calories per hour running at 8 mph. The American Council on Exercise states that you burn approximately 8 to 9 calories per minute using an elliptical machine. This equals out to approximately 380 to 540 calories per hour.
Considerations
If you plan to only walk during your workout on the treadmill, you will burn less calories than using an elliptical machine. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you weigh 160 lbs., you'll burn approximately 183 calories per hour walking at a pace of 2 mph. A brisk pace of 3.5 mph will burn 277 calories in an hour. This is significantly less than the amount of calories you burn using an elliptical machine at a moderate pace.
Significance
If you have leg or knee injuries or suffer from joint disorders like arthritis, consider using an elliptical machine over a treadmill. Elliptical trainers do not place stress on the joints since you pedal in an elliptical pattern to operate the machine. Also, some elliptical machines allow you to work the upper body by pumping your arms back and forth with the attached ski poles.
Potential
Instead of choosing one machine over the other, use both a treadmill and elliptical machine to burn calories as part of a cross-training routine. Cross-training works different areas of the body and may help you workout for longer periods of time since it combats boredom. A sample cross-training routine would be 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, 20 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on an exercise bike.
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