Elliptical machines provide low-impact aerobic exercise that can help you burn calories and control your weight. Moderate-intensity workouts such as elliptical trainer exercise should increase your heart rate somewhat, but not as much as vigorous-intensity workouts such as running. During a moderate elliptical workout, your heart rate should reach 50 to 70 percent of the estimated maximum heart rate for your age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even moderate workouts can burn a significant number of calories.
Calories Burned
Thirty minutes of working out on an elliptical trainer at moderate intensity can burn 270 calories for a 125-lb. person, 335 calories for a 155-lb. person and 400 calories for a 185-lb. person, according to Harvard Health Publications. The number of calories you burn with your elliptical workout will depend on your weight and fitness level, the duration of the workout and the intensity of your effort throughout the workout. If you can't sustain high-intensity effort throughout the workout, try adding short intervals of higher-intensity effort to a moderate-intensity workout. Your heart rate should increase during these intervals, and you will burn slightly more calories.
Comparison
Elliptical workouts burn calories more quickly than walking, hiking, playing golf, playing softball or biking at moderate intensity, notes Harvard Health Publications. A 30-minute elliptical workout burns about the same number of calories as a 30-minute run at 5.2 mph. Exercises that burn calories more quickly than the elliptical trainer include running at speeds greater than 5.2 mph, vigorous lap swimming and racquetball.
Caloric Balance
To maintain your weight, you must remain in caloric balance by burning as many calories as you consume. Regular physical activity can help you maintain that balance. To lose weight, you'll need to create a caloric deficit by burning more calories than you consume. Burning calories on the elliptical trainer can help you achieve the 500 to 1,000-calorie deficit required to lose weight at a healthy rate of 1 to 2-lb. per week.
Health Benefits
Regular aerobic exercise provides a wide range of health benefits. Adults who get 150 minutes or more of moderate aerobic exercise each week have reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and some cancers, according to the CDC. Regular workouts can also help improve your mood and sleep more deeply.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Measuring Physical Activity Intensity
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Target Heart Rate and Estimated Maximum Heart Rate
- Harvard Health Publications: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes For People of Three Different Weights
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Caloric Balance
- MayoClinic.com: Interval Training
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The Benefits of Physical Activity
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