Elliptical trainers, also known as elliptical machines, cross trainers or ellipticals, are stationary exercise machines similar to treadmills in their application. Users stand upright on falling and rising pedals and grasp handgrips, using their body weight to simulate walking, jogging or running to get a cardiovascular workout. Especially when paired with a balanced diet, regular use of an elliptical trainer provides a variety of health benefits.
General Health Benefits
The cardiovascular exercise an elliptical trainer provides has a host of health benefits. By simulating running, walking or jogging, the machine strengthens the heart muscle by elevating the heart rate. This type of exercise helps users burn calories and reduce the risk of heart attack, heart disease and stroke. Consistently exercising on an elliptical also increases the body's metabolic rate and burns calories, which can lead to weight loss. Elliptical trainer use can tone the muscles of the legs, arms, back and abdominal region.
Versatility
Because elliptical trainers feature both handgrips and platforms for the feet, the machines work out the upper and lower body simultaneously. This means that elliptical users can potentially save time at the gym with a two-for-one workout. On most machines, handles and foot pedals go in both forward and reverse, providing two entirely different workouts for the lower body. Most machines also automatically adjust the pedaling difficulty as the workout progresses. By exercising without using the machine's handlebars, elliptical users can exercise the lower body to benefit core strength and overall balance.
Joint Pressure
According to Robert Recker, scientific advisor for the National Osteoporosis Foundation, weight-bearing exercise benefits bone density, which makes for healthy bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Using an elliptical trainer is a weight-bearing exercise, as your bones work against gravity to support your body weight. Although your feet avoid stress during an elliptical workout as they do not hit the ground, Recker states that the bone density benefit of using an elliptical trainer is comparable to the bone density benefit of running on the ground. Ellipticals are also useful for rehabilitation purposes, helping those who suffer from injuries get back into shape by allowing them to simulate movement without applying excessive pressure to their joints. As a low-impact workout, the exercise provided by an elliptical trainer is accessible to older people -- the machines present a very low risk of back, knee and ankle injury.
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