Elliptical trainers owe their popularity, in part, to giving you a total body workout in a single session, notes Elliptical Trainers.com. The low-impact workout trains the upper body and lower body while providing an aerobic alternative to jogging or treadmills.
Low Impact
Elliptical trainers work well for people with back or joint problems because they are low impact. The feet remain firmly on the pedals while the user pumps the equipment. This prevents the joint-jarring impact that comes from running on a treadmill. People who are recovering from shin splints or who suffer from Achilles tendonitis can easily use the elliptical machine. At the same time, elliptical users can get a weight-bearing workout to help strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Cardiovascular
When you hold the moving handlebars while pedaling the machine, you increase your heart rate to aerobic levels. You can speed up for a more intense workout and increased heart rate, gaining additional cardiovascular benefits. By training for 20 to 30 minutes at least three times a week on an elliptical trainer, you can reduce your risk of heart disease and clogged arteries as well as lowering LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reducing high blood pressure. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that elliptical trainers may be more effective for increasing heart rate, oxygen consumption and weight loss than treadmills.
Weight Loss
Training on an elliptical helps with weight loss by burning calories. Several factors come into play when trying to determine how many calories you can burn on an elliptical trainer. Considerations include body size, speed of the workout, sex, upper body composition and resistance settings. On average, a 150-lb. woman can burn an average of 387 calories in 30 minutes, reports Elliptical Trainer Review. A 180-lb. man could burn off anywhere from 460 to 550 calories in those same 30 minutes. Interval training that moves the elliptical platform on an incline for part of the workout can increase the number of calories burned. Splitting up the day's workout into two 15-minute sessions can burn more calories because the metabolism is revved up more often.
Strength
You can tone your legs, arms and abs through regular use of an elliptical trainer. Proper use and posture on the machine helps to develop back and core strength. More muscles get worked in a shorter period of time on an elliptical trainer.
Ease
Elliptical trainers are easy to use. No coordination is required to operate the pedals and handlebars because the machine is orchestrated to move in tandem as you pumps the steps. Most elliptical training machines have easily adjustable resistance switches to provide a more muscle-building workout, when required. Preset programs on more advanced machines can provide time and calorie calculators and set up an entire routine.
Member Comments