Elliptical Calories Vs. Treadmill Calories

To lose or maintain weight, calories are the name of the game. Weight loss occurs when more calories are burned than consumed. To maintain weight, calories burned must match calories consumed. The most effective way to do this is to combine exercise with monitoring caloric intake. Elliptical and treadmill machines are both good options when it comes to burning calories. There are many factors, however, to take into consideration when determining which machine will best meet individual lifestyle and calorie needs.

Burning Calories

When it comes to losing or maintaining your weight, you need to be conscious of the amount of calories you are eating and burning off through exercise. You must burn off an additional 500 calories per day to lose 1 lb. per week, or 1,000 calories per day to lose 2 lbs. Cutting the same number of calories from your daily intake will have the similar results. Your weight loss efforts will be easier, however, if you combine caloric reduction along with exercise to meet these requirements. In regard to exercise for weight loss, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that most people require 60 to 90 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most days of the week no matter what mode of exercise is chosen.

Features

Treadmills and elliptical machines can both help you reach your goal. To lose weight you need cardiovascular or aerobic type exercises done at a level that makes you out of breath and sweaty. No matter if you are walking, using a treadmill or elliptical you will get out of your workout what you put into your workout. Most machines are designed to tell you what your caloric expenditure is based on how hard you are working out. You will need to figure out your own personal comfort level when deciding between these two machines. For some elliptical trainers are easier on the knees and for others they cause knee pain. Some people do not like the automatic belt on a treadmill and others feel unsteady on an elliptical. Both will take some time to get used to but you may find that one machine allows you to get a better workout and burn more calories because it is more comfortable for you to use.

Comparisons

The exact number of calories burned whether you are on a treadmill or elliptical trainer depends on your weight and many other factors, says the American College of Sports Medicine. This includes your skill level on the machine you are using, any injuries you are compensating for and your level of personal interest. A general guideline is that a 150-lb. person on a treadmill walking at a speed of three miles per hour may burn about 300 calories per hour-long session. In contrast, the same person on an elliptical may burn around 770 calories in 60 minutes. These numbers are just an estimation, however; your level of intensity is what really determines caloric expenditure. A successful calorie burning program needs to be one you will maintain for the rest of your life, so choose the machine you are more likely to enjoy.

Benefits

The actual treadmill or elliptical machine you use will also make a difference. Both the treadmill and elliptical can come with or without handlebars that move. If you are pumping your arms and legs at the same time, you will burn more calories. If your gym has standard treadmills as well as ellipticals with moving handlebars, the elliptical may burn more calories per hour. In addition, look for models that allow you to adjust the incline. With both machines, the higher the incline, the more calories you will burn. For some people, however, the motion of an elliptical is more circular, making it easier to raise the incline. For others, raising the incline on an elliptical aggravates the hips, making the treadmill a better option. The best way to find out is to try both machines and monitor the caloric expenditure for each.

Insights

To get the maximum calorie burning benefit from your workouts, try interval training and cross training. The bottom line is that if you do the same exercise routine every time you work out, your body will adapt and your calorie expenditure may drop. Shaking things up with interval training or cross training may boost your caloric expenditure, says the Mayo Clinic. You can use the treadmill one day and the elliptical another. You can split up your 30 to 45 minutes of cardio by doing both machines the same day. If you use just one machine during your workout, alternate periods of going faster with less resistance or incline with periods of going slower with more resistance or incline. This will keep your body guessing and make it work harder. This results in greater caloric expenditure.