Most of us know about elliptical trainers or cross trainers. As compared to treadmills, they are relatively new but they are increasingly getting popular because of their effectiveness and benefits. You will find them in most of the gyms and health clubs.
Even when you are looking for a machine for home use, elliptical trainers are always a good choice when you compare them to a treadmill or stair climber. These machines do not need extensive servicing and are easy to maintain. Modern trainers are getting smaller as well as more affordable which make them a very good choice for home users. Choosing a good trainer is a whole new topic in itself so I will keep it for a future post but now let us discuss the elliptical machine benefits and how it can help you reaching your exercise goals.
Some of the benefits can be
Increase in stamina
If you are already into some form of exercise or you are thinking of getting into fitness and exercise routine, then you must know about the aerobic or cardio workouts. Aerobic capacity or stamina is a very important part of fitness. If you have a high stamina then you will be able to do your exercises or any other physical activities without getting out of breath or breathlessness. A regular cardio workout on an elliptical trainer will increase your aerobic capacity and burn calories as well which will make you more active and energetic.
It also helps in weight loss, if you want to lose weight, you can combine such cardio workouts with a proper healthy diet and you will feel the difference. Effective Weight loss is all about consistent efforts in the right direction.
A non – impact workout
Some people cannot go through a full motion of their joints, sometimes they are not allowed to do anything which causes impact to the joints. In such cases, these machines are a very good choice as they provide a low impact exercise. Your feet never lift up from the pedals and you have more of a gliding motion making it ideal for such non impact workouts. You can get this for elderly people, or someone who are recovering from knee injury/surgery. When you compare it to jogging or running, exercise on a trainer is much more easy. These exercises are also good for bone density. There are many good models available – you can have something like a portable Stamina Inmotion trainer or a mid range machine like Schwinn 430 to high end equipment
If you have a problem like degenerative knee problem, you may experience a pain, in such a case, it is always better to consult a doctor. Such low impact exercises are also good in pregnancy, this keeps you physically active but then you must consult your doctor first.
A full body workout
Although these machines are excellent for lower body workouts and these are also the problem areas for most people, you can use these machines for a full body exercise. You can work on your legs, arms, back, shoulders and chest at the same time. In about 20-30 minutes, you can get a full body workout. Movable handles enable you to work out your upper body. This helps you in burning more calories and toning up your whole body.
There was this study about the benefits of elliptical trainer workouts by Clinical Biomechanics which concluded that these machines activate the muscles in a much better way when you compare it to other exercises like walking. You can also target different muscle groups with this by altering hand placements, intensity and strides
In all, this can be a very good choice for your exercises and fitness goals. If you are confused about the machine most suited to your exercise goals, you can do a comparison for the same.
Elliptical Trainers are in my opinion the best cardio machines on the market. If you want a vigorous cardio workout look into an elliptical machine. Increase the tension and utilize the arms for an upper and lower body workout.
In my personal opinion I love the elliptical trainer over the treadmill for many reasons. It seems as though everytime I go to the gym to workout I gravitate to the elliptical over the treadmill. It makes cardio workouts more exciting plus it allows you to workout your upper and lower body. Turning up the resistance and using the rear drive elliptical you will find yourself dripping buckets of sweat in no time. Thanks for sharing this article with us.