Elliptical Vs Treadmill

Elliptical Vs Treadmill – What’s Best For Home Exercising?

Elliptical exercises are a relatively new introduction into the exercise milieu, whereas treadmills have been around for several years, which explains why treadmills would win any popularity contest if it came to a choice between elliptical vs treadmill. However, that should not really be used as the sole criterion for deciding which one to buy. So, how do you decide which is the best for you?

Some people have been happily using treadmills for years, and they are certainly simple and effective. Running on a treadmill produces a good deal less impact than running on hard ground, so is less likely to cause injuries such as shin splints or soreness to the feet or legs. On the other hand, they do not eliminate impact completely, which is what elliptical exercisers do as the leg motion is continuous.

When using an elliptical exerciser you keep your feet on the pedals the whole time, without lifting them up or putting them down, so there is really no impact. The exercise still counts as weight-bearing, though, so it can help increase or maintain bone density in the same way as using a treadmill, without the risk of damaging the bone by high impact exercise.

Varying Exercise Type And Intensity

There is a lot to be said for being able to vary both the type and the intensity of your workout. In the elliptical vs treadmill debate, which allows for most variety? It is, perhaps, not as straightforward as it may at first seem.

Depending on the quality of the machine, and the cost, which can range from a couple of hundred to several thousand dollars, you may get additional or fewer programs to choose from with either kind. Because most elliptical exercisers include moving handlebars, which work the upper body as well as the lower, you can vary the intensity by using your arms or not.

However, as exercising is in both cases essentially cardio-vascular, you will only be able to do as much as your body is capable of in terms of your heart and lung strength. This means that as long as you are equally tired by the end of your exercise session, you will have done more or less the same amount of good, burnt the same number of calories, and increased your heart and lung capacity. The important thing is to keep striving to improve continually, which is something both kinds of machine will allow.

Muscle Tone

When considering the benefits of an elliptical vs treadmill machine, the main difference is in involving the arms in the exercise throughout. A small amount of resistance (as in an elliptical trainer) is likely to improve muscle tone in the upper body as well as the lower, while concentrating solely on leg action (as in the treadmill) will target the larger muscles of the legs and glutes. Because these are larger muscles, you still burn the same number of calories but the only real effect on the arms will come from the fact that if you exercise regularly you will likely lose the surface fat from all over your body, so your arms will be less flabby, just as the rest of your body will. However, if you are really keen on toning your arms, and the rest of your upper body, you will need to do some specific resistance training.

Click here to find deals on Elliptical Trainers!

Click here to find deals on Treadmills!