In the last few years, elliptical machines have burst onto the exercise scene. You have seen elliptical trainers in gyms across the country; you have seen them on infomercials late at night; and you’ve seen them in your friends’ houses and figured that was how they have been losing their weight. But what makes elliptical machines so popular? We share some of the benefits of elliptical trainers with you.
What are elliptical trainers?
Elliptical machines are like a combination of a stair climber, an exercise bike, a cross-country ski trainer and a treadmill all into one machine. At first glance it looks like an odd, exercise bike with overgrown handles, but don’t be fooled. The elliptical trainer’s highly hybridized form gives you the opportunity to take the best parts of all of these types of exercise and leave behind the bad.
High-intensity, Low-impact
Many types of exercise — such as running — are rough on your body, especially your joints. People with chronic pain and joint ailments, such as arthritis, usually cannot do high-intensity workouts, because they are accompanied by jarring to the joints. Elliptical training is safe for people with arthritis and other joint and bone problems, because it is low-impact.
Because your feet never leave the pedals of the elliptical machine, you never have the jarring on your knees, shins and ankles that comes from running. Your legs also move in a smooth elliptical shape, which studies have shown to be the natural shape taken by your legs and feet when walking, jogging and striding.
Combination workout
An elliptical is a great time saver. You can get a full workout in as little as 10-20 minutes as a beginner, because an elliptical trainer requires the use of your entire body. Unlike a treadmill or an exercise bike where you may get your heart rate up by working your lower body, an elliptical machine works your lower AND upper body, and your heart. You will get a workout not only on your calves, quads, and hamstrings, but you’ll also work your gluts, chest, back, triceps and biceps — and most people say they don’t even notice how hard they are working.
Help your health
The creativity in an elliptical trainer helps your health in amazing ways. Other methods of exercise and other exercise equipment help your health, but elliptical trainers are quickly coming to the forefront as one of the best methods for improving your health.
Studies have shown elliptical machines help you burn more calories faster than running on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike. Although riding on an exercise bike is low-impact, like working out on an elliptical, it is not a weight-bearing exercise; and although running on a treadmill or working on a stair stepper is a weight-bearing exercise, it causes stress on your joints. An elliptical trainer gets the best of both worlds — low impact and weight bearing. Weight-bearing exercises burn more calories and help build bone density, which prevent the onset of osteoporosis. In a society in which osteoporosis is becoming more prevalent, prevention is even more important.
By D. Blair Thompson