If you are trying to decide which one is better: elliptical vs treadmill for weight loss, there are some pros and cons that you should be considering.
If losing weight is your primary goal and you are on the fence which exercise machine to buy, then you might be interested to know which machine can help you to burn more calories effectively.
Elliptical Machine for Weight Loss: The Pros
*** Elliptical trainer provides low-impact workout which translates into less stress on joints and lower risk of impact injuries. This is a great feature for people trying to lose lots of weight. Let’s face it, if you are in pain, you are not likely to be working out. This means you’ll be able to exercise more on elliptical without injury.
*** The low impact nature of the elliptical workouts makes it an excellent choice for overweight and those with back pain, as well as knee and ankle injuries. Also great for those who require gentle exercise, but want to strengthen their cardiovascular system such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME).
*** Elliptical trainer provides weight-bearing workout in addition to aerobic exercise.
*** Elliptical trainers provide a total body workout and targeting more muscles than running. When you use the handle-levers your upper body is getting a workout too, in addition to the leg muscles working on the pedals. With proper posture and form, your core muscle will also be engaged.
*** Elliptical trainers are just as good as treadmill when it comes to exerting leg muscles and increasing the heart rate, so that the workout on your legs and heart is similar to running.
*** However, even though you are working out really hard, burning lots of calories in the process, the perceived rate of exertion tends to be lower when comparing to running on a treadmill. I feel that its hard to tire yourself out on a elliptical compared to any other machine - that way even if you are out of shape you may be able to burn more calories.
*** As a result, many people experience faster weight loss on the ellipticals compared to the treadmill or running outdoors. This can be attributed to the low impact of the elliptical trainer, which allows you to burn more calories due to the lower perceived rate of exertion.
*** Most elliptical trainers provide an option to go forward, as well as backwards (targeting the quadriceps muscles). This is a terrific feature and allowing you to focus on two distinct muscle groups.
*** Varying stride length can result in greater recruitment of a variety of muscle groups. Increasing stride length helps increase the weight loss without the feeling of exercising harder.
*** A variety of exercises that you can choose on elliptical trainer allows you to stay motivated and avoid boredom. You can go forwards or backwards, change the stride length, intensity and in some cases incline.
Treadmill Weight Loss: The Pros
*** Treadmill makes it easier for people to stay motivated and push yourself to the limit. Elliptical trainers require you to work hard to stay motivated and keep pushing yourself to work hard, as the elliptical machine relies on the user’s movement. The treadmill on the other hand can be programmed to a certain speed, e.g. 6 mph, and that is how fast you have to run – otherwise you fall off. Therefore, if you are prone to daydreaming while working out, treadmill will force you to work out hard, while on elliptical you may not be working as hard as you could be.
*** Treadmill is more like running in the real world. Elliptical on the other hand, does not prepare you for “real word” high-impact activities.
*** Some people just prefer the treadmills, as they dislike the movement of the elliptical trainer. For many, the motion of the elliptical trainer may take some getting used to.
Elliptical vs Treadmill for Weight Loss: The Bottom Line
The bottom line is this: no machine – no matter how sophisticated – will help you lose weight unless you use it.
No machine will burn those calories for you!
*** To lose weight, we must burn more calories than we eat through out the day. Some experts said that both the treadmill and elliptical provide the same effect on losing weight. The only 2 factors that affect the results: how hard you work out, how long you stick and work on it.
*** If you are in pain and are concerned about the injuries, I’d say go with the elliptical.
*** If you just want a machine that can let you exercise easily to burn more fat, then elliptical is your choice. It is the best for you if you have any problems with joints, hip and knees because it has less impact on your body.
*** Treadmill is more like running in the real world and it makes it easier to force yourself to work hard (at least for some people), so that may be a deciding point for you.
*** If you have a dream to run a marathon or participate in any competition, then you might have to select the treadmill. Don’t worry if you are a beginner. Just keep doing until your body and stamina can afford to run at high speed and burn the most calories.
Otherwise, it’s really a matter of preference.
If you are planning to buy an elliptical machine or treadmill for working out at home with the main purpose to lose weight, and are unsure which one to lose, then I recommend that you head to the nearest gym near you, and just try working out on both a couple of times. To do that, you don’t need to join, just buy a one-time pass, or some gyms even may allow you to come in for free.
Also, remember that exercise can be the central tool in weight loss and total body transformation, but it’s still only one part of the puzzle towards health. Proper diet is the second critical factor that needs to be incorporated in your weight loss exercise routine.
To lose 1 pound you have to burn about 3500 calories. So that means that if you want to lose 1 pound in a weeks time without changing your eating habits you have to spend about five hours on an elliptical machine or a treadmill. If you set up an exercise program that puts you on an elliptical machine four days a week for one hour per day you will lose about 1 pound per week.
The intensity to which you do the exercise has a lot to do with how fast you’ll lose weight. You really have to push yourself and sweat. If you’re not sweating, you are probably not working out hard enough.
This will be easier if you adopt a healthy eating plan that will speed up your metabolism and help you burn calories even faster.
Elliptical Vs Treadmill for Weight Loss: Which is Better?
