There are several types of workouts which you can do at a gym. Some of the most effective and useful workouts for weight loss and overall health are cardio exercises. You will find several workout machines and pieces of equipment that can help you get a proper cardio workout. Two of these include a treadmill and an elliptical trainer.
These machines can help you get a solid cardio workout within just a few minutes. You will hear several myths about these two types of exercise machines. However, the truth is that if you use them the right way they can both be highly effective for your body. Elliptical trainers and treadmills are especially beneficial for those of you who are interested in losing excess body weight while putting minimal stress on their joints.
Why Do You Need Cardio To Shed Weight?
According to the CDC, every person should get approximately 150 minutes of moderate cardio workout every week. You divide this number according to your convenience. Getting enough proper cardio exercise is highly crucial for the health of your heart, whether you choose endurance or high-intensity cardio, you gotta get it in. Proper cardio also helps you to shed unwanted body weight over time. Cardio may be anything from mere jogging to performing interval exercises at home. However, if you visit the gym, you will find several pieces of workout equipment that can help you get a solid cardio workout. The top two picks by most gym goers are the treadmill and the elliptical trainer.
Elliptical Trainer
There are many people who will tell you that elliptical trainers fail to give you a proper workout. However, if you remain focused on your goal you can easily push yourself to achieve the goal. The best part about an elliptical trainer is that it allows you to get a heart-pumping exercise which is low impact. This is especially beneficial for those of you who suffer from muscle pains or joint aches.
Elliptical Machine Benefits
If you use an elliptical trainer the proper way, you can enjoy several benefits. Some of the key benefits are discussed below.
- Using an elliptical trainer actually helps you enjoy a low-impact cardio workout. It keeps you from the pounding your body and joints take with various other types of cardio workouts such as running on the treadmill. If you use the machine the right way you can easily avoid serious impact on a number of areas of your body such as ankles, hip, and knees.
- An elliptical trainer can easily provide a full body workout. This is certainly not possible with a treadmill. However, you can only enjoy a full body workout if you use the handles of the machine. Simply push and pull the handle bars while engaging the core muscles of your body. As a result of this, your body will enjoy an all-around muscle toning. On the other hand, if you are only interested on the lower part of your body, then you can simply avoid using the handles during your workout session on the machine.
- Treadmills usually demand periodic maintenance in order to operate smoothly for a long time. However, this is not the case with elliptical trainers. When it comes to maintenance of a treadmill, all you need to do is lubricate all the movable parts of the machine and also properly center the running belt. In case you wish to invest in a no-maintenance workout machine, then an elliptical will be a good choice.
Treadmill
If you think that running outside with the fresh air and sunshine is not your cup of tea, then you may want to try a good quality treadmill and use it in the comfort of your home. It can also prove to be beneficial when the weather outside is not favoring you to go out for a jog. Most of the modern day treadmills allow you to run at an inclined angle. This helps you to burn more calories and also increases your stamina faster than otherwise. Different features in a treadmill can also allow you to change the speed of your run and keep proper track of your heart rate, which is especially beneficial for heart patients.
Treadmill Benefits
Treadmills also provide several benefits which you can enjoy once you start using one. Some of the key benefits are mentioned below.
- Running on a treadmill helps you get a more consistent workout just like running outdoors. It targets certain muscle groups in your body such as quads, calves, glutes, hamstrings, and hip muscles. If you are an athlete, then running on a treadmill can easily provide you a great means to train for your various outdoor races. All this is possible in the comfort of your gym or home. If you busy most of the time and if the weather conditions are not good, you can certainly use a treadmill to get your daily workout.
- When you use an elliptical trainer, you will notice that your feet cannot be lifted entirely from the pedals. This is not the case with a treadmill. Jogging on a treadmill allows you to lift your feet off the running belt. As a result of this, your ab muscles get engaged in the workout in order to help you remain centered and stable on the running belt.
- Do you have a space crunch at home? In that case, using a treadmill will be better for you. Elliptical trainers usually require a lot of vertical space, which is not the case with treadmills. Apart from the height requirement, elliptical trainers also require more space in order to help you use it easily and freely. This is simply because the pedals need to rotate to help you get your cardio workout. There are also situations wherein people tend to bounce a lot during the apex of the rotation. This means that using an elliptical will also require more head space so that your head does not hit the roof.
It is true that elliptical trainers and treadmills help you get a proper workout in different ways. Which one you use is completely based on your requirement and budget.
Tags: cardio, cardiovascular, elliptical, equipment, fitness, health, safety, treadmill
