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Treadmills vs. Ellipticals – Which is Better?

27th September, 2009 - Posted by health news - No Comments

The top two types of cardiovascular fitness machines that are currently the most popular are Treadmills and elliptical machines. The fitness equipment manufacturers are adept at touting the benefits of their machines and fitness experts add their opinions, which can often result in much confusion for people when trying to decide between treadmills vs. ellipticals. Both of these kinds of fitness machines are common fixtures at health clubs and there are many models that are specifically designed for home use.

If comparing Treadmills to ellipticals, you will find that treadmills have been on the market for decades and is therefore more widely known, is more commonplace, and also currently has a larger following of users. But, this could change soon because ellipticals are quickly becoming the favorite of many fitness-minded people and many are either adding an elliptical trainer to their selection of exercise equipment, or they are replacing their treadmill in favor of an elliptical exercise.

Because of this shift in the fitness world, it would be advisable to take time to do some research and delve into additional information in order to do a comprehensive evaluation of the treadmills vs. ellipticals situation.. Everyone has different goals for their fitness workouts, so the results of the evaluation will also depend on what you want to accomplish through your fitness machines exercise routines.

One of the nicest things that people learn when they compare products is that a workout on an elliptical fitness trainer is virtually impact-free. Because of the fact that your feet stay in contact at all times with the large foot pedals of an elliptical machine, there is no jarring impact against a solid surface as there is when your feet strike the surface of a treadmill. Using an elliptical means that all of the joints in your lower body, from ankle to hips, are relieved from the jolts and stresses that come with a workout on treadmills.

Even if the cushioning that is provided through the belt and deck of a treadmill is much easier on your joints than walking on cement or asphalt, there is still a great deal of wear and impact on your knees, hips, ankles and the structure of your foot. The impact is even greater for most joggers and runners. Over time, this stressful impact can cause numerous problems and injuries..

However, when comparing the Treadmills and ellipticals, it needs to be pointed out that the treadmill fitness machines do provide for much better training for runners and joggers than with an elliptical. If you are training to run a marathon, but cannot train outside during some months of the year, a treadmill is a better choice for obvious reasons.

When it comes to analyzing the efficiency of cardiovascular workouts, the elliptical machines exercise delivers a better, more effective overall cardio workout than treadmill equipment does. With a good quality crossover elliptical trainer, you will have handlebars that work your arms at the same time that your legs are working. A treadmill only exercises and strengthens your lower body through the actions of walking, jogging or running.

Most people also want to know how calorie-burning effectiveness compares with a treadmills vs. ellipticals. Once again, the elliptical wins in this race. During an elliptical exercise machines workout, the muscles of both the upper body and the lower body are engaged and working at the same time, resulting in more calories being burned. The impression is that you are putting out less effort during an elliptical workout, because there is virtually no impact on your body; however,the exercise is still very effective for burning calories and weight loss.