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By: Matt Weik
When it comes to pieces of cardio equipment, each style and piece seems to have its own set of positives and negatives. You have the bike which is great assuming you don’t have any lower back issues, you have the treadmill, which is great if you don’t have knee problems… the list goes on and on. But what about the elliptical? Could the elliptical be your best bet when doing cardio? Let’s discuss this idea.
Below, I want to show some of the many benefits that can be achieved by using an elliptical to improve your health and aid in weight loss. They are listed in no particular order – it’s simply a running tally of showing some of the key benefits.
Preventing wear and tear on your body is key to longevity and the elliptical can help provide you with a form of cardio that you can always count on to provide a great workout while also allowing you to walk away and wake up the next morning without feeling like your 97 years old.
The elliptical puts you in a more upright position and keeps your body aligned. Add in the fact that you’re using your lower body and upper body to cause movement provides a great total body workout.
When you are moving in a forward motion or you increase the incline of the elliptical, you can feel it working the quadriceps and even your calves. When you reverse things as if you were walking or running backward, you may feel it more effectively in both the hamstrings as well as the glutes. Therefore, if you want to target specific areas of your lower body, the elliptical is a great piece of equipment to be utilizing for your cardio sessions.
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) would be a great training method to implement on an elliptical thanks to the lack of pounding on the joints and the fluidity of the machine. If you have tried HIIT outdoors in a grassy area or on the concrete, you know firsthand the pounding it puts on your body. Using an elliptical allows the movement to stay smooth even when you kick things up several notches.
It should go without saying, but the more effort you put into your cardio session while using an elliptical, the greater the overall benefits you can yield such as an increase in the caloric burn as well as the ability to shed unwanted body fat. Harvard actually found that through the use of an elliptical, you can burn anywhere from 270 to 400 calories in just 30 minutes (dependent on how much the individual weighs). The greater your intensity, the greater the number of calories you can burn each cardio session.
Your heart and your lungs aren’t exactly a focal point during your workouts that you think about like you do specific muscles with resistance training, yet they are vital for overall health (and obviously, life). Through focusing on cardiovascular training, you will find everyday activities less taxing on the body. For instance, walking up a flight of stairs may no longer cause you to be huffing and puffing by the time you reach the top.
When it comes to pieces of cardio equipment, each style and piece seems to have its own set of positives and negatives. You have the bike which is great assuming you don’t have any lower back issues, you have the treadmill, which is great if you don’t have knee problems… the list goes on and on. But what about the elliptical? Could the elliptical be your best bet when doing cardio? Let’s discuss this idea.
Below, I want to show some of the many benefits that can be achieved by using an elliptical to improve your health and aid in weight loss. They are listed in no particular order – it’s simply a running tally of showing some of the key benefits.
- It’s a Low Impact Movement
Preventing wear and tear on your body is key to longevity and the elliptical can help provide you with a form of cardio that you can always count on to provide a great workout while also allowing you to walk away and wake up the next morning without feeling like your 97 years old.
- Utilize Both Upper and Lower Body Muscles
The elliptical puts you in a more upright position and keeps your body aligned. Add in the fact that you’re using your lower body and upper body to cause movement provides a great total body workout.
- Target Specific Lower Body Muscles
When you are moving in a forward motion or you increase the incline of the elliptical, you can feel it working the quadriceps and even your calves. When you reverse things as if you were walking or running backward, you may feel it more effectively in both the hamstrings as well as the glutes. Therefore, if you want to target specific areas of your lower body, the elliptical is a great piece of equipment to be utilizing for your cardio sessions.
- Effective in Burning Calories and Fat
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) would be a great training method to implement on an elliptical thanks to the lack of pounding on the joints and the fluidity of the machine. If you have tried HIIT outdoors in a grassy area or on the concrete, you know firsthand the pounding it puts on your body. Using an elliptical allows the movement to stay smooth even when you kick things up several notches.
It should go without saying, but the more effort you put into your cardio session while using an elliptical, the greater the overall benefits you can yield such as an increase in the caloric burn as well as the ability to shed unwanted body fat. Harvard actually found that through the use of an elliptical, you can burn anywhere from 270 to 400 calories in just 30 minutes (dependent on how much the individual weighs). The greater your intensity, the greater the number of calories you can burn each cardio session.
- Improve Endurance and Heart Health
Your heart and your lungs aren’t exactly a focal point during your workouts that you think about like you do specific muscles with resistance training, yet they are vital for overall health (and obviously, life). Through focusing on cardiovascular training, you will find everyday activities less taxing on the body. For instance, walking up a flight of stairs may no longer cause you to be huffing and puffing by the time you reach the top.
