The Benefits of Using An Elliptical Cross Trainer
The benefits of using an elliptical trainer are very impressive. The fact that you can get all of these with a machine that takes up relatively little space compared to other fitness machines, and at a cost that won’t break the bank, makes it an excellent choice of equipment.
The elliptical trainer can deliver a cardio-vascular workout comparable to a treadmill without putting strain on your joints. This is good news if you’re currently overweight or recovering from an injury or illness.
It also gives a better whole body workout compared to an exercise bike because you use both your arms and your legs – a rowing machine can do this but does tend to take up more space. A recent study found overweight people were able to train longer on an elliptical trainer than a treadmill and minute for minute used more calories and consequently lost more weight.
The ability to change the resistance level on an elliptical trainer can also help to develop muscle strength in addition to improving your aerobic fitness.
The benefits of any fitness routine can only be delivered if you do it often enough over prolonged periods. One factor in staying with your programme is motivation and variety. To do the same thing everyday will get boring and repetitive even for those with the best intentions.
If you can vary your training programme you keep it fresh. When you can see the benefits and measure your progress you will stay motivated. With an elliptical trainer you can either do short, high resistance sessions or longer,low resistance routines, or a combination of both.
Many trainers now come with the feature to record and measure your progress (and often for 2 or 3 other people as well). Yes, you will have to pay a bit extra for this but if it helps you achieve your fitness goals it’s money well-spent.
For more on what to look for in a model, see buying an elliptical trainer.
Elliptical Training Exercises: Suitable For Any Age
Elliptical trainers can be found in every gym and you’ll see people of all ages using them. Not only will they dramatically improve your fitness, you can tone up all those bits you may not be too proud of, improve your posture and lead to significant weightloss.
So who doesn’t want these results!
Because your feet never leave the paddles the impact on your joints is much reduced making it an ideal exercise for older people – especially if overweight. However, it’s still a weight-bearing exercise making it an excellent activity for maintaining bone density.
The elliptical motion, a movement close to the natural path of the leg joints experience during walking, striding, jogging and/or running helps to burn up more calories per minute than most other exercise machines, and as we mentioned earlier, builds muscle tone if you ramp up the resistance.
In a relatively short space of time the elliptical trainer has become an established (and vital) part of any gym. The huge potential health benefits for all regardless of age, weight and condition have not surprisingly taken it to the top of the home fitness equipment sales.
The choice of models is staggering, almost to the point of confusion, as more and more manufacturers enter the market as sales continue to climb. This is good news for all of us as prices have come down as the competition gets tougher. However, please read our page on buying an elliptical trainer because you could be wasting your time with the cheaper models, or end up buying an expensive machine packed with features you’ll never use!