Treadmill Versus Elliptical – Which One Should I Choose?
In the fitness industry, the debate revolving around the treadmill vs elliptical continues and for good reasons, too. Both treadmills and ellipticals are great cardio equipment that help increase indurance, increase metabolic rate and improve overall health. On the other hand, treadmills have definite advantages over elliptical trainers and vice versa. With this article, we shall endeavor to put in our two cents’ worth of opinion.
Tip: The most common treadmills are still the used treadmills
Both treadmills and elliptical trainers provide for low-impact exercises since the motions involved are similar to the natural movements while walking and running. However, the elliptical trainer is preferred by many fitness enthusiasts because it offers no impact upon contact with the foot pedals. You will observe that most people with joint problems in the lower back, knees and ankles go on to the elliptical trainer more than on the treadmill.
This is possible because your feet do not leave the pedals during the entire workout session. Now, contrast that with walking or running on a treadmill when the foot impacts on the tread surface. So, in the debate of treadmill vs elliptical, the latter wins in the low to no impact category.
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Those people who prefer running as a form of training for events such as 5K, 10K or longer runs definitely will need to train more on a treadmill. This is definitely better if the weather outside is bad and you are training for a competitive event like a triathlon or marathon.
Since the treadmill can only provide for running exercises with a few degrees of incline and decline, there is little variety in the workouts. For both average fitness enthusiasts and fanatics, the variety in workouts helps in two ways. No boredom here and you will have a lot more variety. In this case, the elliptical trainers win the bout, so to speak.
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Also, treadmills can only provide for lower body workouts since the movements are concentrated on the hips down to the legs. In contrast, ellipticals provide for both upper and lower body workouts, thanks to the movements required of the feet on the pedals and the hands on the handlebars. Still, if it is only lower body workouts that you are after, then a treadmill should suffice.
The final decision would depend on what YOU want from your workouts and your overall health/fitness goals. Read the features and benefits of the fitness equipment before making your final decision.
