Treadmills are the most purchased and most used home exercise machines, but ellipticals are beginning to gain the attention of gym members and home gym owners. Elliptical machines are now a very sought after gym machine because they provide many benefits to users.
Ellipticals combine many different types of cardio machines into one, making an elliptical workout more impactful than standard treadmill running. They combine factors from stair climbers, bikes, and treadmills into one machine.
One benefit of using an elliptical is that you are able to work on many parts of your body simultaneously. This is not true of a treadmill workout. Because of the movable arm handles on an elliptical machine, you can provide a workout for both your upper and lower body on one machine.
Many older individuals or those recovering from injury would use stationary bikes for cardio work because they are low impact, but ellipticals provide this benefit and more. Not only are the workouts impact free, but they also allow for impact-free, weight-bearing exercise. Treadmills and bikes have their own benefits, but ellipticals combine the benefits of each into one machine.
Another of the many benefits of ellipticals over electric treadmills is the fact that you can turn your elliptical workout into a strength training workout on some machines. Not only can you increase the pace of your workout to burn more calories, but you can increase the resistance. By adding resistance to your cardio workout, you can tone and build the muscles in your legs and arms.
Ellipticals allow you to build muscle, get a total body workout, and train with little to no impact on your joints. These are great machines to add to your home gym to get a complete workout with the same cardio benefits for which people have traditionally turned to a treadmill.