Elliptical Workout vs. Treadmill Workout

An elliptical workout differs from a treadmill workout in a few ways. Both will give you an aerobic workout but an elliptical trainer will work different muscle groups than a treadmill.

While both are excellent choices, they do have distinct differences. By knowing the difference, you can decide if an elliptical workout, the treadmill workout or even a combination of both works best for you.

Elliptical Workout

When comparing an elliptical workout to a treadmill workout the first thing you will notice is the elliptical trainer has much less impact. This low impact is especially good for people with joint, knee, lower back or hip problems.

An elliptical workout also works the upper and lower body simultaneously which makes your heart rate climb faster than with a treadmill workout. The elliptical trainer works your legs, back, shoulders, chest and your arms making it a total body workout.

Another great feature of an elliptical workout is you can add variety by pedaling backwards. This backward pedaling motion targets your lower body quadricep muscles.

Treadmill Workout

A treadmill workout can also give you an excellent aerobic workout and a lot of people still prefer it to an elliptical workout. If you prefer to run, jog or walk to exercise it's obviously a smarter choice.

If you are just beginning to workout or just don't want a total body workout a treadmill workout might be perfect. Most treadmills offer a different intensity level that you can increase as you get more fit.

A treadmill workout provides a different variety over an elliptical workout by allowing you to run, jog or walk on an incline. While it is a less intense workout, it is a great way to burn fat while promoting good cardiovascular health.

Even though treadmills remain the number one piece of fitness equipment sold today, elliptical trainers are quickly becoming very popular. With more and more health clubs adding more elliptical trainer machines, more people will try elliptical workouts.

Both elliptical workouts and treadmill workouts will build bone density, burn fat, promote good cardiovascular health and increase your energy level. The important thing is to workout on a regular basis whether it's at home or in a gym.

If you are looking to purchase a treadmill or an elliptical trainer, the bottom line is, you usually get what you pay for. There are great values especially online but it just makes sense to get quality equipment that will last.

Whether you prefer a treadmill workout or an elliptical workout choose the one that you feel is right for you. That way you will work out more often, lose more weight and be much healthier.

Gary Gresham is the webmaster for http://www.treadmill-info.com where you can find valuable information including ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more treadmill and fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

MORE RESOURCES:

RELATED ARTICLES

What's So Great About A Trampoline?
Looking for a fun way to exercise and stay healthy? Doctors say that rebound exercising is one of the healthiest, safest kinds of exercise for your joints and heart. It's aerobic, it's fun, and it doesn't put the same stress on your joints and tendons that impact exercise like jogging does.

Epic Treadmills - Good Value Or Not?
Epic treadmills are well known in the treadmill market for their budget range of treadmills. Epic treadmills are one of the lines of treadmills manufactured by Icon fitness, the largest of all the fitness equipment manufacturers and the company which manufactures, amongst others, Proform treadmills.

Remanufactured Elliptical Trainers - Are They a Good Deal?
There are on-line distributors of fitness equipment who offer both new and remanufactured or refurbished machines. The most common types of remanufactured equipment are treadmills and elliptical trainers.

Treadmill Review - How To Find The Best Treadmill At The Best Price
When shopping for a treadmill, it is important to know the facts in advance. Sales and advertised specials will not always assure that you get the best price on a high quality treadmill.

Wheel Chairs and Curb Ramps
Impact of curb ramps on people with mobility impairmentsCurb ramps are designed to provide access to people who use wheeled forms of mobility. Without curb ramps, people who use wheelchairs would not be able to independently access the sidewalk and street.

What To Look For In An Elliptical Trainer
To get a decent elliptical trainer you should be prepared to spend at least one thousand dollars. If you spend less than that don't expect the machine to be as well built as the higher end models.

The Reebok Elliptical - A Brief Review
When considering the Reebok Elliptical for your workout, there are a few things that you should be aware of.The Reebok elliptical is a fairly large machine with mostly independent parts.

Elliptical Trainers and Burning Calories
One of the most frequently asked questions is do the use of elliptical trainers help me burn calories compared to other cardio machines?With our busy schedules it is completely understandable that you want to get the most results for the time you spend working out.As you may know how many calories burned during a workout will vary depending upon your weight.

Deciding on a Fitness Center: Tips for Choosing
Joining one of the many fitness centers in your area can have a lot of benefits, but can also be a big expense. Since most centers ask you to sign contracts that can be difficult to cancel, make sure that joining a fitness center is for you and that you are happy with the one you choose, before signing on the dotted line.

Life Fitness Ellipticals are Among the Best
The Life Fitness company makes six different models. They are the Life Fitness Elliptical X3, the Life Fitness Elliptical X3i, the Life Fitness Elliptical X5, the Life Fitness Elliptical X5i, the Life Fitness Elliptical x9i, and the Life Fitness Elliptical Sports Cardio SX30.

Home Exercise Equipment - Start Planning Now for Winter
Most of us have a tendency to gain a few pounds in the winter due to inactivity. Losing the added weight gets tougher and tougher every spring because our bodies don't bounce back like they used to.

Boost Your Health by Choosing the Perfect Treadmill
Treadmills are very popular methods of exercise. These exercise machines have been helping people lose weight and get in shape for many years now.

Do You Know These Benefits of Home Treadmills?
In our society today, there are more and more people who are determined to lose as much weight as possible as quickly and easily as possible.More time than not these are the same people that say they do not have enough time to work out or go to the gym.

Amazing Kettlebell Workout Produces Superior Results
Russian Kettlebells are amazing! These kettlebell workouts may be the answer to maintaining a home gym or having an expensive club membership.With Russian kettlebells you can develop superior gains over traditional workout methods and save lots of space in your home.

Steam Bath or Sauna - Which Is Better?
There is sometimes confusion between the terms 'steam bath' and 'sauna.' Many people think they refer to the same thing.

Top Treadmills Reviewed - A Comparison of Price And Performance
A treadmill can be an excellent exercise machine, providing a convenient and relatively inexpensive way to stay fit. But with over a dozen different manufacturers out there, each with a collection of different styles of equipment, it can be difficult to know which treadmill is best for you.

5 Big Reasons to Buy Adjustable Dumbbells
Just imagine if you could replace a room full of weight machines with one piece of fitness equipment without it costing you an arm or a leg! Well adjustable dumbbells might just be the solution you've been looking for.Adjustable dumbbells are one of the best investments you can make in your home gym.

Ironman Treadmills
Ironman Treadmills - For The Guy Who Does The IroningIronman Treadmills are produced by Keys Fitness Products, which also produces Keys, Alliance, Discovery, Healthtrainer, and Encore treadmills. Ironman treadmill models are in two series, the newer Ironman T Series and the substantial Ironman M Series.

Spare A Thought For Redundant Exercise Machines
I have an exercise machine that I've used once. Did I hear you say 'Me too'?Hey, I'm not proud of that, but I make this revelation with more confidence today than I would have done yesterday.

Treadmill Lubrication
Treadmill Lubrication - Ya Gotta Grease The SkidsTreadmill lubrication on many treadmills is a necessary part of equipment maintenance and care. Failure to regularly lubricate the treadbelt will result in increased wear, substantially shortening its lifespan.