Treadmills vs. Ellipticals

      When you compare treadmills and elliptical trainers, you will quickly realize that ellipticals have only come on to the market fairly recently, whereas treadmills have been around much longer. Consequently, treadmills are more well-known and more commonplace. But, before you purchase a treadmill, you may want to give elliptical trainers a second glance.

Calorie Burn

Both the treadmill and the elliptical provide great cardiovascular workouts.  They are fairly equal number wise, but a lot of the calorie burn relies on the amount of resistance the user applies.  The big difference is in the perceived effort.  A workout on the elliptical leaves the user with a “lesser perceived workout”.  This is because the elliptical eliminates the impact stress that you would feel after a run on the treadmill.

For Training

          What are you training for?  If you are planning to run a marathon, the treadmill will be the most accurate machine to prepare you for the mechanics and experience of distance running.  A true runner may be disappointed with the feel of the elliptical workout.  However, if you have experienced injury, the elliptical is an excellent machine for getting an aerobic workout… without the added stress on your body.

Resistance Training

          Both the treadmill and the elliptical have differing degrees of resistance available.  The treadmill will incline, providing increased resistance.  The elliptical will have many resistance levels as well as machines like the Precor EFX that change in incline.  Many ellipticals also come with upper body moving arms to allow the user a complete body workout.  Another advantage found in the elliptical is the ability to move the legs in reverse, working a different set of target muscles.

Impact

     All reputable treadmill companies have put a lot of time and effort into designing treadmill decks that lower the impact on the body.  For example, Precor has created an amazing shock absorption system with “integrated foot-plant technology”.  It is a low impact machine.  However, if your body requires NO impact, the elliptical is the machine that qualifies.  It is good to double check with your physician for a recommendation.

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