Are you trying to lose weight? Looking at building your own home gym? By now, you have likely seen the infomercials for some of the personal elliptical machines out there, and wondered if you should you buy one for your own home.
By watching these hour specials, you have likely wondered if you could get the same results as the trainers or people featured in the videos. While some of these infomercials are a bit hyped up, elliptical machines can be a great way to lose weight, and an amazing option for people who are looking at building a home gym without taking up much space. Before purchasing an elliptical machine, however, you need to know if this piece of fitness equipment really is the right choice for your own exercise needs.
Over the past few years, elliptical machines have been gaining in popularity, being one of the most in demand machines in most gyms. More than likely, you have seen people waiting to use the elliptical machine in your own local gym and wondering what the big deal was all about this piece of exercise equipment. If you have never heard it referred to as an elliptical machine, don’t worry, many people haven’t. They know this machine as a stair master, stepper, stair climber, or even cross trainer. These machines are stationary machines that are intended to simulate different types of leg exercises, especially walking, running, or climbing.
By using an elliptical machine, you can do these activities without going outdoors, allowing you to do them anytime. Another important feature of this class of exercise machine is that it makes these activities easier for those who have previous injuries or joint issues. One of the major purposes of an elliptical machine is to make these exercises low impact, allowing you to perform them more easily while still challenging and strengthening muscles with their resistance.
Benefits of Exercising on an Elliptical Machine
Of course, there are a lot of major benefits associated with exercising on an elliptical machine. The largest and most obvious benefit is that these machines get us moving and exercising. When it comes to weight loss and being healthy, nothing is more important than aerobic exercise. Every person should be moving at least 20 to 30 minutes a day. Since an elliptical machine is low to non-impact, depending on the setting you use, it is a great way for just about anyone to get moving. As well, depending on your chosen machine, you can easily get a full body workout by using muscles throughout your body, not just your lower body. In a way, it is one of the most convenient ways to exercise!
Do Elliptical Machines Work?
Do elliptical machines work? Yes. Do they work better than other pieces of fitness equipment? That is mostly based on personal opinion. If you ask most doctors and personal trainers what is the best piece of equipment, the good ones will tell you whichever equipment you feel more comfortable using! Do elliptical machines work your abs? Yes. Do elliptical machines work for belly fat? Of course! Do elliptical machines work your core? Yes. Elliptical machines are fantastic way to get you moving and burning calories. This is how they help people lose weight. The secret to how they work is resistance. By making steps easier or harder, you are able to adjust your workout to your own individual needs, making an elliptical machine the perfect workout machine for everyone in your household. Of course, the more resistance you add, the more intense your workout can become, making it at some settings more difficult than using other pieces of equipment.
Elliptical Machines vs. Other Exercise Machines
When compared to other pieces of exercise equipment, the elliptical machines has wonderful track record. Many individuals consider it easier to use, making it one of the most common pieces of equipment in most homes. What really is amazing compared to other machines, however, is the fact many people report that elliptical machines are easier to maintain and don’t break down as much as treadmills and stair climbers. As well, they are more compact and affordable than some other machines, especially treadmills. They are even better than an exercise bike since you get a full body workout with many of the models, allowing you to truly have a home gym with just one piece of equipment. For people with very little room and a small budget for an exercise room, an elliptical machine is a must, especially compared to treadmills or an exercise bike.
If you compare an elliptical machine to running, you may find it is mostly personal preference. However, when it comes to the strain on the body, the elliptical machine is far better than running. Many individuals who are not capable of running can use elliptical machines, allowing them to get the same workout without the stress. As well, people who regularly use elliptical machines do not have the joint issues normally associated with running. Many machines even allow you to move in a backwards motion, using muscles in a different way that cannot be replicated by running.
Calories Burned on Elliptical Machines
When exercising to lose weight, your main focus should always be burning calories. Some of the fancier elliptical machines even give you readouts of how many calories you burned, based on your weight and height. Are these readings the most accurate? Well, yes and no. There is a lot calculated into the amount of calories burned, depending on your own individual body chemistry and age. What these monitors on the elliptical machines do give you, however, is an estimate of how many calories someone with your body type and weight has likely burned. As well, the amount of calories burned also depends on the intensity of your workout and how long you decided to exercise. If you are exercising for fifteen minutes using the most resistance you can handle, it is possible to burn as many, or even more, calories than working for an hour at a lighter setting. To get an accurate assessment of how many calories you burned, it is best to use a calories burned calculator. If you are using a fitness calculator or some of the fancier pedometers like the Fitbit, these have built in calorie calculators to make your life a bit easier.
Elliptical Machine Exercise Programs
If you purchase an elliptical machine with a built in computer system, it likely came with a variety of different exercise programs. These programs are pre-programmed into the machine to give you a set workout. Best of all, these programs have different experience levels, ranging from beginners to experts who are working on training for marathons. While these programs are very effective, they can get boring after awhile. Rather than just live with it, you can find elliptical exercise programs online. Many of them can be found in an MP3 form from a variety of websites, such as iTrainer. For those hoping to find something set to music or videos, you can always find workouts designed by trainers on Youtube. With the right amount of time, you can find the right program and machine designed for your own individual needs.
