Effective Cardio: Reasons to start using elliptical machines

Effective Cardio: Reasons to start using elliptical machines

Do you want your cardio routines to be fun and effective? Then simply get on an elliptical machine and pedal it out. Ellipticals are a lot more enjoyable to use than treadmills. You can easily target different muscles on both your lower and upper body with a wide range of settings on an elliptical. The best part of an elliptical machine is that they are gentle on your knees and joints. Elliptical machines are also excellent for increasing your overall cardio stamina, balance, and endurance while burning a lot of calories. Continue reading to discover the top five reasons to start using elliptical machines for effective cardio.

Burn More Calories

Depending on the weight and intensity of your workout,  you can burn about 270 to 400 calories in 30 minutes on an elliptical. Furthermore, an elliptical is more effective than a treadmill since it integrates your upper and lower bodies at the same time, i.e. pushing and pulling the legs and hands in synchronized motion. As a result, it offers a full-body workout by engaging your ankle, knees, quadriceps, hips, biceps, triceps, deltoids, and core muscles all at the same time. 

Reduced Strain On Your Knees And Joints

When compared to an elliptical, a treadmill provides a high-impact workout that has a greater impact on your knees and joints as you raise your feet off the ground for every step. It can occasionally result in injuries or cause severe wear and tear on the joints.  Whereas on an elliptical, your feet remain in contact with the pedal, resulting in a lot lesser stress on the knees and joints. So, whether you are healing from an injury or in the rehabilitation period, an elliptical workout is an excellent way to start an effective cardio session.

Easy To Use

Although an elliptical machine has a wide range of programs, it is rather simple to learn how to operate. You can start by merely using the foot pedals and leaving the handles fixed until you get the hang of it while still successfully burning calories. Ultimately, for a full-body workout, you can use both the pedal and the handle. It is also simpler to use the elliptical to augment your fitness plans and goals.

Target Muscles Using Different Settings

The most frequent elliptical settings are steps per minute, inclination or ramp control, and resistance. 

Each setting lets you exercise distinct muscles on its own. Here are a few examples:

A higher step count per minute combined with a low resistance setting is ideal for a low-intensity, fast-paced workout, especially when you want to burn more calories. You can imitate climbing stairs by increasing the incline on the elliptical. This creates a dorsiflexion movement on your ankle, with constricted shinbones and a flexed ankle joint, causing your knee to bend more. This is a great way to work out your quadriceps and glutes as well. Increasing the resistance is helpful for muscular power and strength development since you are pushing harder for each pedal movement. 

You can also attempt backward or reverse cycling on an elliptical with a high inclination to generate a plantarflexion action on your ankle, which is a downward foot movement (similar to standing on tiptoes) to stretch your hamstrings and work your quadriceps, knees, and ankles. You can ask your trainer to propose the ideal mix of these three settings (steps per minute, ramp control, and resistance) to suit your fitness goal.

Helps Enhance Stamina

Because of the alternate synchronized motion of the legs and arms, using an elliptical machine is a fun way to to do effective cardio. Moreover, because of the low impact, you will be able to do more cardio without becoming weary, keeping your workout more consistent. This is one of the reasons why ellipticals are so popular for effective cardio. Because regular cardio workouts can help you improve your cardio stamina and overall performance. As a result, you will perform better in other exercises as well. 

We hope that these five top reasons to start using elliptical machines for effective cardio helped you comprehend the benefits of this equipment. Check out our selection of ellipticals for your home gym if you want to spice up your routine and enhance your cardio session with an elliptical machine.