Treadmill Vs Elliptical - Which is Better For You? By Kathryn O'Neill At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Trying to decide between a treadmill vs elliptical? You're not alone. These are two of the most widely bought forms of exercise eqiupment on the market - each with it's own unique benefits. How do you know which one is the best choice for you?

This article will list several unique benefits of each to help you decide.

Treadmill Vs Elliptical - Treadmill Benefits:

1) Easy To Use - Unlike ellipticals which can take some getting used to, treadmills are simple to use. You just get on and go. Everyone can walk - it's the simplest, easiest form of exercise to do, regardless of age, weight or coordination level.

2) More Advanced Workout Luxuries - Treadmills have been around longer than ellipticals (Precor produced the first elliptical back in 1995). Because of this they're more advanced in terms of what you get in fitness goodies and tracking tools.

You can find treadmills with built-in TV's, iPod ports and speakers, interactive workout programs that guide you through specific training sessions and more. Ellipticals are starting to build in some goodies but still lag behind in this area.

3) Space Saving - Many treadmills fold up to save space. This helps if you have a smaller workout area or want to clean under the machine. It also makes them easier to move around.

It's not so easy to find an elliptical that folds up - although there are a few new models this year that do offer a folding feature.

Treadmill Vs Elliptical - Elliptical Benefits:

1) Low Impact - Unlike treadmills where constant pounding on your joints while running can stress your knees, ankles, hips and back, ellipticals offer a very low impact workout. The pivoting footpad follows the motion of your foot on an elliptical, reducing overall lower body impact.

This makes an elliptical a great option for those who get shin splints easily or who want to avoid the impact of a treadmill.

2) Total Body Workout - Most ellipticals come with upper body arm bars. This means you can train both arms and legs at the same time and get a better overall body workout.

Elliptical workouts offer what fitness experts call a 'Lower Perceived Rate of Exertion'. This basically means you actually worked harder and burned more calories than you feel like you did. So you may feel less tired after an elliptical workout than if you'd burned the same amount of calories on a treadmill.

3) Ability to Crosstrain - Unlike a treadmill where you're basically doing the same motion over and over, an elliptical allows you to train specific muscle groups. For example, you can go forward or backward. If the elliptical has incline or ramp, you can change the slope of the elliptical motion which then uses different sets of muscle groups.

Treadmill Vs Elliptical Deciding Factor:

Basically the deciding factor when choosing between a treadmill vs elliptical should be this: What kind of exercise do you prefer?

Because if you don't enjoy it, you won't stick with it - no matter how many calories per workout you burn or how many advanced features and doo-dads you get with it.

I have a friend who loves the variety of options she has with her elliptical (forward, back, arms, no arms, incline or flat slope). She finds treadmill walking unchallenging and raves about her elliptical.

Another friend loves walking as it helps her to think and de-stress from a long day. She hates working on an elliptical and finds the motion uncomfortable and awkward. She'll take her treadmill any day.

So really, when deciding on an elliptical or a treadmill, it comes down to which type of exercise you prefer. Because the real test of the best piece of fitness equipment is how much you actually use it.

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