If you are a fitness newbie and want to invest in an exercise equipment at home, you might have questions on whether to go for a treadmill or elliptical. Chances are you might opt for the treadmill since it is an affordable option than an elliptical. Believe me whatever you invest in is worth every penny because you cannot put a price on your health.
So, rather than thinking in terms of monetary value, let us dissect the two equipments based on what your goals are and what your needs are. Then, you will be satisfied with your choice and it will definitely be worth your money.
Treadmill
Pros
Simulates walking: The treadmill is the closest you can get to simulating walking, jogging and running.
Inclined plane: Treadmill has options like changing to an inclined plane to increase the intensity of your workout.
Cons
Impact on joints: If you are only interested in using the treadmill for walking then there is no real issue of impact on your joints. But if you are going to pound away on the treadmill by jogging or running in place then your joints are bound to get affected as your feet is coming in contact with a hard surface continuously.
Burns lesser calories: The treadmill burns lesser calories for the same exercise option you choose on the elliptical. In other words, you can burn more calories on the elliptical for the same amount of time you walk on the treadmill. Of course, if you change that to jogging or running then the calories burnt will be more or equal to that burnt on the elliptical.
Elliptical
Pros
No impact on joints: The elliptical has a running on air motion that does not impact the joints as the body is not landing on a hard surface as on the treadmill.
Burns more calories: You can burn more calories on an elliptical simply because you will not tire easily as on a treadmill and therefore you will be willing to keep going for some more time on the elliptical.
Reverse: Elliptical has a reverse mode which targets a different set of muscles in your body than when you go in forward motion.
Cross-training: The elliptical gives you the advantage of being able to crosstrain because of the moving arms and the reverse stride option. Therefore, overall you will get better results for your body than the treadmill as you can tone your arms and legs.
Cons
No incline option: There is no incline option for elliptical like the treadmill.
Cost: Ellipticals are very expensive and almost double to triple the cost of a treadmill. This will usually dissuade people from buying an elliptical.
Conclusion
Overall, both treadmill and elliptical are good for a cardiovascular workout and depending on what you are looking for in your exercise regimen you can opt for either. So, if you do not want to invest a lot of money on the equipment, then the treadmill will be a better choice for you. But if you want to burn more calories and you also have joint issues and therefore do not mind shelling out some extra hundred dollars then elliptical is definitely the option for you.
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