These stand out to be one of the most resourceful equipment you could depend on for your cardio workouts. They do save you trips to the gym, are affordable, safe for the joints, and have plenty more to offer.
But, how do they work? Well, if you’re going to be on one of these, it’s only fair that you know exactly how they work, right?
Let’s get started.
Here’s how elliptical trainers give you overall body strength.
Whereas most people consider the elliptical ineffective after using one for some time, it’s not entirely true. To be fair, doing the same kind of workouts on a treadmill or using weights for some time renders that workout program ineffective as well, right?
When it comes to the elliptical trainers however, they stand out to be one of the most diverse machines you could use to keep fit.
Here’s how you get stronger
- Cross trainers normally target the upper and lower body. The primary motion targets your legs (quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and the anterior tibialis). In a gliding motion, when your thighs are moving backward, you’ll engage your glutes and hamstrings.
On the other hand, for the forward motion, you engage your quads. Also, you’ll notice that your tibialis and calves’ contract which enhances the stability in your legs.
- The motion on an elliptical mimics climbing stairs or riding a bicycle. As such, you will also engage your core muscles.
- Ellipticals normally come with stationary and movable handles that do more than just help you stabilize. By holding on to them, you’ll also work on your shoulders, triceps, and biceps.
How to use an elliptical to boost your endurance.
Unlike what most people think, an elliptical is just as effective if not better than a treadmill when it comes to endurance training, weight loss, and toning your muscles.
As we’ve already seen, the best elliptical trainer will indeed activate your major muscle groups. The best part about an elliptical is that you can step up the resistance level and upon doing so create muscular insurance.
To spice things up a little more, you could incorporate intervals in your workouts to further improve your cardiovascular endurance.
Make your workouts more engaging with different workout programs
If you invest in a good elliptical trainer, you’ll get one with lots of programs that will be useful especially if you are just starting your workout journey. The programs target different body parts depending on your workout goals.
This, however, does not mean that you strictly stick to these programs. Once your body gets used to a particular set of exercises, you could step things up a little bit by increasing the resistance or reducing the rest time.
How an elliptical trainer gives you a better balance
Since they come with handles, you may naturally want to hold on to them once you hop on to the elliptical. But, did you know that when you let go of the handle, you’ll not only be targeting your core muscles more but will also make your balance better?
The best ellipticals come with adjustable resistance and incline. Simply adjust these to a manageable level after which you can safely use the elliptical machine without the risk of falling off.
An elliptical helps you maintain fitness even after an injury
After an injury, it may be difficult to do with ease what you effortlessly did before. With an elliptical trainer, however, you will gradually strengthen your muscles and the best part about it is that you’ll be doing a whole-body workout.
Working on your elliptical also makes you regain your full range of motion while at the same time taking stress off the injured joint.
Possibly one of the greatest advantages that ellipticals have over treadmills ad running on the pavement is that they’re easy on your knees.
To have a perfect foot placement, your feet ought to rest fully on the pedal. Once they are in position, moving your feet should have no impact on your knees or hips whatsoever. As compared to running on jogging, an elliptical is a better investment for your health.