5 Top Reasons to Use the Elliptical Trainer

One of the most commonly used and seen pieces of equipment be it at homes or at commercial gyms is the elliptical trainer. With poles for your hands and slats for the feet, the elliptical allows your arms and legs to work in conjunction. Elliptical trainers are proving to be quite the competitor to treadmills with increasing popularity and demand. They deliver low impact workouts that tend to be lighter on the joints but helps with muscle activation, glute strengthening and cardio. Out of all the benefits this machine has to offer, we have selected five to give you a reason to use it the next time you hit the gym.

Works Both Upper And Lower Body

By using an elliptical trainer, both upper and lower body muscle groups are exercised at the same time. All the leg muscles are strained with the circular motion of the legs and with higher resistance and the aid of the poles that are gripped with your hands, upper body muscle groups are also activated. You should be careful not to overuse since it could cause repetitive stress conditions since the motions and resistance tends to be linear. By changing motions, moving in different directions and changing machines once in a while, this can be avoided.

It’s Low Impact

For anyone who might be just getting into working out or persons with too much body weight, the elliptical helps to avoid weight-bearing joint injuries. The knees, feet, ankles, hips and lower back could get injured due to unusual stress and this can be avoided by using the elliptical trainer. Once used to the strain, a transfer to a treadmill or an increase of resistance can be used to make the workout more challenging.
Intensity can be adjusted.

Most ellipticals that are in the market now offer a resistance feature. This can be used to challenge your endurance, fitness and muscle strength. The machine can help to lean out your legs and also improve cardiovascular fitness simultaneously.

Lateral movements will use more muscles

The lateral elliptical trainers available in the market now, add a diverse variation to the traditional exercise range of the elliptical trainer. Lateral Elliptical trainers have proven to burn more calories and fat and studies have shown that the sideways movements employ more muscles when compared with the standard elliptical trainers.