The elliptical cross trainer and the treadmill. Two of the most recognisable fitness machines you’ll find in any commercial gym. The elliptical cross trainer works your full body, moving your arms and legs in coordination. The treadmill offers a way to walk, run or hike wherever you may be. And, now they’re both becoming an essential part of a home gym setup, offering a multiplicity of different workouts with some great cardiovascular benefits. But, how do you know which is best for you? In this article, we’ll take you through the benefits of each and give you more insight into how a cross trainer or treadmill can help to move you towards your fitness goals.
Benefits of Ellipticals
Cross trainers are genuine full-body workout machines, engaging muscles in both your upper and lower body, challenging your coordination skills and cardiovascular capacity. So let’s look at the specific and unique benefits of an elliptical trainer.
Low impact exercise
Due to the nature of body movement when using an elliptical, cross trainers do not put adverse strain or impact on your body. This makes them a great choice if you’re new to exercising, less mobile or recovering from an injury.
Measured resistance
Not only can you increase the intensity of your elliptical trainer workout by increasing your speed, you can also control the resistance to your strides. Higher resistance levels will ensure you have to work harder to maintain pace and keep the movement fluid. Conversely when warming up or down, or if you’re a beginner, lower resistance levels ensure that you won’t strain yourself during exercise.
Target different muscle groups
Drawing your focus to the arms and really pushing the pulling will engage both the triceps and biceps. To work your legs, increase resistance and concentrate on the feeling in both the front (quads) and back (hamstrings/glutes) of your legs. To mix things up you can also pedal backwards. This combination will help you to develop good mind-muscle connection and ensure you’re feeling the burn. Finally, to challenge the abs, let go of the handles and decrease your pace. This will fire up your core, forcing it to stabilise your back and keep control of your upper body.
Want more information? Check out our Cross Trainer Buyer’s Guide here.
Benefits of treadmills
Treadmills offer so much more than simply a steady-state jog or walk. They can help you to increase your speed, endurance, cardiovascular capacity and explosive power. But what else can they offer in terms of benefits?
Can be used for a range of workouts and abilities
Like we said it doesn't just have to be a flat jog or walk. You can use the incline that most treadmills feature to mimic an uphill hike. Use the interval speed settings to smash out some high-intensity sprints g. Or, even slow the machine right down to do bodyweight movements such as lunges or side to side squats. We’d recommend choosing a model that has a motorised incline function as this will allow you to change the incline during your workout without having to dismount to change the incline setting.
You can see and measure improvements in speed and endurance
By planning your workouts and progressively adding a few seconds to your run, more distance to an uphill walk or increasing the speed you’ll be able to see and track your results.
All-weather walks and runs
With wind, rain and cold making it less favourable to go outside for a daily walk or run, a treadmill at home offers a great way to keep fit whatever the weather. Giving you the opportunity to exercise in your chosen form, without compromising on comfort.
Thinking about buying a treadmill? Read our Buyer’s Guide here.
Making the best choice for you
Ultimately, the choice comes down to your goals, situation and fitness level. If you’re looking for a low impact way to stay fit a cross trainer is the best choice for you. However, if you’re interested in a more versatile piece of equipment where you can track your progress of speed and endurance — a treadmill is the way to go!
Regardless of which you opt for, both cross trainers and treadmills are a fantastic investment in your future health. To get some more advice on choosing the right model for you, check out our features section for more tips on how to make the most out of your home equipment.
