Treadmills and elliptical are two of the most common and popular cardio machines found at gyms and home fitness rooms. Both the machines help to burn calories, improve stamina, lose weight and improve the overall aerobic capacity.
Both these machines are easy to use, give a good workout and are used widely all across the world. Treadmills and elliptical machines have their individual benefits as well as drawbacks. So which one should you choose if you wish to make a pick? Well, the following given points of comparison will help you choose:
Benefits of Treadmills:
- High work output-treadmills help you to gain a lot more than elliptical in a faster and less time consuming way.
- Versatility– the machine can be used not just for walking or jogging but also for running.
- Emulates natural movements-another benefit of the treadmill is that it helps to emulate the natural motion of the body while running, walking and eve jogging. One doesn’t have to force himself to do something to gain benefits on this machine.
- Easily available-another benefit of treadmill is that it is easily available, accessible and also easy to use
Drawbacks of Treadmills:
- Tough on joints-treadmills can prove to be tough on the joints and this is one of its disadvantages.it can put stress on our ankle joints, knees, spine, hips etc.
- Safety concerns-if your skill level is not high then performing high intensity training can cause injury and there is also a chance of falling off the machine.
Benefits of Elliptical:
- Reverse stride-this machineallows reverse strides which can help to activate several types of muscle groups and offer a better workout.
- Cross training-this machine also has movable handles due to which cross training workout is also possible. It focusses both on upper body as well as lower body workout.
- Non-impact conditioning-this is another machine which emulates the natural body and thus makes way for non-impact conditioning. It does not cause any serious impact on the joints.
- Lower exertion– with less amount of hardwork, a lot of benefit can be gained on an elliptical machine. This means that one does not have to over exert himself to burn calories on this workout machine.
- Easy availability-another major benefit of working out on an elliptical is that it is also very easily available like a treadmill and can be found at most gyms and fitness centers.
Drawbacks of Elliptical:
- Momentum-getting the right momentum on an elliptical may be tough unless you are moving about very slowly and this is one of the disadvantages or drawbacks of this workout machine.
- Is less dynamic-another negative associated with an elliptical is that it is not very dynamic or versatile like the treadmill. You cannot change the incline, the speed or perform various workouts on it.
- Less weight bearing effect-the pedals of the elliptical lack weight bearing effects especially one is moving on it slowly. Because of this, the strengthening of bones or muscles is not as much as in the case of treadmills.
