Elliptical Trainers for a Total Body Workout

Actually an elliptical trainer doesn’t give you a total body workout, but it does it you one of the most complete exercises of any fitness equipment available. That is why elliptical trainer sales are growing, and are gaining on the tried and true treadmill. In fact, elliptical crosstrainer sales grew 36% in 2006.

Not too many years ago, you would go into a health club and there would be a row of treadmills and maybe one or two ellipticals. Now you will often find as many elliptical trainers and treadmills. I’ve talked to several fitness equipment salespeople, and they mentioned the sales of both machines are running even.

Why have elliptical trainers become so popular? There are two factors. The combination upper and lower body workout, and the low impact exercise.

Upper and Lower Body Workout

An elliptical trainer is the only fitness equipment that exercises the upper and lower body simultaneously. With an elliptical, you exercise the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, chest, back, triceps and biceps. Besides the fact you are strengthening and developing all these muscle groups, you are also getting an optimized workout. By utilizing more muscle groups in your exercise, you burn more calories in less time.

It is also suggested that when you exercise more muscles at once, you are getting a more strenuous workout with less perception of exertion.

It should be noted that an elliptical trainer will not sculpt your upper body - at the best, it will tone it. To get a six-pack and defined muscles you will still need to workout with weights and do those crunches.

Low Impact Workout

A factor that is driving elliptical trainer sales is the low impact workout. When you run your feet are constantly impacting a surface, and there is a reverse motion. With an elliptical exercise, your lower body moves in an elliptical motion. There is neither impact nor reverse motion. You will also find many elliptical machines have articulating foot pedals – pedals that angle with the elliptical stride. This further reduces strain on your ankles.

This low impact workout is very appealing to an aging baby-boomer generation that is suffering from years of physical abuse. It is also attractive to individuals that have injuries or strains.

For those who have shied away from exercising due to past injuries, an elliptical trainer is a therapeutic alternative. For example, I have a friend who was an avid runner. He was having problems with his knees, and couldn’t hit the trails any longer. He switched to an elliptical trainer, and now he swears by it. He was saying when he cranks up the resistance he gets an intense cardio workout.

Some hints on buying an elliptical trainer. First, do not compromise on quality. You want a machine that is solid and durable. Often an indication of the quality is the overall weight and the warranty.

You also want a machine that has a comfortable stride length. The strides on elliptical trainers vary from 14” to 22”. Your height will define the right stride. If you are tall and purchase a machine with a small stride, you will feel like you are bouncing up and down, rather than moving in an elliptical motion.

If you are looking to get back into shape, or you want the convenience of fitness equipment in your home, I encourage you to go out and try an elliptical trainer. It may be the ideal solution for your fitness goals.

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