Working Out With Elliptical Exercise Machines - Benefits Of Elliptical Cross Trainers And How To Use Them Properly
Posted: Monday, January 02, 2006
by Kevin Urban
Working Out With Low-Impact Elliptical Exercise Machines
Benefits Of Elliptical Cross Trainers And How To Use Them Properly
Elliptical exercise machines are soaring in popularity, and for good reason. They are among the most effective pieces of fitness equipment on the market today. The “all over" workout you get with elliptical cross trainers is well suited to many different fitness levels and it is easy to learn the proper techniques for using one.
Elliptical trainers provide tremendous benefits to users, including:
•Weight Bearing Exercises – Fitness experts agree that a weight-bearing workout is the best way to improve conditioning, increase bone density, strengthen muscles, and burn calories efficiently.
•Low-Impact Workout – Despite providing a good weight-bearing workout, an elliptical cross training machine is very low impact. This means less stress on your joints during cross training exercises because your feet never leave the pedals and therefore do not experience high impacts.
•Cardiovascular Workouts – An elliptical machine or cross trainer provides an excellent cardiovascular workout, a key part of overall fitness. Whether you want to lose weight, firm up your body, or a combination of both, incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your workout routine is critical to your long-term success.
Other Factors
Anyone who has ever gone through the cycle of starting and stopping an exercise routine several times will tell you that one key to sticking with your routine is to find something that gives you maximum results in the shortest amount of time. Elliptical cross training fits the bill perfectly. Most people live busy lives and do not have several hours per day to devote to total body exercise, so an elliptical machine lets them get in a good workout in a minimal amount of time.
Motivation to exercise is a big issue for many people, but most elliptical machine users will tell you that they have an easier time staying motivated to get on their machine. This is because you can vary your workout tremendously, depending on the amount of intensity you want, and also do other things like read or watch TV while on your elliptical machine. This helps reduce boredom and increase the likelihood that you will use your elliptical for low-impact cross training regularly.
Proper Technique and Motion
Any exercise or fitness equipment can cause injury or discomfort when used improperly, and elliptical cross training machines are no exception. They are among the easiest pieces of equipment to use, but still require you to use proper techniques for maximum safety and fitness benefit.
Here are a few key tips to remember:
•Adjustment – Make sure the elliptical machine is adjusted properly to your size and range of motion. For most people, a step length of 18 to 24 inches is recommended to start.
•Intensity – Familiarize yourself with how to change the intensity of your elliptical cross training. You may be able to increase resistance, increase the incline, or a combination of both. Remember that it is better to exercise at a lower intensity until you have built up the strength and stamina to a more intense regimen.
•Posture – Always maintain an upright posture while on an elliptical workout machine or cross trainer. Keep your shoulders back, chin up, back straight, and abdominals tight. Do not lean forward over the balance bar or handles instead, make sure your body weight is being carried by your lower body throughout the exercise.
About the Author:
Julie-Ann Amos is a freelance writer for Elliptical Machines 'N Trainers.com, a consumer guide on the best elliptical trainers and machines. She has researched dozens of elliptical machine reviews to find the best elliptical cross trainer for her local gym.
Copyright 2006 Elliptical-Machines-N-Trainers.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (10 total)This site gave me a lot of information about benefiting from using the Eliptical. How long should one use it per day? I am a new beginner to it & can only stay on it for about 13 minutes is that good enough?
Iam doing this scince 2 months n iam buring arroud 500 to 600 calories per day. But I dint find any changes in my body(i.e weight). what is the correct way to use for reducing my weight.
you should have lost a minimum of 9.5 lbs by now if you really have been burning that much. if not, then either your machine's calorie counter is wrong, you've been eating too much, or you have a metabolic disorder.
I have heard that on an elliptical, you should ensure that even your heels do not leave the foot pad. is that true? I find that very difficult to do as there is a natural tendency to get onto the toesThis is quite true and I have results to prove it. It is initially quite difficult to do but you must decrease the resistance and discipline your mind. I think it might also be advisable to reduce the duration in the first few weeks. When I first started out using the X-trainer, I, like you, almost naturally got onto my toes so that my heels were leaving the pads on each return cycle. I managed to get to resistance 18 of 20 and while my pulse shoots up quite high using the X-trainer this way, I did not get the flattening of my stomach and the reduction in girth that I was seeking. However, once I made the connection and the penny dropped, I noticed a real reduction in my girth and I am now seeing the outline of my 6-pack. However, l did initially find it quite hard and had to drop down to resistance 10 of 20 to start off with. I also had to discipline myself. I can tell you that I have seen such remarkable benefits as to be amazing. Walking now feels like levitating and the deposits of fat around my back are all but gone. The love handles are also rapidly shrinking. Besides, I have built back up to a resistance of 15 for a 20-minute cycle. The good thing is that once I had mastered the technique of ensuring my heels stay in contact with the pads at all times, it has proved quite difficult to do otherwise. I recommend it without a doubt.
I have just started a workout programme on my home machine and intend to burn 500 calories a day.
My son 12 yrs old plays tennis and was told by his coach that is better to use the elliptical every other day. Is there a reason to it?. Sonia. FL.
With the ellpitical exerciser are you supposed peddel front or go backwards, I have heard that if you go backwards it is really good for the bum musceles is this True??
i use my cross trainer everyday for last 2 month and also on low cal diet ive lost 18lb so far but also on xenical but i havent noticed a change in my apperarance even thou my dr says ive lost so do my scales i have a bad back as well so dieting for health reasons how do i get lower tummy fat off without doing crunchies
you need to ontrol ur eating aswell as using the x trainer like any other machine. But it is one of the best things man made for us big poeple and u just have to stick to it and incorporate it into your life as a must like eating and drinking.
When using an eliptical there are two types one will offer rpm=rotations per minute and then there are Spm=Strides per minute, the difference is to do anything effectively use have to keep the rpms at 90 and on the machine that offers spm you have to keep it at 165 spm for 20 minutes straight you will burn on the rpm machine in 20 minutes 226 cal and on the spm machine 336 cal so you see not all elipticals are equal and the same. but one thing falls true repition is the mother of gain if you dont keep it up dont expect to lose anything doing it twice a week after the the 1st 2 months after the the 2month period you should be adding more days, the body gets used to repition so you need to switch it up and make it work a little harder. Black Belt Chris.Thanks a lot for this information - thinking of getting a cross trainer for my own Xmas present!! Do you recommend any brand in particular? Or would you say they all do the same job? Jan. London....
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