Elliptical vs Treadmills: Which One Burns More Calories?
August 31, 2009 Filed Under: Treadmills
Home exercise equipment doesn’t come cheap. So when you’re looking to buy something to help you burn calories and lose weight, you want to know which piece of machinery will be most effective.
You’ll hear arguments on both sides of the treadmill versus elliptical debate. Out of all exercise equipment, these two sell the most. Of course, you’ll have to make a personal decision as to which piece of machinery you like best. But if it all boils down to which one burns more calories, then there’s a definitive answer for you.
Both machines are able to help you burn the same out calories, depending on how you exercise with them. Working out on an elliptical can burn as many calories as running on a treadmill.
Many people find that running on a treadmill is too intense for their joints – it is true that a workout on a treadmill can have a very deep impact on your body. If you find that you cannot run on a treadmill, then a workout on an elliptical can be just as effective at burning calories, and will have a lesser impact on your joints and muscles.
It really does all boil down to how you use your exercise machine. For example, by running for an hour on a treadmill at about 7 mph your body would use up approximately 783 calories. Now if you were to use an elliptical trainer for about an hour, you should burn around 774 calories, so the figures are more or less the same. However, if you were to use the treadmill set at only 3 mph you would only burn 297 calories, which is a huge difference!
The number of calories your body burns on an elliptical really does all depend on how you use the machine and the approach you take to your workout. Some people prefer to exercise in a moderate, gentle way, whereas others charge in an give themselves a very intense workout.
When considering which exercise machine to purchase, you simply have to decide which will give you the most pleasure. You will spend quite a lot of time working out so it is important to pick the machine which you will enjoy the most.
For people who love walking, or running or jogging for that matter, then a treadmill would be an excellent investment which allows you to get all the benefits of walking without having to leave your home. Bear in mind though that to be an effective method of losing weight you will have to increase the speed and incline of the treadmill to make sure you really get the benefits of exercise.
For those that have problems with the knees and ankles, or have experienced joint pain then an elliptical would be perfect for you. Not only does it allow you to burn calories, but ellipticals also have a less harsh impact on your body. They are also ideal for older people because they are much more forgiving to the joints and muscles. Some people even invest in an elliptical and a treadmill so that they can mix up their workout routine ensuring that they get the benefits of both types of machine.
Hopefully I have solved the elliptical vs treadmill debate for you! If you decide treadmills are the best solution for you, get detailed reviews and recommendations of the best rated treadmills here.






















[...] Torri Tompson wrote an interesting post today onElliptical vs Treadmills: Which One Burns More Calories? | <b>Fitness</b> <b>…</b>Here’s a quick excerpt [...]
Good points, I once chat on the online custom service on the lifespanfitness.com.au and asked them the differences between elliptical and treadmills, how them affect the exercise, like calories burning, It seemed that they improve their knowledge. Now mystery is solved. Thank you