Elliptical Trainer Workout

Elliptical trainer also popularly known as cross-trainer, elliptical machine, or simply elliptical is a very beneficial fitness equipment. However, most people still prefer using a treadmill compared to the elliptical trainer, because people are familiar with the controls of the treadmill, also using treadmill is very easy as one just have to jog, walk or run on it. But, in an elliptical trainer workout one needs to learn how to co-ordinate the hands and legs together at a good speed, to get most out of their workout. Once, one knows how to use an elliptical trainer and the settings on the machine, one can get many benefits out of this machine. Also, when this machine is used rightly the calories burned on an elliptical trainer are higher compared to the calories burned on a treadmill.

Health Benefits
Here are some of the important elliptical trainer benefits.

• The most important benefit of elliptical trainer is that is provides a low impact on the joints. As the feet stay on the pedals, instead of pounding on a hard surface, the susceptible joints like knees, hips and ankles receive less impact. This is the reason why, this machine is opted by people who are recovering from injuries.
• It provides an excellent cardiovascular exercise workout, that means it helps to maintain heart and lungs health and also helps to raise the metabolism and burn calories.
• Due to the moving handles on an elliptical, one can greatly burn and build upper body area too. The back and forth motion of arms, help to build good arm muscles. This way elliptical provides a total body workout, and this makes it one of the best fitness equipment.
• If you are just using the foot pedals, then you can form a core workout, this will force the core muscles which are the abdominal, and the middle and lower back muscles to stabilize the body during workout, and strengthen these muscles.
• The amount of calories burned in an elliptical trainer workout are really good. The amount of calories burned on an elliptical trainer for a woman weighing 150 pounds are 387 for a duration of half an hour. A man weighing 180 pounds can burn around 480 calories for a duration of half an hour.

Buying Tips
Make sure you buy an elliptical trainer that has important features like stride length of 21", has adjustable incline, gives a smooth motion of pedals, has arm handles, is quiet, and has adjustable resistance. Also, take care that the machine comes with a good warranty, and has extra features like heart rate monitor, pre-set workout option, etc.

Sample Workout
The routine can be done every alternate day. The workout should be such that it should start slow, then build up to intensity and then again become gradually slow, heading towards a cool down. Here is a sample workout, that you follow.

• Slow Warm Up for 5 minutes
• Then 10 minutes working out on low exertion exercise setting
• Slightly increase the difficulty level and continue working for 5 minutes
• Push the setting to hard exercise, and workout for 5 minutes
• Then slowly again switch to the moderate setting, and workout for 5 minutes
• Decrease the setting, and workout for 10 minutes
• Get off the machine, and cool down for 5 minutes

So, you can use the above tips of working out on an elliptical in a public gym, or use the buying tips and buy a good elliptical machine, to work out at home.