Elliptical Versus Treadmill - Who Wins?

It is no secret that walking is the best exercise overall when considered along side any other exercise. Treadmills were invented to bring together the goodness of walking with the convenience of the indoors. Over the years, treadmills have gone through many changes to improve the overall performance and add features that make the user experience more beneficial.

Then in recent years, an innovation, actually, an improvement on the treadmill has burst on the scene - the elliptical trainer. As a matter of fact it is often referred to as an elliptical treadmill as it really is designed to be a walker but without the stress and strain of walking.

Let's examine just what benefits both these machines share and then see how an elliptical takes your exercise experience to the next level.

The action of walking is a series of complex muscular and skeletal movements. We take it for granted as full grown adults but it takes a great deal of effort to walk. Just look at a toddler as he is learning how to coordinate all his muscles to keep upright and going forward.

Treadmills and ellipticals both allow the body to walk and or run at varying levels of difficulty. The better machines give you programs which give you specific levels or intensities of workout depending on your needs.

They can come plain or with all the bells and whistles. Some nice features to look for are the pulse monitors and program computer which allows you to monitor your progress and choose the workout you desire.

But now is where we will leave the standard treadmill behind. The elliptical trainer is expressly designed to reduce the stress and strain of walking on your joints. It is no secret that the knees can be the first joint to "feel" worn out due to overuse. The elliptical machine takes this problem into consideration and eliminates that jarring effect.

The pedal-like foot pads travel in a long, flatter motion, so the knees and hips get the workout they need without the pain of hitting a hard surface. You will be less likely to give up or curtail your exercise routine if you can consistently come away from your exercise feeling refreshed and not in pain.

To add to this benefit, many of the top machines enhance the work out by adding hand bars that give an independent upper body workout.

While the standard treadmill still gives you a good workout, the elliptical machine takes the benefits of walking and eliminates the problems associated with walking on a hard surface. You can add upper body workout, too. Clearly, the elliptical trainer is an advancement that takes the best features of treadmills but takes away the factors that could lead to joint pain and deterioration. Visit http://exerciseequipmentelliptical.com to learn more about what type of elliptical might be right for you!

Canon 40D Sale
Best Buy Canon Rebel XSi
Canon Rebel XSi Best Price