subject: Treadmill Vs Elliptical: Seven Factors To Help You Decide [print this page] Are you looking to buy some fitness equipment but are faced with the treadmill vs elliptical question? It's a common question, and not an easy one to resolve. At the end of the day choosing a treadmill or elliptical is a personal decision.
This article sets out seven factors addressing the treadmill vs elliptical matter.
1. Joint impact: Although many treadmills offer cushioning and low impact features, an elliptical offers low to no impact workouts.
2. Is running your primary workout regimen? If your focus is running and you live in a cold climate and would love to run inside, then a treadmill is your best option. However, if you can run outside all the time and would like some workout variety, mix it up with an elliptical trainer.
3. Money - treadmill vs elliptical: Money isn't really an issue when deciding on a treadmill or an elliptical. The quality of equipment you get is about the same for the same amount of money spent. Note that the range in pricing for both treadmills and ellipticals range considerably.
4. Are you looking to add variety to your workouts? If you already run or walk and wish to vary your routine, an elliptical workout is an excellent addition to your workout regimen. That said, you can do more types of workouts on a treadmill - walking, running, sprinting, lunges, side-stepping, and workouts with handheld weights.
5. Upper body workout opportunity - treadmill vs elliptical: You can do wrist weight workout routines on a treadmill when walking, but it's not as convenient as the upper body workout you get using moveable handles with resistance on an elliptical.
6. Do you like reading on your fitness equipment? One reason I like an elliptical trainer is I can read magazines easily. When I run on a treadmill, reading is difficult, if not impossible.
I do find reading easy enough when walking on a treadmill. You can get an excellent treadmill walking workout with a decent incline.
7. Are you concerned with noise? Fitness equipment can be noisy. Treadmills are louder than ellipticals because on a treadmill your feet pound the tread and they are outfitted with motors that produce noise. Treadmills are not good if you have people living below you in a non-concrete building.
The solution to your treadmill vs elliptical dilemma can only be solved by you. Decide which considerations are most important to you and your treadmill vs elliptical decision should be easier.
