What are ellipticals?
Ellipticals are machines similar to cross country. Like the latter, they can offer a full body workout in just a few minutes. Elliptical machines can give you a safe, low-impact aerobic workout. These machines can also be adjusted to provide different levels of stress and difficulty.
Elliptical cross trainers allow you to try out different types of exercises with a single machine. Most ellipticals simulate walking, stair climbing, bicycling, and skiing. By using an elliptical motion, the impact of these exercises is reduced, sometimes even eliminated.
Elliptical machines, like other indoor machines, are ideal for people who don’t want to leave the house to exercise, or for those who get bored easily with few exercises. As with treadmills, using ellipticals can help strengthen your heart and immune system, as well as improve muscle tone. They also provide a total body workout in a relatively short period of time – most manufacturers claim that you only need to exercise for twenty minutes or so to claim its benefits.
The main advantage of an elliptical machine is its flexibility. If you go to a gym regularly, you probably do a lot of exercises using a lot of different machines. An elliptical machine allows you to simulate many exercises with a single machine, which is ideal for the home environment. Another advantage is the reduced impact of the exercises, which is ideal for people who have joint problems, such as those with arthritis. Keep in mind, though, that the reduced impact means you burn fewer calories.