How does the elliptical machine work?

There are many reasons to buy an elliptical machine for your home gym. However, to get the most of your elliptical cardio sessions, you have to know how to use it correctly. Regardless of being intuitive exercise machine, many people keep an improper posture while performing elliptical workouts.

Obviously, adopting a wrong position increases the risk of injuries and can compromise the workout, reducing its effectiveness to a minimum. Therefore, if you don’t know already, please continue to read to find out how the elliptical machine works.

Features of elliptical machines

Elliptical machines allow you to adjust the distance, resistance, speed, time and incline so you can customize your workouts according to your fitness goals. By increasing resistance and speed, you can turn your boring cardio workouts into entertaining and extremely efficient metabolism boosting and weight loss inducing routines.

Also, you can use its various settings for active recovery and rehabilitation in case your muscles or bones are injured and you need to take a break from harsh workouts. The elliptical machine, as said, puts way less stress on your body compared to the treadmill or exercise bike, so it’s a great home gym machine for recovery as well.

It ensures safe conditions for complex cardio workouts and the risk of injury while working out on the elliptical trainer is minimal.

Depending on the model, but some elliptical machines have speakers and MP3 players, allowing you to play your favorite workout playlist, as well as cooling fans to cool you down during the hardest efforts. These accessories can improve your motivation to exercise even harder.

Like with every cardio machine, you can use an elliptical machine for high-intensity interval trainings. The key is to alternate high intensity exercises with recovery intervals and to keep your heart pumping fast.

Types of elliptical workouts

The cross trainer provides a standard exercise that consists of forward walking or running while the speed is adjustable. Many new models allow you to do reverse movements and target opposite muscles in your lower body as well. Besides, you can also perform cross-country skiing and stair climbing workouts by adjusting the incline and speed to your fitness level.

Unlike the treadmill that only trains the lower body and stimulates fat loss in the core area as well, the elliptical trainer allows you to move your hands by grabbing the handle poles. That can work out your upper body, abs, back and legs at the same time. Therefore, instead of running on the treadmill and building stronger muscles in legs, you can do the elliptical and tone your arms and abs at the same time.

The result will be an intense aerobic exercise that will boost your metabolic rate, accelerating the breakdown of fats inside the body and making it easier for your organism to use its stored fats for energy. Not to mention workouts done on the cross trainer are low impact workouts, unlike those performed on the treadmill, which put a lot of stress on joints in knees, ankles and hips.

Benefits of elliptical workouts

Elliptical workouts have many health benefits which people are often unaware. Of course, they speed up the metabolic rate; help in losing fats and in building a fit and lean body. However, besides these benefits, elliptical machines also improve the functioning of the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive system.

Working on the elliptical trainer reduces stress, improves mood and keeps you positive. It improves your joints’ health by reducing stress and stimulating circulation that makes your skin look better. Also, it helps in detoxification as it speeds up the processing of foods and liquids in your body.