Treadmill VS Elliptical

[Coo 1]

I use a treadmill and recumbent exercise bike due to a back injury.

I had surgery on my lumbar spine and so I can't sit unsupported (like a regular exercise bike) and also mini tramps and walkers, ellipticals etc are totally out.

Unfortunately I know this by experience :drool:

I think I would be totally brain dead if I didn't have music dvd's on. It not only gives me beat to walk to but something to look at! Course a new murder (which I haven't seen before) is good for quieter sessions :tongue2:

[luv2laugh 0]

I like the eliptical -

I sweat more

It's easier on my knees and heel/ankle

Everytime I go back to the treadmill for a "change", I aggravate my heel which has a bone spur/tendonitis. Orthopedic said to keep doing the bike/eliptical as long as it doesn't hurt.

Heel lifts in my sneakers have helped the injury tremendously - but I still can't take the pounding of walking on my injury.:tongue2:

Brenda

[Linda Lu 1]

...so you have to get on the treadmill or elliptical? :thumbdown:

[Chickie 15]

I love my treadmill, because I love to run. And when it is late at night, or wet, or too hot, I can still run without leaving my home.

[kaohinani 0]

If I had to chose just one machine, I would choose the ellipitical, I get a better workout. I tend to get shin splints if I do the treadmill too often. Although I have heard that the calorie readout on the ellipitical may not be as accurate. They said that if the readout says that you burn over 700 calories in an hour that is wrong. But some of you are right, that any workout is good, and to switch between different machines in even better. Keep up the good work everyone!!!!!!

[Joaquin 0]

I am a big fan of the elliptical. I am 3 weeks post op so I am still just doing the treadmill but the elliptical has been calling my name. I prefer the gym quality ellpicals and the amount of calories that I can burn in an hour is amazing. I ususally use the treadmill as a cool down.

[JoannMarie 0]

I have a 5 yearold artificial left knee and am looking at replacement on the right soon - all due to severe osteoarthritis. Orthopods tell me I should use the elliptical and/or the recumbant bike to avoid the impact you have with the treadmill. I think either is a good way to exercise, but everyone needs to be aware of high impact on the joints - esp those of us who are overweight. I have not yet had my banding - still researching - but I am looking forward to feeling like exercising again...

[Jachut 487]

Calorie readouts on ellipticals are notoriously overstated. You need to use your common sense. If you spend half an hour on one and you're well worked, pleasantly tired and sweaty but not dropping from exhaustion well, you most definitely have NOT burned 500 or 600 calories in that half hour! They are based sort of on leg revolution/distance travelled but dont take into account that you are not actually leaving the ground and moving your body anywhere at all which is most of the actual energy required in a movement.

Like anything, an average sized woman of normal weight would probably burn 250 calories or less in half an hour of good cardio - and that includes the elliptical, no matter what the readout says. The only way to get an accurate readout is with a device (like a body bugg or similar) that measures your body, not the machine your body is working on.

Even with the treadmill the readout is inaccurate, because like with any cardio, as your body adapts, your calorie usage reduces markedly, which is why its ideal to add interval training and weight training and do lots of different activities for the afterburn to keep the weight coming off.

[terry r 0]

what's afterburn? Terry

[Kat817 19]

I have both--both good quality while obviously still short of the gym quality. Mine get no where near the work out or abuse those machines get! I vary what I use--by orthopedic Dr. prefers I stay on the elliptical. I have an unresolved tumor in my fibula---a lower shin bone) and they constantly warn against any impact exercises. I have a tendency to pick up my feet and turn it into jog on the treadmill if I crank up the speed. Where as I can push the elliptical, and get no more pressure on the bone, than when I am warming up. I do work out on my treadmill--but mostly in the winter months.

My Dr. would have a fit if he knew I jumped on a trampoline with my granddaughter!! BUT----I did NOT jump like I seriously wanted too---just bounced her! All the fun stuff is a no right now....

Kat

[Jachut 487]

Terry afterburn is where your metabolism is heightened after exercise, something that long moderate sessions of cardio (like we're told to do to burn fat) doesnt achieve.

Slower cardio causes your body to burn a greater PERCENTAGE of fat for fuel but harder cardio burns more fat overall. Of course you have to start with what you can manage, but intervals in your cardio work, where you push your heart rate through the roof help to elevate you to that next level, and cause your body to have to burn more calories to recover when you've finished. Slow cardio like walking doesnt do that, your body just returns to normal once you stop.

Weights and particularly circuit training, where you combine weights AND cardio are the best ways to raise your metabolism for hours.

But dont worry about it. I truly believe all that scientific claptrap is irrelevant to a degree for us average Joe's. Anyone with half a brain can see that if an overweight person starts to eat less and do some cardio, she loses weight.

Its only when you get to my stage, where you've lost down to a health weight (but want to lose just a few kgs more for fine tuning) and have been doing long runs for a couple of years taht you need to start thinking "right, how can I shake this up a bit". There's no point to me going out and running MORE to try to lose more weight, I already can run an hour at a time and my body has adapted well to it, can do it most efficiently for minimum calorie burn and can recover quickly. From here on it, I need to get tricky with it, AND I would also like to increase my aerobic fitness so I can do a half marathon. I need to do something different, shock my body to achieve that.

For those of us part way through our journeys, eat less and move more doing something you'll like doing. The average person doing a normal amount of exercise is not going to waste away all their muscle doing cardio or fail to get benefits. It works.

[Jachut 487]

Terry afterburn is where your metabolism is heightened after exercise, something that long moderate sessions of cardio (like we're told to do to burn fat) doesnt achieve.

Slower cardio causes your body to burn a greater PERCENTAGE of fat for fuel but harder cardio burns more fat overall. Of course you have to start with what you can manage, but intervals in your cardio work, where you push your heart rate through the roof help to elevate you to that next level, and cause your body to have to burn more calories to recover when you've finished. Slow cardio like walking doesnt do that, your body just returns to normal once you stop.

Weights and particularly circuit training, where you combine weights AND cardio are the best ways to raise your metabolism for hours.

But dont worry about it. I truly believe all that scientific claptrap is irrelevant to a degree for us average Joe's. Anyone with half a brain can see that if an overweight person starts to eat less and do some cardio, she loses weight.

Its only when you get to my stage, where you've lost down to a health weight (but want to lose just a few kgs more for fine tuning) and have been doing long runs for a couple of years taht you need to start thinking "right, how can I shake this up a bit". There's no point to me going out and running MORE to try to lose more weight, I already can run an hour at a time and my body has adapted well to it, can do it most efficiently for minimum calorie burn and can recover quickly. From here on it, I need to get tricky with it, AND I would also like to increase my aerobic fitness so I can do a half marathon. I need to do something different, shock my body to achieve that.

For those of us part way through our journeys, eat less and move more doing something you'll like doing. The average person doing a normal amount of exercise is not going to waste away all their muscle doing cardio or fail to get benefits. It works.

[TownDrunk 0]

If you're out of shape, the elliptical might be too hard for you. I bought a very expensive elliptical but don't get much use out of it since I can't go for 15 minutes without my heart pounding out of my chest, while I can easily use the treadmill for an hour or more without going into cardiac arrest.

[hazeleyegrl1 0]

i LOVE LOVE LOVE my elliptical....I'm doing a 2008 Challenge: A Year of Miles on my elliptical! I have 365 days to complete 365 miles on it.

I will admit that whenever I first started using it, after 10 or 15minutes I was done...couldn't go on anymore...couldn't finish a mile! I still loved it though, I just had to build up to a mile....and now, I have found myself finishing a mile and going farther and farther past that mile as my stamina builds up.

Plus, there are different programs on there to build up your resistance. I can tell you this....I used to walk 3miles a day, 3 times a week....and just 1 mile on my elliptical I feel like I sweat more and get an overall better workout then 3 miles of just walking.

I don't have a treadmill, so I can't honestly say anything one way or another about them....but I will 100% endorse the elliptical. and as far as the one you pick out, just make sure it is one that feels good to you and you are comfortable on it....oh, and make sure its sturdy....

mine does squeek and my hubby has had to adjust it and its leveling a few times, but i won't trade it in for a new one bc it cost me over $300 back in december and i will just turn up the radio louder and keep going if i have too....LOL....

xoxo, christie

Hope that info helps.

[Kat817 19]

As with a most things related to exercise, the elliptical is something you begin in short spurts, and increase as your stamina increases. I think when I got mine, I started at like 3 minutes!!! Then in a few days I went up to 5...then added a minute or 2 everytime I thought I could. The pre programmed work outs on mine are set some are 20 minutes, and some are 30 minutes. I can now do either, and sometimes choose to go beyond that.

I listen to books on CD or on my Ipod while I walk. There are times I am exhausted, but want to know what happens next so I keep going! I do not allow myself to listen any other time!

Try your elliptical again---begin with 5 minutes several different times through the day--slowly increase that--it will improve faster than you expect! It is a great workout my Dr.'s have all said.

Kat