Elliptical Trainers / CrosstrainerElliptical trainers are relatively new to the family of fitness equipment, as compared totreadmills. They have increased in popularity during the last few years. And, perhaps at the rate theyare going, these fitness machines will someday surpass the treadmill in popularity! But, do they deliverwhat they promise?Elliptical trainers allow the athlete to burn a similar number of calories as jogging...but without the riskof injury to the back, knees, hips, or ankles. Your feet never leave the pedals. As a result, this type ofmachine is quite low-impact and goes easy on the joints. In fact, whereas exercising on a treadmillrequires your body to absorb the impact force of walking or running, exercising on an elliptical can becompared to running in midair.Because ellipticals are so low-impact and easy on the joints, this type of exercise equipment mayvery well be one of the best choices for older people or for individuals who are recovering from a jointinjury.Elliptical machines mimic the normal elliptical motion of the foot, the extension of the leg, and the rotationof the hip during walking or running. This motion uses all the leg muscles, giving you a totallower-body workout.But, WAIT! There's more! Elliptical motion machines ALSO simultaneously work the upper body (unlikethe treadmill, which works only the lower body)! As the feet go through their elliptical motion, thehands grip the moving handlebars, exercising the arms. The movement of the dual handlebars mimicscross-country skiing. Now, this particular type of workout may not necessarily pump you up to looklike a bodybuilder. However, because you are including the upper 30% of your body in your workouts,the results will be more efficient. (And, those arms will be toned in no time!)Because elliptical trainers DO work the upper and lower body simultaneously, the heart rate climbsmore quickly. Thus, less time is required to achieve more results. The amount of energy expended isoptimized. As the legs are being worked, the back, shoulders, chest, biceps, and triceps are alsoworking ...making it possible to burn more calories in less time. (An optimal workout need only beabout 20-30 minutes long.)Some elliptical devices offer the option of shutting down the handlebars and working only the lowerbody. Even when this option is available, it evidently is not used very often ...likely because individualsappreciate being able to work the entire body at one time.The foot pedals can be worked in a forward or reverse direction. When you change the direction ofthe pedals, you'll target your lower body in different ways. It is nice to be able to add versatility to yourelliptical workouts, and such a change works to ensure optimal training of the leg muscles.The intensity level can be adjusted on elliptical equipment to fit your personal level of fitness. Resistancemay be added as desired to increase the workload on your legs throughout the forward orbackward stride. With such an efficient workout, you can say 'goodbye' to flabby thighs and derrieres!Previous studies have shown that working out on an elliptical unit can trick the body into believing it isworking easier than it actually is. Therefore, as you're burning more calories in less time on an ellipticaltrainer, your body feels as though it doesn't have to work as hard to achieve its goals. This phenomenonis known as the "Rate of Perceived Exertion."Additional benefits of elliptical training include its ability to build bone density and to inhibit the onsetof osteoporosis. Everyone needs strong, healthy bones. This is especially a concern as we growolder, and our body's bone mass begins to deteriorate. Elliptical exercise can inhibit bone deteriorationand actually improve bone thickness.An elliptical device is safe to use (i.e. it stops when you stop). It uses very little electricity and is economicalto operate. Because of its lesser impact, there is less wear and tear of the machine, makingmaintenance quite low. It has a small footprint, so it takes up less floor space than other fitnessequipment. And, as with the treadmill, it allows you to exercise in a controlled environment for morecomfort and convenience.With all the benefits and the practicality of elliptical training machines, they just might end up exceedingthe treadmill in popularity!
Orignal From: Crosstrainer / Elliptical (Engl.)
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