Elliptical equipment is a fairly new, innovative concept that has grabbed the attention of the exercise and fitness world. Elliptical means oval shaped and it offers a fun, low impact form of weight bearing exercises that are simple to learn.
Elliptical cross trainers are meant to be used in a standing position providing a total body, low impact workout. The training machines include footpads and handgrips for you to easily hold on and maintain balance while you exercise. Many of the exercises are compared to running or walking and when used with the arm bars, they can simulate skiing or biking. Elliptical machines are different than treadmills because although you’re building bone density while bearing weight and standing, there’s virtually no impact on the muscles and joints.
What is Elliptical Technology?
Elliptical technology is a combination of design features and mechanisms that produce a natural motion comparable to running or walking. This type of smooth motion provides an ordinary path for the hips, legs and feet to follow that will not jar your muscles and joints.
The elliptical motion is intended to be continuous and smooth much like riding a bicycle. Other types of equipment, for example, stair steppers use motion and reverse motions, which require your legs and feet to constantly adapt. This motion and reverse motion is preformed by your legs and feet going back and forth or up and down. When the forward motion ends, you begin to do the reverse motion of the equipment which causes a shock on your muscles, joints and bones. Those types of equipment don’t provide the continuous flow of elliptical technology because while the machine you are using is still in motion, you essentially have to stop that motion and reverse it.
The purpose of an elliptical trainer is to provide an overall range of motion that keeps your legs moving continually in the same manner. Elliptical technology offers the ability to reverse the direction without stopping the motion allowing you to maintain a non-jarring, smooth motion while working all your muscles. Many elliptical trainers permit you to change the direction or reverse the motion by simply changing a setting on the machine.
The number of choices for elliptical trainers gets larger with every passing year. There are a variety of different types of elliptical machines available for your choosing. The most common machines have a crank arm that has an axis on one end and attaches to a stable bar at the other end. The end that attaches to the stable bar moves in a linear, flat back and forth motion while the axis end rotates as the bar moves. This is how the elliptical machine offers a natural path for an overall workout without putting stress on your body. Certain commercial or top of the line elliptical trainers use magnetic resistance while machines built for use in the home offer resistance using a band placed around a flywheel.
The Advantages and Benefits of Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers provide an overall fitness package that limits the impact on your body while offering a weight bearing exercise that optimizes the cardiovascular benefits. There are some pieces of exercise equipment on the market that deal with one or two of these benefits but elliptical trainers supply all the advantages in one machine.
To improve bone density studies have shown that it’s crucial to perform weight bearing exercises. The problem is that most weight bearing exercise workouts create a negative effect on the muscles and joints with high impact stress. People that have arthritis or existing injuries could end up with serious health problems using those types of workouts if they do not use an elliptical trainer. Furthermore, like mentioned above, other types of exercise equipment have a drawback for people that are looking for an overall body workout due to the fact that other machines only address one or two areas of the body.
A treadmill gives you the weight bearing advantage but when your foot lands on the running surface you obtain impact and stress on your joints.
A stationary bike has no weight bearing advantages since you are in a sitting position, although it does offer a smooth non-jarring motion that won’t affect joint stress.
Swimming is considered a great total body exercise that many people partake in. The problem is that swimming is also considered a non-weight bearing exercise.
Elliptical training equipment has these benefits and advantages over traditional fitness equipment:
- A low impact workout that is provided by a continuous elliptical motion
- Easy to learn and maintain because the motion is much like walking.
- It helps to preserve bone density because it’s a weight bearing exercise.
- Built in monitors can keep track of your cardiovascular training offering you one of the best cardio workouts available.
- Provides an overall body exercise supplying handles on the machines for a strong upper body workout.
- Elliptical trainers are built with less mechanical parts making them a simple and more reliable piece of equipment.
Watch for Elliptical Imitators
Once you decide to purchase an elliptical fitness trainer you should do a little investigating first. The number one thing is to try the machine before you buy it and ask yourself if the movement feels comfortable and natural. Assure the elliptical machine offers a continuous smooth motion, sufficient size foot rests and a stable platform and frame. Look for other available options also such as settings for incline, direction and speed.
There will always be someone that wants to make a buck by selling less adequate equipment commonly called “knock-offs”. This scrupulous practice comes with any new trendy, original and beneficial product such as elliptical technology. The lack of understanding and commitment of the true benefits of an elliptical machine could lead to many design flaws. Meaning some elliptical trainers might not provide the natural movement that’s intended. Instead the results are jarring of the muscles and joints which is what an elliptical machine should not do. The substandard materials and designs of these cheaper off brand elliptical machines won’t provide a positive overall body workout that’s the true origin of elliptical technology.
Elliptical technology in the past decade has become one of the health and fitness industries finest innovations. It offers an easy, enjoyable workout that tackles common health and exercise concerns. Elliptical trainers provide the option for people to improve their health, lose weight and get fit without causing injury or stress to joints and muscles while working out.
