Stair Climber Vs. Elliptical
Cardio exercise benefits people with hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, reduces risk of osteoporosis and helps burn body fat. Both stair climber machines and elliptical trainers provide a great cardiovascular workout that strengthens hips, thighs, calves and your heart and lungs. How do you decide which cardio machine is best for you?
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Elliptical Trainers
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There are two types of elliptical trainers on the market: one is designed for the lower body only, the other (the cross-trainer) is equipped with long handles that enable you to simultaneously work your upper body. Elliptical trainers are appropriate for people of all fitness levels and provide the benefits of high-intensity cardiovascular workouts without the impact and risk of injury to the back, hips, feet and knees. Instead of an up-and-down pressing motion, your feet and legs travel in an oval (elliptical) pattern, and your feet never leave the pedals.
Though little to no impact is involved, elliptical trainers are still considered a weight-bearing exercise, thus providing great benefit for women at risk for osteoporosis.
Stair Climbers
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Stair climbing is a challenging exercise that uses muscles of the lower body: hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps and calves. There are two types of stair-based cardio machines, stair steppers and stair climbers, the latter emulating going up a never-ending flight of stairs. Stair steppers have two pedals that are pressed up and down in a stair climbing motion. Speed and resistance are controlled automatically with a pre-set computerized program, or manually by the user.
The high-end stair climbers allow for the input of your age and weight, which are used to calculate appropriate heart rate ranges as well as the calories burned during a workout. Some models also track number of steps taken and "flights of stairs" climbed. Stair climbers provide an intense workout that can elevate the heart rate to very high levels, so they are not recommended for new exercisers or people with cardiovascular disease.
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Use Proper Form
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When using an elliptical machine, keep your feet flat on the pedals and stand up straight. When using either machine, you should avoid leaning on the railing, which reduces the intensity of your workout and can reduce the caloric burn by as much as 20 percent. Place your feet carefully when using the stair climber, as proper knee positioning is key to avoid injury.
Workout Tips
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Product information from several elliptical manufacturers claims you can burn up to 720 calories an hour with an elliptical workout. However, an accurate calorie burn would have to take into account machine settings, your gender and weight, your fat to muscle ratio, the intensity of the workout (high-intensity intervals or steady state while chatting with a friend) and how much you involved your upper body.
Try speed intervals for maximum fat burning and cardiovascular benefit. For the stair climbers, you would set the machine on manual or timed speed intervals, which changes the tension on the pedals automatically. The manual setting allows you to set your own interval pattern and speed that matches your current fitness level. Go at a comfortable pace for two minutes, following that with a speed interval (going as fast as you possibly can) for 30 to 60 seconds; alternate the pattern for 15 to 20 minutes.
Considerations
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You can get an effective aerobic workout with both an elliptical machine and a stair climber. Use of a heart rate monitor is recommended to avoid overtraining and to make sure you are working within the proper range for your safety. Most equipment is equipped with heart rate monitor sensors, allowing wireless transmission of your heart rate directly to the equipment. Programs are built into the machine and will adjust tension or speed to bring your heart rate back into the correct aerobic zone.
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