How to Compare Elliptical Walkers to Treadmills
If you want to do cardiovascular exercise, either treadmill or elliptical walker are excellent choices. Since the elliptical walker uses the same running motion as a treadmill, most people do not realize that these two machines offer a different experience and can exercise different parts of your body if you use the settings correctly. This article will help you understand what a treadmill and an elliptical walker has to offer.
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Instructions
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Use a treadmill if you want to use your stomach or core muscles. Running while not keeping your feet and hands in a stationary motion allows you to use your core muscles to keep you balanced.
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Use a treadmill if you wish to burn more calories. Because a treadmill allows you to use your core muscles as you run, you are more likely to burn more calories as you are giving yourself a full body workout.
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Use a treadmill if your goal is to become a better runner. While the treadmill and an elliptical runner both offer an intense cardiovascular workout and similar physical motions, only the treadmill mimics actual running.
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Use an elliptical walker if you want to exercise your arms. The handles of the elliptical walker allow you to use your arm strength to exercise as opposed to completely using your legs.
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Use an elliptical if you wish to exercise your gluteal muscles (the upper most of your leg muscles). While a treadmill allows you to exercise your gluteal muscles, setting a high incline on the elliptical walker will change the elliptical walker's motion into a similar motion you would use when you climb stairs. This is a fantastic motion to engage in if you want to exercise your gluteal muscles.
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Use an elliptical walker if you are susceptible to shin splints. The low impact nature of the elliptical walker will help you avoid shin splints.
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Use an elliptical walker if you have knee problems or any other condition that would necessitate the usage of a low impact machine.
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Do not hold onto the handles of the elliptical walker if you want to work out your core muscles in a similar fashion that the treadmill does. Use caution when doing this because this will require some balance.
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Tips & Warnings
If your goal is to have an intense cardiovascular workout and you want to use an elliptical walker, it is best to not hold onto the handles of the elliptical walker.
Use the pre-set settings on both the treadmill and the elliptical walker to help tailor your workout to what your fitness goals are.
Use caution when using either a treadmill or an elliptical walker.
Do not let go of the elliptical walker's handles if you are unsure of your ability to balance on the machine since you can fall off.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the use of either a treadmill or an elliptical walker, contact your physician, physical trainer or any other trained professional with the appropriate knowledge to answer your questions.
Resources
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