I hate cardio but I like the eliptical

cherryd69 · June 2013

I do a different range of thing (tonight i did aqua aerobics..) But... i always feel iv done more and earned my calories on the cross trainer $:\$

Booksandbeaches · June 2013

Of all the cardio machines, the elliptical is my favorite. I don't get bored on it whereas the treadmill and bikes can bore me if I do it on consecutive days.

basslinewild · June 2013

I love the elliptical but I love the arc trainer even more!

Fitnin6280 · June 2013

I love doing cardio -- outside! I can't do it on machines.. well I can, but it's hard. So. Very. Hard. It's so freaking boring! I ran on the treadmill tonight before lifting, as I wanted to get a quick workout in, and it was horrible!

Off topic but NEVER run before lifting.

Why? When I was in high school we always ran before we lifted during basketball practice.

CashierCantin · June 2013

I love the elliptical. At first when I joined the gym in April I thought it was awkward (I am short and not used to the arm swinging/leg moving coordination) but the more I kept with it, the longer I was able to stay on. There was one machine by Lifestyle that I absolutely loved and had to fight co workers to get on it (we always ended up getting there at the same time and they only had one machine working at the time). One time BOTH Lifestyles were broke so I tried the one next to it, the ProForm where you dont move your arms but the legs were more fluid in motion and I was able to stay on it for more than 400 calories!!!

I do hills and intervals I couldn't imagine doing before. I have bad knees and CAN'T run or do anything high impact. The elliptical is perfect and while my feet do 'fall asleep' at the ball sometimes, if I get off and get back on after stretching it goes away. Its the pressure points is all...nothing to be worried about (asked my doctor ).

I only hope I burn the calories it says I do because each machine is different and the one I used before burned half of what I do now but it took me much longer to feel winded and start the sweat. On the ProForm I feel like I get a huge workout!

toutmonpossible · June 2013

i do a combination of interval and steady state cardio work because it's believed to be a more efficient workout. I find it awkward to work flat out on the elliptical, so I use it only for the steady state portion. I do the intervals on the treadmill.

If the elliptical is the only machine you enjoy, by all means do it.

Christina8585 · June 2013

I have a heart condition and I find that I can't run or jog or do the treadmill whatsoever, but the elliptical is low impact and you can get your heart rate up there without the impact on the knees, so I try to use it 30 minutes a day. It works great and I love it. Whatever works to get the cardio in, works. I say do what works.

raingirl21 · June 2013

I'm the opposite. I get so bored out of my mind with the elliptical. Prefer running outdoors and feeling the elements.

Would love to do this, but I live in Washington and we have to do much of our running indoors.

I do like the low impact of the elliptical, and feel I can go longer without getting super tired.

EDollah · June 2013

Elliptical is my jam. You can get a nice long workout on elliptical and burn substantially more calories than the bike or treadmill can offer. When I started off I'd split between elliptical and something else, just to alleviate boredom, but the elliptical burn was so much higher I had to switch to it full time. Is it boring? Heck yeah, that's what Netflix, Hulu and an iPad are for.

missmelissa919 · June 2013

I just started using the elliptical and everytime my feet fall asleep! I thought I was crazy but I guess not. Anyone know what causes this? I tried two different pairs of shoes, wiggling my toes, and moving my feet. Love the elliptical but hate my feet falling asleep:/

herblackwings39 · June 2013

I really don't like the elliptical. It makes my knees ache within 3 minutes, by 5 minutes I'm so totally over it. I am glad that it works for others though.

llkilgore · June 2013

I was always bored out of my gourd on the elliptical, but in my case it was a necessary step in the transition from walking to running - that and strength training. I was 57 years old, 60 pounds overweight, and VERY out of shape when I began my transformation. I couldn't run 30 seconds on the treadmill without feeling like both my lungs and my legs were disintegrating. I could just about manage 30 minutes on the elliptical, though, if the settings were low enough. But I hated it. I began the C25K running program a few months later and gladly left the elliptical behind as soon as I'd progressed far enough to run off a similar number of calories.

yumbinkbugonrox · June 2013

I love the eliptical and I too get sleepy foot parts. Specifically, in my middle and fourth toes on both feet. I sort of end up doing a weird foot thing as I go where I sort of march/mark time. I agree, there are like 5 eliptical machines (I call them the old ones) which are my favorite, they put very little strain on my knees and I get a great stride.