treadmill or elliptical?

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  • jimmydeanbakker
    jimmydeanbakker Posts: 333
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    I'm a big runner, so I will go with a treadmill. In a 60 minute run on the treadmill, I can burn 1200 calories; on the elliptical, I can only burn about 750 to 800 calories. Both machines are excellent tools, but I prefer the treadmill.
  • jsecret
    jsecret Posts: 606 Member
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    I prefer the elliptical, on an elliptical I can easily do 2 miles and feel good. But I've had ankle problems so I think the low impact is helpful. On the treadmill I do about a 1/2 mile and say screw it lol.
  • carmendownes01
    carmendownes01 Posts: 25
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    I have both and use both. But definitely the elliptical. It's less stress on your joints and burns more calories. You will LOVE it. BTW, Sole is a good brand, many hotels use them because they stand up to a lot of wear and tear! Good luck!
  • elloradannon
    elloradannon Posts: 111
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    I prefer the elliptical at the gym just because I feel like the time goes by quicker, but if you are training for any races or plan on taking your workout outside when the weather gets warmer, I would say the treadmill. I think it would be easier to push yourself when you are walking or running outside if you are used to a faster pace on the treadmill... and you know you can do a certain amount of miles in so many minutes... if that makes any sense. It's been a long day :-)
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    i disagree with the heart rate comment, i get my HR up really high on the elypticall...i prefer that over the treadmill, but i do agree with the person that said stairmaster...i much prefer the bowflex treadclimber...it's expensive but you get everything all in one...google it and take a look to see if you'd like it.
  • brownsugar84
    brownsugar84 Posts: 40 Member
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    My feet fall asleep when I use the elliptical so I would say treadmill, but I definitely think it is a personal preference.

    Your feet fall asleep because you need to concentrate on keeping them flat at all times and push more with your legs. I know it happened to me at first too. Push down less with your toes and more with your legs, feet flat. At first you'll go slower, but you'll get a much better workout too. Hope this helps


    Thank you! My feet have been falling asleep during my workouts but I never understood why. I will try your tip. Thank you! :)
  • marniehodges
    marniehodges Posts: 264
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    So easy...the elliptical for me. Call me a masochist but I love that damn machine! Every time I increase my time or level I "high 5" myself, in my head of course! Wouldn't want the people at the gym to think I was nutso :bigsmile:
  • nsueflorence
    nsueflorence Posts: 295 Member
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    I have always used the elliptical, never been much of a runner. But I have been picking up running a bit and I am finding my self more fond of the treadmill.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
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    I use treadmill and home and a really nice elliptical at the gym. The elliptical gives me a better all around work out because I use the arms and keep the resistance high. If I were going to start with just one I would pick elliptical, much easier on the joints.
  • abtropix
    abtropix Posts: 133 Member
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    I preffer the elliptical. No impact on the knees. I can workout for about 2 hrs straight, while if I run, my knees can't take more than an hr. I have an elliptical with an incline, so you can have a heavier workout and pump your heart rate higher.
  • SnackPack
    SnackPack Posts: 21 Member
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    It is the elliptical for me. It is very easy on my bad knees.
  • Dlibo1013
    Dlibo1013 Posts: 883 Member
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    think it is personal preference, i love my elliptical wouldnt trade it for anything but some like treadmills.
  • Vipecap
    Vipecap Posts: 166 Member
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    Get the one that you think you would use more, that's probably the best advice you can get. At the same levels and speed and a treadmill will burn more since you have to carry your own weight and at greater speeds it is simply not feasible to hold on to the rails. That said, neither one will burn anything if you don't use it. You can also burn just as much as a treadmill with a tad bit more effort if you play with the resistance settings.

    I personally use an elliptical almost daily, with an arc trainer mixed in occasionally. I find it easier to control my heart rate with an elliptical and for my current purposes, it's something I need to be able to easily due to the range I am in.

    Happy hunting :)
  • margie_77
    margie_77 Posts: 693 Member
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    I just started running 5k's last month. The eliptical is great for cardio and really good if you have a sore anything. It also burns more calories per min.
    I only use the treadmill to get an estimate on how much I'm improving my time.
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
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    My feet fall asleep when I use the elliptical so I would say treadmill, but I definitely think it is a personal preference.

    Your feet fall asleep because you need to concentrate on keeping them flat at all times and push more with your legs. I know it happened to me at first too. Push down less with your toes and more with your legs, feet flat. At first you'll go slower, but you'll get a much better workout too. Hope this helps
    It helps me Thanks!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    elliptical!!!

    the treadmill and i hate each other. we had a bad break-up. lol.
  • blumuse
    blumuse Posts: 52 Member
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    I prefer the elliptical because I don't run. You burn more calories on the elliptical than you do WALKING on a treadmill. Having said that, if you want to RUN inside and cannot get outside, then treadmill would be better for you. I do the elliptical inside and save the walking stuff for outside in the fresh air.
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
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    If I read correctly, you said you've never tried an elliptical. You need to try one before you decide.

    I love the elliptical. It's something I can do every day where I can only run every once in a while because my knees get sore. With both of them, the number of calories you burn will depend on how hard you work (as with anything). I generally burn more with the elliptical (I usually get about 10 calories a minute on the elliptical but only 8 running on the treadmil). But today I did both at the gym. I was curious so I just synced up my bodybugg to compare my burn. Interesting that I burned right around 10 calories a minute on both. For what it's worth, I was going faster on the elliptical (I put on 6.75 miles in an hour) and on the treadmill I was running 5.5 miles an hour (but only for 20 mins). I don't run a lot cuz of my knees, so it felt to me like I was working at about the same intensity on both of them. You can absolutely get your HR up on an elliptical!! I get my best workouts there!

    You should really give the elliptical a try for a while and see which you like better - that's going to let you find out which YOU would like best. In my opinion, if you are going to be walking - I'd go for the elliptical because you will burn more calories. If you are a runner, then you'll probably burn about the same (depending of course on how hard you work). But if you're a runner, you'd probably rather have a treadmill. If you do get an elliptical - I would suggest spending a little more on it - don't get the cheap one. The stride length is important, and I think the cheaper ones feel awkward. I was lucky to find a pretty decent used one for a good price. It's not gym quality, but it's a whole lot better than some of the other ones I tried.

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