Better to Run or Elliptical?

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  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    Personal preference.

    The thing that makes you shed fat is having a calorie deficit created by either eating less than your body requires to maintain, exercising to burn extra calories, or a combination of the two. Pick the one that you think you will enjoy most or alternate them for variety. :-)

    I would just like to reiterate this. Spend an hour on the eliptical each day if you want....if you're nutrition isn't where it needs to be you won't get the results you're looking for.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    Depends:

    Running is higher impact so you will probably burn more calories per minute - however I think that the elliptical is much better for your body: especially if you compare higher resistance elliptical to sharp inclines on the treadmill (these are likely to cause shin splints).

    Personally, I would mix it up a bit - less chance of injury, you work a bigger range of muscles and you are less likely to get bored.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    Personally, I would mix it up a bit - less chance of injury, you work a bigger range of muscles and you are less likely to get bored.

    This. I mix it up a lot. Running is primary, but I am a newbie triathlete so I cycle too and swim in the summer. In the winter I still try to do my longer runs outside, but will use the TM for shorter ones and pair it with a ride on the bike for a "brick." I also use other cardio equipment at the gym on cross training days and try to do some sort of weight training three days a week.

    Mixing it up helps to prevent "overuse" injuries and most importantly BOREDOM!! Bottom line though is that the only exercise that works is the one that you stick with.
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
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    I have an elliptical, but I choose to run. Outside. The only times my elliptical gets used are if I'm stuck at home with the kids by myself or if it's raining when I want to run. And not just normal "Oh, it's drizzling," rain. It gets used when it's "Holy mother of God, someone go save Grandma, the creek's risin'!" raining. But that's just personal preference. I like being outside. I like getting fresh air. I like putting the earbuds in, pounding the pavement and just being lost in my own world for an hour or so.

    I don't think either is bad for you and I cannot say one is "better" than the other. The other posters are right, neither will help build muscle (other than that muscle called your heart).

    As for "how long," the "fitness and health experts" all say you need 30 minutes, 3 times a week to maintain health, which means you should be doing trying to do at least that much, right? I try to get at least 4 runs in a week, my shortest runs are in the 35 minute range (my long run on Saturday mornings is usually around 90-100 minutes, but it's taken a long time to build up to that...). Do what's comfortable, listen to your body. It will usually let you know when it's had enough.
  • AprilRenewed
    AprilRenewed Posts: 691 Member
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    When I measured with my HR monitor, I burned a LOT more calories on the elliptical. As long as you up the intensity and/or incline (mine has both).
  • tinamina78
    tinamina78 Posts: 241 Member
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    As a general rule, real exercise is always better than anything on a machine.
    There is no equal to the real thing.

    REAL exercise?? I'm sorry but if you are putting in the effort, raising your heartrate and keeping it raised for a good amount of time, then you are still getting a good cardio workout regardless of whether it's on a machine or outdoors. I'm not 100% sure what you mean by "real thing" but I'm 100% certain that running your butt off on a treadmill is "real" exercise. What matters is the effort you put into it and the calorie deficit you create doing it.

    Just sayin'
  • AprilRenewed
    AprilRenewed Posts: 691 Member
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    As a general rule, real exercise is always better than anything on a machine.
    There is no equal to the real thing.

    REAL exercise?? I'm sorry but if you are putting in the effort, raising your heartrate and keeping it raised for a good amount of time, then you are still getting a good cardio workout regardless of whether it's on a machine or outdoors. I'm not 100% sure what you mean by "real thing" but I'm 100% certain that running your butt off on a treadmill is "real" exercise. What matters is the effort you put into it and the calorie deficit you create doing it.

    Just sayin'

    Agreed.
  • finchase
    finchase Posts: 174
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    It's the elliptical for me since I don't have very good knees. I started off walking on the treadmill and then gradually built up my endurance on the elliptical. I found that I got a much better burn on the elliptical. Now I'm trying to build myself up to running/jogging, although I may not ever be able to do that too much.

    Just do what feels best to your body. If you choose the elliptical, build yourself up to higher resistance and incline levels. I particularly like the Heart Rate program on the Precor machine I use at the gym. It forces me to elevate my heart rate well above normal and keep it there for an extended period of time. Since I've been doing this I'm finding that my cardio fitness has really improved. And don't forget to actively push/pull the handles with your arms. I watch some people on the elliptical, and you can tell they are just holding on to the handles, letting the machine move their arms, instead of the other way around.

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