Elliptical or Running?

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  • recoiljpr
    recoiljpr Posts: 292
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    Honestly I mix it all up constantly. Cycling, Elliptical, step Aerobics, Zumba, Martial Arts Running and HIIT. To me they all have their benefits and drawbacks. In my opinion it's not good to just stick to one thing. Your body will get used to it and adapt itself to minimizing the effort involved in that one activity. But when you keep a broad spectrum of exercises you keep training all of those different muscles and keeping them all strong.

    Take someone who can run a 10k easily and have them try to bike ride for an hour and see what happens. Or take a runner and put them in a Step Aerobic class and see how sore they are the next day.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    well considering that the elliptical supports your body weight, running would most definitely be more effective.

    but it's exactly for that reason that the elliptical is a good place to start for people who dont yet have the strength or endurance to walk/run
  • vinsonh42
    vinsonh42 Posts: 125
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    Ellipticals are low impact and running is high impact. You can do a lower impact work out for longer because you are stressing your body a lot less.
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
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    My answer is "whichever one keeps you coming back for more". Definitely recommend HIIT as the approach for either method though! Especially on non lifting days. If you lift and want to run make it a modest 20 minute jog or fast walk.
  • poodlelaise
    poodlelaise Posts: 149 Member
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    I think elliptical and running are equally effective as cardio, depending on what you personally put into it. I work out in intervals, reaching 85% of my maximum heart rate, then falling back to 65%, and repeating that cycle. So my calories burned are the same, regardless of which exercise I do.
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 776 Member
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    It takes 3500 exercise calories to burn a pound of fat, so it depends on how many calories you are burning. Say if you burn 300 calores per session times 5 days times three weeks, you would have burned 4500 calories, or 1.3 pounds, everything else being equal. So having lost 4 lbs is pretty good. Wish I could lose that much in three weeks.

    I have read and have been told many times that exercise is not for losing weight. Cardio is for helping your lungs and heart and weights are for your bones, muscles and to increase your metabolic rate.
  • MMMendoza007
    MMMendoza007 Posts: 157 Member
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    I've done both. I find running far more challenging. But the elliptical is better for my back. Plus you can increase the resistance so that helps to a degree for a challenge. I think it's kind of like anything, you can make it challenging and make it work if you put some effort into it.
  • TinaBaily
    TinaBaily Posts: 792 Member
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    I use the elliptical machine on the days that I don't run on the treadmill. I like to read while using either one, so I'm not bored.

    On the elliptical machine I change the program each week, I keep upping the resistance when the current one feels too easy (I'm up to level 14 now, and I can burn 750 calories in 65 minutes), and I go slow, then fast, then slow, then fast, throughout my entire workout.

    When I use the treadmill, I walk fast for a 10 minute warm up, run for my designated length of time (I just completed C25K!!), then do a brisk cool down walk for 30 minutes, and if I haven't yet burned 1000 calories, I jump onto the elliptical machine and just GO FAST for 15 to 20 minutes, at about resistance level 11, just because I can.

    You have to do what you feel is working for you. I'm seeing amazing results in my legs and rear, as I've been running the "glutes" programs on the elliptical machine lately. Who needs the "booty pop" inserts, when you can get a true one from working out, right? LOL

    Best of luck in your weight loss journey! Your loss so far is great, so keep it up!

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