How Many Calories Are Burned On An Elliptical?
Category: Fitness Machines & Workout Tips
Everybody is different and finding the right exercise equipment can often be a chore. Some machinery doesn’t accommodate people with sensitive joints while others can be too expensive to maintain.
That’s why ellipticals are here to stay. They can be useful tools in losing weight no matter what your requirements are:
- Have you been injured and you’re looking for low impact training?
- Are you hoping to work both your upper and lower body?
Ellipticals can do it all and can help you burn off a lot of calories faster.
But are elliptical machines actually effective when it comes to burning calories? You will be surprised by how incredible these machines can be. We will give you all the information you need to know to understand why ellipticals can enhance the effectiveness of your workout.
How Do Ellipticals Work?
Before you discover how many calories are burned on an elliptical, it’s important to understand how they work. These machines focus on three main muscle groups:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Quadriceps
When your leg moves, the forward motion works your quadriceps, while moving backward strengthens your glutes and hamstrings. This is done because the muscles contract. The repetitive contraction and release leads to the body burning calories. You can actually feel this while your exercising.
But just because the elliptical focuses on these muscle groups, don’t think you’re not getting a full body workout. The stabilizing of your legs works your calves, although not as much as the other muscle groups. This process also strengthens your anterior tibialis.
Your body’s need to maintain balance also impacts your core muscles. If your elliptical has arm pedals you can exercise your upper body as well.
Keeping your muscles moving is what enhances them and this is no different for the most important muscle of all, your heart. Ellipticals place more stress on your heart which actually improves your cardiovascular system. This has the added advantage of improving your endurance and toning your figure.
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Benefits of Elliptical Machines Explored
Other than providing a full body workout, burning calories and enhancing your endurance, ellipticals have a few more benefits.
Low Impact Training
One of the greatest benefits of elliptical machines is that it’s a form of low impact training. When jogging, skipping or performing similar exercises, it can send a shock through your muscles. This causes added strain which is the result of the impact of your foot hitting the ground.
If you’re using an elliptical, the motion is fluid. This means there are no sharp jabs that make exercising more difficult. It’s particularly useful if:
- You’ve been injured and you don’t want to harm damaged muscles
- You’re elderly and can no longer do strenuous exercises
- You’d prefer a workout that causes less stress to your joints
Weight Bearing Exercise
Another benefit of ellipticals is that they offer weight bearing exercises. This means they work against gravity in order to strengthen your bones and muscles. As a result, they’re extremely useful when it comes to fending off osteoporosis. Healthier bones also mean less injury when training.
Easier Maintenance
Ellipticals employ fluid motions which put less stress on the machine. This means you won’t have to replace them for a long time nor will pieces burn out. In the long run, this will actually prove to make elliptical machines cheaper methods of exercising compared to using some other pieces of gym equipment.
Factors That Affect How Many Calories Are Burned On An Elliptical Machine
The number of calories burned on an elliptical won’t be the same for everyone. Various factors will lead to a variety of results. That’s why it’s often helpful to work out your own calorie loss rather than relying on the machine.
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These are the factors that can influence your weight loss:
Gender
Sorry ladies, but men have a heavier muscle mass which means they’re able to lose more weight doing the exact same routine. Although this is not true for every man, it applies to the majority. Blame biology.
Weight
People who are heavier are actually more likely to burn calories while training. Weight adds strain in regards to gravity which means your body does more work.
Length of Workout
If you decide to exercise only for half an hour it will have a vastly different result compared to if you train for an hour. More time spent working out adds increased stress to your muscles.
Intensity of Workout
Some days you might decide to take it easy whereas others you will go all out. If your routine is more vigorous, you will burn more calories. Easy going routines will still help you lose weight but not as quickly.
Everyone’s body is different. Your outcomes will be based on all of these factors so consider your progress based on your body type. At the end of the day, any improvement is fantastic.
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How Many Calorie Are Burned On An Elliptical Trainer?
Harvard is often considered the gold standard, so we’re going to use figures based on a study done by the Harvard Medical School. According to this study, a person burns around 2.16 calories for every pound they weigh.
For every half an hour of exercise, this can be represented as:
- 125 lb.: 270 calories
- 155 lb.: 335 calories
- 185 lb.: 400 calories
Based on these figures, ellipticals burn more calories than many other types of exercise equipment, making them one of the most useful exericse training machines available. It’s important to note that these statistics are a generalization and don’t account for many other factors. By multiplying your personal weight with 2.16 you can get a decent estimate, as long as you maintain a vigorous workout.
Before You Go
Any form of exercise is necessary in order to keep you healthy but if you want to enhance your workout, an elliptical is always a fantastic option. It’s a fun and easy way to keep your body in peak condition. There are no jolting movements so you can rest assured your joints won’t be injured.
With all exercise equipment, remember to use the machine properly otherwise you won’t see any results. Safety is always important.
You have to live in your body for a really long time so you should look after it—this method works for everyone.
Check out the Apple Fitness Store, Garmin Fitness Tech Store, or the Fitbit Store for cool and in-demand fitness wearable tech gadgets.
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