What Does an Elliptical Do | 10 Health Benefits

Key Takeaways

• Elliptical workouts provide an efficient cardio exercise that boosts heart and lung function.
• These machines offer a low-impact workout, making them joint-friendly and suitable for all fitness levels.
• Using an elliptical engages both upper and lower body muscles, providing a full-body workout.
• Regular use of an elliptical can help burn calories effectively, aiding in weight loss too.
• Ellipticals can improve balance, coordination, and overall mobility.

What Does an Elliptical Do | 10 Health Benefits

Elliptical machines are popular in gyms and homes for a reason - they offer a comprehensive workout that targets multiple aspects of fitness. Let's check out the ten health benefits of using an elliptical and understand why it's a great addition to your exercise routine.

At SOLE Fitness, we’re proud to offer the best treadmills for your home or gym. These machines are crafted to meet the highest standards of quality and performance, ensuring they are ideal for anyone - from fitness novices to seasoned athletes. Featured Products SOLE Ellipticals: Priced from $1,199.99, SOLE ellipticals are known for their ergonomic design, durability, and affordability. They provide a quiet, smooth workout with intuitive consoles, adjustable stride lengths, incline options, and heart rate monitoring, ensuring a comprehensive exercise experience.

#1 Building Cardiovascular Health

Heart and Lung Function
Elliptical workouts contribute to your heart rate, which strengthens your heart and improves its efficiency. Over time, this can lead to lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease. Additionally, the increased oxygen intake during these workouts enhances lung capacity and function.

Improved Circulation
Good circulation is vital for delivering oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs; using an elliptical promotes better blood flow throughout your body, which can improve your overall health and energy levels.

Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
Regular cardiovascular exercise, like using an elliptical, can reduce the risk of heart disease. By improving heart function and circulation, ellipticals help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.

#2 Boosting Stamina and Endurance

Increasing Workout Duration
As you continue to use an elliptical, you'll notice an improvement in your ability to sustain longer workouts. This increased workout duration translates to better stamina and endurance, allowing you to perform daily tasks with greater ease. With our SOLE ellipticals, you can connect them to the SOLE+ App to monitor your performance.

Higher Energy Levels
Regular exercise, including using an elliptical, significantly boosts your energy levels. When you work out, your body releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. This chemical boost can make you feel more energetic and ready to tackle your day. Besides that, improved cardiovascular health and circulation mean more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your muscles and organs, further increasing your overall energy levels.

#3 Effective Weight Loss

Calorie Deficit
Weight loss is a common goal for many, and ellipticals are highly effective tools for achieving it. The combination of calorie burning and muscle engagement makes elliptical workouts an excellent choice for shedding excess pounds. By incorporating regular elliptical sessions into your routine, you can create a calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss.

Additionally, the versatility of ellipticals allows you to adjust the intensity of your workouts, making it easier to stay motivated and avoid hitting a plateau. Whether you're just starting your weight loss journey or looking to break through a plateau, an elliptical can help you reach your goals.

Calorie Burn per Session
The number of calories burned during an elliptical workout can vary based on factors like weight, age, and workout intensity. On average, a person can burn between 250-400 calories in a 30-minute session - this makes ellipticals a highly efficient way to burn calories and lose weight.

• Low intensity: 200-300 calories per 30 minutes
• Moderate intensity: 300-400 calories per 30 minutes
• High intensity: 400-600 calories per 30 minutes

By increasing the resistance and incline, you can boost the number of calories burned, making your workouts even more effective for weight loss.

Weight Loss Programs
Incorporating an elliptical into your weight loss program can make the process more enjoyable and sustainable. The variety of workouts and resistance levels keeps things interesting and challenging, preventing workout boredom. Here are a few tips to maximize your weight loss efforts with an elliptical:

• Start with a warm-up: Begin with a 5-10 minute warm-up at a low resistance to get your muscles ready.
• Interval training: Alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity intervals to burn more calories and boost your metabolism.
• Increase resistance: Gradually increase the resistance to challenge your muscles and burn more calories.
• Cool down: Finish with a 5-10 minute cool-down at a low resistance to help your body recover.

By following these tips, you can create an effective and enjoyable weight loss program that keeps you motivated and on track.

#4 Enhanced Muscle Strength

Upper Body Strength
The handlebars on an elliptical provide an excellent opportunity to work on your upper body strength - by pushing and pulling the handlebars, you engage your arms, shoulders, and chest muscles. This added resistance helps in building and toning these muscles, making your workout more comprehensive.

Lower Body Toning
The pedaling action of an elliptical targets your lower body muscles, including your quads, hamstrings, and calves. By adjusting the resistance and incline, you can make your lower body work harder, leading to improved muscle tone and strength. This is especially beneficial for those looking to tone their legs and glutes.

#5 Improving Balance and Coordination

Core Stability
Using an elliptical requires you to engage your core muscles such as the abdominal and the pelvic floor muscles to maintain balance and stability. This constant engagement helps in strengthening your core, leading to improved posture and overall stability. A strong core is essential for performing daily activities and preventing injuries.

Mobility and Flexibility
Elliptical workouts increase your range of motion and improve your flexibility - the smooth, gliding motion of an elliptical helps in stretching and lengthening your muscles, enhancing your overall mobility. This can be particularly beneficial for those with stiff or tight muscles.

Coordination Skills
Elliptical workouts require coordination between your upper and lower body, helping to improve your overall coordination skills, which can be especially beneficial for athletes or those looking to enhance their athletic performance. Improved coordination can also help in performing daily tasks more efficiently and with greater ease.

#6 Joint-Friendly Workouts

Low-Impact Movement
Ellipticals provide a smooth, gliding motion that reduces the impact on your joints. Unlike running or jumping exercises, which can put a lot of stress on your knees, hips, and ankles, ellipticals offer a low-impact alternative that still provides an effective workout.

Smooth Gliding Motion
The smooth gliding motion of an elliptical ensures that your joints move in a natural, fluid manner. This reduces the risk of joint pain or injury, making it a safe and effective workout option for people of all fitness levels. Additionally, the adjustable resistance and incline settings allow you to customize your workout to suit your needs and preferences.

#7 Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Management

Reduce Blood Sugar
Regular exercise, including using an elliptical, can help manage blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol. This is particularly important for individuals with diabetes or those at risk of developing heart disease. By incorporating elliptical workouts into your routine, you can improve your overall health and reduce the risk of chronic conditions.

Reduce Unhealthy Cholesterol
Additionally, the cardiovascular benefits of using an elliptical help in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL). This balance is crucial for maintaining a healthy heart and preventing cardiovascular diseases.

#8 Customizable Workouts

Adjustable Resistance Levels
Ellipticals come with adjustable resistance levels, allowing you to increase or decrease the intensity of your workout, which can be particularly useful for those looking to challenge themselves and build muscle strength.

For example, our SOLE E25 has 20 lbs. flywheel weight, 20 resistance levels, and 20 incline levels. By gradually increasing the resistance and incline, you can make your workouts more challenging and effective.

Besides, adjustable resistance levels help in preventing workout plateaus - as your fitness level improves, you can continue to push your limits and achieve better results.

Pre-Programmed Workouts

Many ellipticals come with pre-programmed workouts that cater to different fitness goals. These programs can include interval training, hill climbs, and endurance workouts, providing variety and keeping your exercise routine interesting. Pre-programmed workouts are also great for beginners, as they offer guidance and structure to help you get started.

All our SOLE elliptical models come with pre-programmed and user-defined workouts. For example, our SOLE E95 has 10 pre-programmed and 12 user defined workout programs.

#9 Home Workout Convenience

Home Gym Addition
Adding an elliptical to your home gym can enhance your workout options and provide a versatile piece of equipment for the entire family. With its multiple benefits and customizable features, an elliptical can cater to various fitness levels and goals - and is a valuable addition to your home gym.

Time Efficiency
Home workouts save time and money: you no longer need to commute to the gym or pay for expensive memberships. This convenience makes it easier to incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine. Elliptical workouts are also time-efficient, allowing you to get a comprehensive workout in a short amount of time. With the ability to combine cardio and strength training, you can maximize your workout benefits without spending hours at the gym.

• Short, intense workouts: Focus on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to maximize calorie burn and muscle engagement in a short period.
• Combine workouts: Use the elliptical for both cardio and strength training to save time and get a full-body workout.
• Flexible scheduling: Work out at your convenience, whether it's early in the morning or late at night.

#10 Full-Body Workout

Ellipticals are designed to engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously - by up to 80% of the body muscles. By using the handlebars, you can work on your upper body, including your arms, shoulders, and chest. Meanwhile, the pedaling action targets your lower body muscles like your quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Therefore, an elliptical workout provides a full-body exercise routine that helps in toning and strengthening various muscle groups. This balanced engagement ensures that no muscle group is left out, making your workout more effective and comprehensive.

Ready to Reap the Benefits of Elliptical Workouts?

Using an elliptical has tons of health benefits - improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, enhanced muscle strength, and better balance and coordination. These machines provide a low-impact, full-body workout suitable for all fitness levels.

SOLE ellipticals are designed to maximize these benefits, featuring customizable resistance levels and ergonomic designs that ensure a comfortable and effective workout. Regardless if you’re looking to improve your fitness or achieve specific health goals, SOLE ellipticals are a great addition to your exercise routine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How often should I use an elliptical for the best results?

• For general fitness: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity elliptical workouts per week.
• For weight loss: Increase your workout duration to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 150 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week.
• For muscle building: Incorporate strength training exercises on the elliptical at least two days per week.

Consistency is key - try to incorporate elliptical workouts into your routine at least 3-5 times per week for the best results.

Is an elliptical suitable for beginners?
Yes, ellipticals are suitable for beginners due to their low-impact nature and customizable settings. Start with a low resistance and gradually increase the intensity as you become more comfortable and confident. Most ellipticals also come with pre-programmed workouts that can guide beginners through their initial workouts.

Can using an elliptical help with knee pain?
Ellipticals are an excellent option for individuals with knee pain because they provide a low-impact workout that minimizes stress on the joints. The smooth, gliding motion of an elliptical reduces the risk of knee pain or injury, making it a safe and effective exercise option for those with joint issues.

What is the best way to incorporate an elliptical into my fitness routine?
To get the most out of your elliptical workouts, follow these tips:

• Set specific goals: Determine what you want to achieve - is it for weight loss, muscle building, or improved cardiovascular health?
• Create a schedule: Plan your workouts and stick to a consistent routine.
• Mix it up: Incorporate different workout programs and resistance levels to keep your workouts interesting and challenging.
• Listen to your body: Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust your workouts accordingly to prevent injury.

How many calories can I burn on an elliptical in 30 minutes?
The number of calories burned on an elliptical in 30 minutes can vary based on factors like weight, age, and workout intensity. On average, you can burn between 250-400 calories in a 30-minute session. To maximize calorie burn, increase the resistance and incline, and incorporate interval training into your workouts.