Benefits
An elliptical cross trainer is comparable to a treadmill in its exertion of leg muscles and the heart. Ellipticals produce an intermediate range of leg motion between that of stationary bikes and treadmills.
Studies have found that the rate at which calories are burned on an elliptical trainer is similar to that on a treadmill. Thomas Altena, a professor of nutritional and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, measured oxygen retention, lactic acid build-up, heart rate, and perceived rate of exertion to compare treadmills and elliptical trainers, finding that the "physiological responses associated with elliptical exercise were nearly identical to treadmill exercise".
Since users do not take their feet off the pedals, there is no footfall noise.
A 2002 study by the University of Idaho shows that varying the stride length on the elliptical trainer can recruit a larger variety of muscle groups. The study also showed that as the stride is lengthened, more calories are burned without any higher rate of perceived exertion by the user. This study is in agreement with the claims made about the adjustable stride length feature on some newer ellipticals.
Read more about this topic: Elliptical Trainer
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