Treadmill vs. Elliptical

So you are looking to get a piece of home gym exercise equipment. You have narrowed it down to getting a cardio machine. But which one? Treadmill or elliptical? That's a very good question. In this, I'm going to list some of the pros and cons of each machine, and make a recommendation based on which one provides you with the better workout.

The treadmill is a great machine designed to give you the great benefits of running, while letting you do so in the comfort of your own home. Some of them also provide you with features that entertain you while you run; things like music player compatibility, interactive workout apps, some even have a browsing tablet built-in so you can surf the internet while you workout. Treadmills allow you to go as fast(or slow) as you want, by allowing you to change the speed at the touch of a button. Most treadmills have an interface that lets you keep track of your workout progress; how far you've run, calories burned, and how long you have been exercising. Though not all treadmills support this; my favorite feature is how some treadmills allow you to increase the incline at which you're running. This amplifies your workout by a huge margin, allowing you to burn more calories and work muscles that you normally don't while running on just a flat surface.

Pros: many fun features, easy-to-use, stay entertained, great workout

Cons: high joint impact, not space saving,

Ellipticals are also a great way to get a workout. One of the main benefits of using this machine is that it is low-impact. This means that it is less taxing on your joints. The elliptical motion is smooth and fluent, while the treadmill forces you to pound on your knees the whole time. Music player compatibility is also supported. Ellipticals allow you to get in a small upper-body workout by using your arms just a bit. Ellipticals also have a nice interface that allow you to keep track of your workout progress. They allow you to set a stride length; so that no matter how tall you are or how long your stride is, you can use an elliptical. They also have a resistance feature that makes you work harder to move the machine. I have even seen, on some newer models, incline training as well.

Pros: Low-impact, resistance training, custom stride length, good cardio workout, good body workout.

Cons: doesn't provide an authentic running experience.

Elliptical. It's the obvious choice. It has just as many features as a treadmill and more benefits. You can get a much better workout with one of these machines despite the draw back of the fact that you aren't really running. Well, there you have it, use this information wisely when you decide to purchase either of these machines.