As I’m sure you have noticed, home gym equipment isn’t cheap. When you are looking to invest in something to help you lose weight it is important to know which piece of equipment is most effective at burning off calories.
The two best selling pieces of exercise equipment are treadmills and elliptical trainers, but which one is actually best at burning the most calories? There is certainly a lot of argument with many people liking both pieces of equipment. However when it comes down to which is best for you to buy, there really is only one definitive answer.
Both treadmills and ellipticals can help you to burn the same amount of calories, the major factor to bear in mind is how you actually use the machine while you are exercising! Running on a treadmill can deliver the exact same results as a workout on an elliptical, and vice versa.
Many people find that running on a treadmill is too intense for their joints – it is true that a workout on a treadmill can have a very deep impact on your body. If you find that you cannot run on a treadmill, then a workout on an elliptical can be just as effective at burning calories, and will have a lesser impact on your joints and muscles.
If you chose to run on a treadmill at around 7 mph for an hour, your body would use about 783 calories. Use an elliptical trainer, and you should expect to use up about 774 calories – so the numbers are more or less identical. However, if you only walked on the treadmill at 3 mph, your body would burn just 297 calories, which is a massive difference!
However, this isn’t a cut and dry formula. The number of calories you burn on an elliptical trainer can vary. Some people adopt a moderate approach to their workout on the elliptical, while others go at it full force.
You really need to ask yourself which machine you would prefer. Remember, you will only do you exercise if you are motivated and excited, if you find it boring to use a treadmill, you are not likely to keep up to your workout regime. Equally, if an elliptical does not inspire you, then you are better off with a treadmill.
If for example you love to walk, jog or run, then a treadmill would be an obvious choice for you. Treadmills let you get all the benefits of walking, without having to leave your home, which means you can get your exercise even if the weather is bad outside. However, if you really want to lose weight and burn those calories then you will have to be sure to use your treadmill at a suitable speed and set the incline to give yourself a more intense workout.
If you are someone who has experienced problems with the knees or ankle joints, or perhaps you just want to enjoy an exercise routine with a lower impact on your body, then an elliptical trainer is the machine for you. Elliptical trainers are also an excellent choice for the older person, as they are much gentler to the body while still making sure you burn calories. Perhaps if you have the space and can afford, you could even invest in both machines, allowing you to add an element of variety to your workouts.
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Buying a treadmill to use at home is a popular thing to do when you are looking to workout outside of the gym. These machines can give you a variety of fitness benefits in a single piece of equipment and they are easy to set up and to use so they tend to suit all kinds of fitness needs extremely well.
When it comes to choosing the best treadmill to set up in your home you need to think about a few things first rather than simply picking a model that catches your eye and that looks good in a store. For example, although treadmills aren’t as big as many home gym equipment options, they can be bulky so you do need to think about how much space you have at home first of all.
If you don’t have a lot of space and you don’t want to have your machine standing around in sight all of the time then you may be best advised to look at a folding treadmill as your first choice. These treadmills are relatively compact and they can be folded down once you are done using them and stored away out of sight.
However, many trainers find that they don’t get enough features from folding treadmills. Most of them are, for example, manual treadmills rather than motorized ones. When you use a manual treadmill you make the belt run by walking or running on it. A motorized model has a powered belt that you turn on before you start using it.
Another reason to look at the size of the treadmill that you buy is the comfort factor that you will get when running or walking on it. Smaller treadmills come with smaller belts which may affect your stride pattern. If you can try to have a go on a few sizes at the gym or in a store to see which one suits your stride pattern best.
You also need to think about the features that you need from more advanced models. Many motorized treadmills, for example, will have settings that allow you to increase resistance and slope so that you can vary your workout and increase the effort that you need to put in (and the results that you can get!) as you make progress.
In some cases you can also buy treadmills that will give you reports and data on the progress that you are making. The features on offer here range from step rates through to miles covered and speed, for example. You can also sometimes use functions that monitor your heart rate and that count the calories that you are burning which can be useful.
At the advanced end of the scale here you can also find machines that will let you set up individual training programs to make sure that you do the most effective workout. These can be useful ways of monitoring your progress and making sure that you do move on with your overall fitness aims.
Do remember, however, that the best treadmill that you can buy will be the one that best suits your budget at the end of the day. So, don’t be tempted to buy a machine that comes with a load of ‘bells and whistles’ that you simply won’t use.
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One of the few drawbacks to using a treadmill is that using one regularly can get downright boring. It doesn’t matter whether your workout involves a long brisk stroll or a short race at double quick speed — a lot of people simply find walking and running boring. And, with a treadmill you don’t have the advantage of passing scenery and other people to distract you unlike when you are jogging in the outside world!
So, the first thing you can do to ensure that your workout on a treadmill works right is to make sure that your head is as occupied as your body. The more bored you get here, the more likely you are to give up. Expert tips include watching the TV while you workout, working out with a friend so that you can chat or simply listening to music.
It is also important to make sure that you start off right with a treadmill. Don’t be tempted to do too much too soon especially if you are new to exercising. So, start off slow and listen to your body. A bit of treadmill ‘burn’ is good but push yourself too hard and you could hurt yourself or feel so bad the next day that you never want to get on the machine again!
On the other hand it is also important not to get complacent. The aim here is to make fitness/health progress and not to sit on a ‘happy medium’ plateau. So, look to increase the time you spend on your workout and/or increase its intensity. If you are using a motorized treadmill with controls then up the resistance/slope or the speed. If you are using a manual treadmill then speed up or stay on longer.
You can also maximize the benefits you get from this kind of workout by altering the exercises that you do on the treadmill itself. So, for example, one day you could do hard road running and the next you could increase the incline to do slow hill walking. Changing the exercises that you do here will simply give you a better range of fitness results for different parts of your body.
As you get more experienced on a treadmill you might also want to add something extra to the mix to increase the fitness benefits. Many people, for example, will use dumbbells at the same time that they are working out on a treadmill. You can do this as you use your treadmill or you can alternate work on the treadmill with work on the weights.
So, remember to start off slow but to keep upping the ante. This will help you get the best results from this kind of workout. And, most of all, try to make your workout an interesting one — the happier you are to be on the treadmill, the better your results will be.
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The treadmill is one of the most popular and commonly purchased items of fitness equipment in the world. These machines pop up in homes all over the globe in all shapes and sizes and help many of us lose weight, stay fit and even train for marathons!
But, deciding that a treadmill could help you achieve your fitness aims may not come at the best time financially, especially in today’s economic crisis. So, can you find a treadmill at a reasonable cost nowadays? Truth is this is ‘doable’ if you shop smart.
The easiest way to find a bargain nowadays is to shop online. You can use price comparison sites to try and find a bargain here for a start. It is also worthwhile looking at a few reputable online exercise equipment stores to see if they have any special offers on.
You may also find that shopping at specific times of the year can save you money. Many exercise equipment stores, for example, will do special deals in the months before Christmas to try and encourage people to buy stuff. And, of course, shopping in January can also bring up a good bargain.
You can also look at buying a treadmill second hand although this may involve a little extra work. Online auction sites such as eBay can turn up some real low costs here, for example. Do check on the overall quality and condition of the treadmill before you buy one, however. You’ll also need to check on how you’ll physically get the treadmill from the seller in this instance.
Many people find that advertising in their local paper or on a regional website can throw up some options here. Bear in mind that many people buy a treadmill with the best intentions but then they simply never use it or use it once or twice before forgetting all about it!
Finding a treadmill like this can be a great option. It will be cheaper than buying a new model and, as it will hardly have been used, you won’t need to worry about what condition it is in so much.
It’s also worth remembering that a good time to buy exercise equipment is just after a new model or type of machine has been released. At this point most retailers and e-tailers will sell off the models from previous years and you can often pick up a discount price by shopping in this way.
Finally, remember that the best way to find a cost effective treadmill is to buy a model that suits your needs. Don’t be tempted to blow a lot of hard cash on a model with a load of features and benefits that you will never use.
So, think about the kind of exercise that you will take on a treadmill and work out those features and benefits that will therefore be most useful to you. Buy on that basis and you’ll find it far easier to find a model that suits your pocket.
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Losing excess body weight can be much easier and straight forward than you might imagine! One of the easiest ways to lose weight is by walking on a treadmill, which is an excellent method of burning calories. Unfortunately though, many people simply find it difficult to make enough time to exercise properly.
We sit at a desk all day, and come home to relax on the couch and watch TV. We do it out of exhaustion. This type of lifestyle is very unhealthy, but there’s a quick fix to turn your health around.
If you don’t want to join a gym, you can invest in a treadmill that will easily fit anywhere in your home and provide you with the workout you need to lose weight. There’s no difficult equipment to learn how to use — you just get on and walk!
It’s probably the case that you used to walk a lot more when you were younger, I know that I did before I could drive a car, but like most of us I fell into the trap of not doing enough physical exercise. The great thing about using a treadmill is that you don’t have to count reps in your head, or worry about holding or using the equipment properly.
Once you have invested in your treadmill the only other thing you will need is a little bit of motivation to set yourself on the path to losing weight. For many people losing weight means having to carefully measure food servings and try and work out how many calories they have eaten, and how many they have used up.
By simply walking on a treadmill you can lose weight without any of these worries. In fact, studies have even shown that a 10 minute walk every single day can really improve the health of your cardiovascular system.
If you want to start seeing weight loss results almost immediately then you should try to walk about 2000 steps each day. This will take you around 20 or 30 minutes depending on how quickly you walk. Of course, the more you walk, the fitter and slimmer you will become.
Walking on a treadmill is a fantastic form of exercise and can give you many more benefits that just losing weight. For instance, walking can help to keep your blood pressure low, can help prevent heart disease and can even aid in controlling diabetes. It’s also a great way of clearing your mind after a stressful day, and the longer and faster you walk, the more calories you will burn and therefore the more weight you will lose!
If you are serious about using treadmill walking as a way to lose weight, you may benefit from buying a pedometer because research has shown that people who monitor the number of steps they take each day usually increase their activity and therefore see the best results.
If you prefer you can start out gently and over time build up to using your treadmill for longer periods. You will find yourself walking at a faster face, and at a higher incline, both of which will really help you to lose weight in the most efficient way, as well as improving your overall general health levels.
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Purchasing a treadmill, especially for the first time, can be a daunting and confusing experience, with many people unsure of what features they should be looking for, and worried about wasting their money on a poorly designed product which does not fulfill their requirements. The good news is that treadmill reviews are now available, allowing consumers to compare features, models and prices to help them decide before making their purchase.
Treadmill reviews also offer expert opinions to further guide you on the path to getting a treadmill which meets your requirements and your budget. Previous purchasers also write treadmill reviews, revealing if they were satisfied with their product. Getting accurate information and ratings before you buy a treadmill will make you feel more knowledgable, and confident that the purchase they you are about to make will be the right one.
Treadmill reviews allow you to compare the features offered by different models. Examples of features you may see are digital displays of distance covered, time taken and your current speed, a built in heart-rate monitor, a running belt of varying thickness and size, a motor speed ” which affects the maximum speed of the treadmill, and a varying level of incline available.
A treadmill with a high maximum speed or an incline feature may not be as important to you if you just want the product for casual walking, but if you are going to be running on it, or training with a specific goal, then this feature may well be one for you to consider. As with most products though, the more features that it includes, almost certainly the more money it will set you back, so you should consider what features you require wisely.
Treadmill reviews also allow you to compare top-end models from the different manufacturers. The machines are compared and rated annually for their durability, comfort, wear and tear and price. The benefit of this is that they are being tried and tested by the experts, and the knowledge is being passed down to you before you have to make the purchase. Once you have read the treadmill reviews and ratings, you are even able to order the products online, and have them delivered direct to your door.
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Losing weight revolves around the notion of being able to burn the most amount of fat. There is a science begin this – for example, if you exercise in a morning then you are preparing your body for the whole day ahead of you. During the night while you sleep, your body is being fed only a minimal amount of fuel because you do not need to function like you do during the day.
When you wake up, a good cardio routine on a treadmill will wake up your energy reserves. Your glycogen levels are always lower in the morning, as are your blood glucose levels. This means when you start exercising, your body is forced to burn fat for energy.
For many people, the start to the day means eating a good breakfast, but this can actually make it harder for you to burn fat. Every time you eat, and especially if you have a lot of food which contains carbohydrate, your body produces insulin, which reduces the effective burning of body fat.
If you implement your treadmill workout first thing in the morning, your body dips into the fat reserves and helps you lose weight rather than packing and on like a meal would do.
You should always do your morning treadmill exercises before eating a breakfast because you will get the best possible weight loss results. If you eat a breakfast before you exercise, your treadmill work will simply burn off the fat and calories that you have just eaten. Exercise before you eat, and you will actually burn off the fat and calories that you are already carrying.
Another great advantage to working out in the morning is that the treadmill exercise will help to speed up your metabolism, which means that you will be able to burn calories quicker throughout the day. The sooner you can get your metabolism into top gear, the longer you will be able to burn calories most efficiently, which all helps you to lose weight.
If you wait until the evening to do your treadmill workout, your body won’t get the full benefits, because it goes to sleep shortly thereafter. Anyone who works out first thing in the morning will tell you that they get a great boost of energy that lasts them throughout the day.
Many of us tend to make excuses as to why we haven’t done our exercises today – maybe we were running late, or we had to take care of a family matter, the list goes on. However, if you get on your treadmill first thing in a morning, then you won’t have to keep making these excuses to yourself. Also, a morning workout is a really good way of controlling your binge eating. As you settle into your new routine you will find that your cravings weaken, giving you total control over your eating habits.
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If you have already decided that a treadmill is your fitness machine of choice then you may well be some way down the line towards buying one that you can use at home. Before you choose a model to buy, however, you should compare treadmills to find the best option to suit both your fitness needs and your budget.
Although all treadmills work on the basis of helping you to get fit by giving you a motion controlled walking or running platform, not all models come with the same features and benefits. Buying the wrong treadmill could see you waste money that you could have saved or you could simply buy a machine that doesn’t do what you need it to.
Let’s say that you’ve chosen a few treadmills that look good to you. Now answer these questions to see which one comes out best of all:
Question One: Do I need a motorized or a non-motorized model? This is a key factor to consider. A non-motorized model works by you moving the belt when you walk or run on it. A motorized model moves the belt for you. In many cases a motorized model will have more features and functions than a manual treadmill.
Question Two: What kind of exercise is the treadmill suitable for? Some treadmills will give a simple general fitness option here, allowing you to walk or run on their belts. Others will allow you to push yourself harder and faster and/or to train in a specific way. So, for example, an advanced treadmill may allow you to set a slope so you can hill run. Or, it may allow you to monitor mileage, step counts and your heart rate, all of which are useful for race training. If you are looking to lose weight then a calorie burner measure could also be useful.
Question Three: What kind of power options does the treadmill give me? Some trainers need to work hard on a treadmill whilst others are more geared towards jogging on the machine a few times a week. The horsepower that runs a treadmill’s engine may have a bearing here. More powerful machines give you more in-depth and long-term development options. A basic engine, however, may suit many everyday fitness needs.
Question Four: Which treadmill best suits my home gym needs? Treadmills come in all kinds of sizes. Some can be folded away if you have no space to have a static model set up and some complex machines can be quite bulky. It is important to compare actual machine measurements here to make sure that the models that you compare could actually fit into your home.
Question Five: Which treadmill gives me the best value for money? The cost of treadmills will rise according to how powerful they are and which features they offer. So, compare your chosen treadmills and see which ones come with essential features and which ones also have extras that might be ‘nice to have’. Think about how important these features will be to you. For example, if you are looking to lose weight then a calorie burning facility could be useful. However, if you are an experienced runner using a treadmill to train for races then this may not be of so much interest to you.
Hopefully, once you’ve asked yourself these questions you will find it easier to choose the right treadmill for your individual needs. Happy running!
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If you talk to any fitness trainer about good cardio workout machines then most of them will mention the treadmill or the stationary bike (or even both!) as good options. These pieces of gym equipment can both give a range of fitness and health benefits but, which one rules?
The first thing that you need to know here is that both the treadmill and the stationary bike do share a lot of features and benefits as well as some differences. Both, for example, can be used both by beginners and experienced trainers to see quick and specific results in cardio-vascular training and health, calorie burning, body toning and stamina building.
And, both of these machines can be used in the gym or at home. It is perfectly viable to buy a home treadmill or a home exercise bike nowadays that won’t take up much room and that can give you the same benefits (with regular use of course!) as a machine used by gyms. But, there are some differences between these two types of gym machines that could have a bearing on which one you use.
For example, many people prefer to use a treadmill because it can potentially do a better job of burning calories than a bike. It also gives you specific benefits in the lower body areas than you may not see from a bike. Some people also find that the fact that you can do different types of exercise on a treadmill (such as walking, jogging, running or hill climbing) makes a difference here as well.
But, a stationary bike also comes with a lot of benefits as well. This is one of the best low impact forms of exercise so you can minimize the possibility of injury. It can also be a better option if you are short on space and want to use a bike at home. Bikes are also real easy to use and may suit some people looking to exercise better than a treadmill such as older people.
The treadmill also has some other disadvantages. It can, for example, be more likely to put undue pressure on your joints and it can be an easy cause of accident if you do not use it correctly. And, a stationary bike’s disadvantages include the fact that it doesn’t burn as much off as a treadmill can and it offers no real variety of exercises that you can do on it.
So, there are pros and cons to both machines here. At the end of the day you may well find that the decision you make between the two will simply be based on your personal preference rather than on any other factor. You may simply prefer cycling to running or vice versa, for example.
Remember, you may also see a range of different fitness benefits by using both machines as part of your overall training regime. So, unless you really can’t or won’t use one of these options then do consider them both. This could help you see the maximum fitness benefits in the shortest space of time.
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It’s little wonder that working out on a treadmill is such a popular way of taking exercise both at the gym and in your home. These machines are easy to use, can suit all ages and levels of fitness and can give a wide variety of useful fitness benefits. These machines can be used by beginners who simply want to lose some weight through to experienced trainers looking to boost their racing skills.
So, for example, walking or running on a treadmill can tone up your body, strengthen your lower body muscles and increase your stamina levels. This kind of exercise has specific cardio-vascular benefits that can also help keep your body healthy and working at peak performance levels.
In general terms you can use a treadmill for three main forms of exercise. The first, walking, is often used by beginners to this equipment or those who need a gentle start to their fitness program. This kind of exercise is also useful as a warming up or down exercise technique as part of a wider fitness workout.
As you become more experienced here you can move on to the second form of exercise here and increase your treadmill workout by incorporating running on the machine. This could incorporate short bursts of speed running or longer periods of slower jogging for endurance and stamina purposes. The controls of a motorized treadmill here can help you set programs and treadmill tasks that can help you to make progress here.
Many treadmills nowadays also offer the third form of exercise as an option — this increases the ‘slope’ that you run or walk along. Exercising with this mode in operation is often referred to as hill running. This can bring a load of additional benefits to standard running as you use more muscles and increase your own workload when you do this.
You can also work on your upper body strength when you use a treadmill. Many trainers, for example, will use free weights such as dumbbells to give their arms and upper body a workout whilst they are walking or running on their treadmill.
If you are using weights in this way you may want to start off by spending a few minutes on the treadmill then a few minutes off the machine leaving you free to concentrate on your weights work. As an alternative you can use the weights whilst you are using the treadmill for a whole body workout.
Treadmills nowadays also often come with a range of monitors and performance enhancement features which you may find useful no matter what kind of workout you choose to do on this machine. You can, for example, measure the miles that you have walked or run and see your speed and step rates.
Other useful features include the ability to monitor your heart rate to make sure that you push yourself enough without moving outside safe levels. And, you can even find treadmills now that will tell you how many calories your workout is burning off which is a really useful incentive!
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