Many individuals love to engage in cardio fitness training regularly as it helps strengthen the heart, accelerates calorie burning, and controls appetite.
Also, there are plenty of options available for cardio workouts, including treadmills, stair climbers, rowing machines, and more.
Among all, it is the elliptical trainer that attracts the attention of a majority of individuals due to reasons that include:
- Promises a low-impact training
- Easy to operate and simple to use
- Ensures fun
Let’s see the advantages of an elliptical and how much time does it take to see an explicit impact on the body—30 days, 3 months, 6 months, or longer?
Firstly, the intensity of the workout and the frequency of the fitness routine greatly affect the results. In general, it is observed that training on an elliptical improves not only energy levels but also mood levels just after a few workout sessions.
In terms of physical health, it might take two to three months to see explicit improvements in both health and body physique.
As you keep exercising regularly, increasing the intensity of the workout and resistance levels, notice outright improvements in muscle toning and overall strength.
For all those exercising hard to lose weight, be assured of burning ample calories, toning the body, and becoming lean when using the elliptical trainer regularly, given that your diet is well-balanced and within the recommended calorie limits.
Keep losing 1-2 pounds every week to achieve gradual but steady weight loss.
The time duration is taken to lose weight, and all related recommendations below are given based on expert opinion. Understand whether the elliptical trainer would be the right choice for your weight loss goals.
Table of Contents
Weight Loss
Any cardio fitness equipment is loved for its weight loss efficiency, and the elliptical is no different. Using this machine, it is possible to burn ample calories in short time duration.
Authentic platforms vouch for the machine’s superb weight loss possibilities.
Healthline states that for a person weighing 155 pounds, an individual can expect to lose up to 335 calories when exercising for about 30 minutes on the machine.
The numbers might go up or down depending on the intensity of the workout.
As in much other fitness equipment, the elliptical comes built with different settings wherein there are options to change the resistance levels.
The greater the resistance level, the better the chances of rapid weight loss. Such words seem encouraging but don’t overtrain. Otherwise, there are higher chances of injuring the body unintentionally.
So, the elliptical assures guaranteed weight loss in a couple of months if we don’t substitute for all calories lost with late-night snacking or increased intake quantity.
According to Tim Bigknee, a personal trainer, the chances of weight loss mainly depend on the individual, the resistance levels used by the person, and the exercising speed.
The trainer feels that it is possible to see steady improvements over a month or two when the individual follows a healthy and balanced diet and a regular fitness regime.
Again and again, the elliptical is a great piece of equipment for weight loss, but if correct diet plans are not followed, all the efforts go in vain.
Add nutritional and wholesome foods such as vegetables, fruits, proteins, whole grains, dairy, and lean proteins without indulging in fried snacks and sweet dishes to satisfy your taste buds.
Soreness
When we start working out, the individual might expect delayed onset muscle soreness, which is commonly observed with any new workout routine.
The soreness might be felt in the thighs soon after getting off the machine and might linger on for a couple of weeks which is normal.
Soreness is common, even good, and shouldn’t be a surprise. But, it is better to stop working out or get an expert opinion if pain and discomfort are experienced continuously.
Also, the posture that we maintain on an elliptical has an intense effect on our body health. For instance, slumping over the machine can result in shoulder and back pain.
On the other hand, being a low-impact machine, the elliptical is good for individuals who don’t want to injure themselves.
Be assured of minimal strain on the joints and knees while working out on an elliptical than on a treadmill.
But, apart from all these, those who wish to avoid soreness as much as possible must start slowly, especially those who are trying to exercise for the first time.
Slow and steady wins the race. So, start slowly and gradually increase speed and intensity levels to reach higher intensities.
This way, the body is given ample chances to get used to the new exercise regimen.
There are more chances of continuing the workout routine without glitches and even working out more frequently every week when the soreness is avoided.
Such practices help in achieving rapid weight loss in shorter time durations.
Endurance
For individuals interested in increasing endurance levels, the elliptical is one of the best pieces of equipment.
We even have a study from 2004 supporting this claim—the fluid exercise provided by the elliptical guarantees minimal exertion on the body.
So, the more the exercise is performed, the lesser the chances of feeling tiredness and strain.
We build endurance levels to ‘up’ the intensity levels in the following months.
Improved endurance levels are also great means to better energy levels while performing everyday activities in daily life.
Higher endurance levels in the body can be seen well under 30 days.
A physical therapist and a CrossFit Level 1 coach, Dr. Nicole Lombardo, guarantee better endurance levels in the body just after using the elliptical for one month.
As the fitness routine continues, the body becomes better equipped to handle stretched workout sessions, leading to better health results.
Muscle & Strength
It is well-known that cardio equipment is a great choice for people interested in weight loss but for those wishing to build muscle strength, what’s the best-recommended fitness equipment?
Once again, the elliptical machines are a good pick for building muscles in any part of the body.
According to Dr. Lombardo, it is possible to see better strength levels and stronger muscles in about 6-8 weeks. He also says that as the elliptical primarily uses the legs, the quads, hamstring, and the glute muscles are at work.
There is also the need to stabilize the body using the trunk, which means that our core muscles also become stronger.
It might take a couple of months for deliberate improvements in the muscles, but be sure of better strength levels and body coordination when the routine is diligently followed.
Though the legs are primarily involved in the workout routine, it also promises upper body strength as there are handlebars that come attached to the machine.
The handlebars might be fixed or moving, affecting the upper-body workout.
Remember, we can’t become bodybuilders or get a bodybuilder-like physique by solely working out on an elliptical. But, this machine is a great choice for building overall body strength.
Mind and Mood
Any exercise is a great boon for better mental health. Performing just 20 minutes of exercise daily enhances endorphin levels, leading to better mood levels.
Such claims are supported by the celebrity trainer Joey Thurman, but he warns that such results are possible only when we work out 100% whole-heartedly on our preferred exercise equipment.
Starting on any workout regime is recommended and when the elliptical is the chosen one, make sure to make maximum use of the machine and boost your mood levels.
Only when we are interested in what we do, do we gain better benefits. The advantages might seem slow initially, but as we keep going, the benefits become concrete.
Thurman feels that there are chances that individuals might sometimes grab a cookie, read a magazine, or start chatting with their loved ones over the phone while working on the elliptical.
But sadly, these individuals don’t even reap 50% of the workout benefits contrary to what they assume to reap.
You might become too used to the workout routine, and to avoid this, it is better to find other ways to keep the body challenged.
Either increase the intensity levels or circuit train with other machines and exercises to ensure that the muscles are not used to the same workout routines.
Final Thoughts
Ellipticals are a smart way to incorporate exercise into your everyday life. Any individual committed to the fitness routine and exercises daily is bound to see admirable results in just between one and three months.
The endurance levels go up, the waistline falls, and the overall body seems well-toned. But, expect a loss in body weight given that a good diet plan is in place.
The elliptical is a go-to choice for most individuals, an excellent low-impact machine for benefits the heart and lungs, overall body physique, and calorie-burning abilities.
Individuals must rely upon weight lifting for massive quads, biceps, and triceps.
Above all, working out using elliptical promises to uplift mood and energy levels in a short time after starting to use the machine.