Most people turn to exercises not only to strengthen muscles but also to lose weight. An elliptical trainer is equipment that supports an individual’s fitness goals. However, check out this article if you wonder how ellipticals help you lose weight.
Table of Contents
Activating the Muscles With the Elliptical Trainer
An elliptical trainer activates major muscle groups in your body. It works both your upper body and lower body giving you a total body workout. Using this machine, you can tone your arms, pectorals, shoulders, and complete upper body.
Coming to the lower body, it activates the muscles in the calves, thighs, and buttocks. It strengthens your muscles gradually and reduces the fat. When the muscles start working, they burn fat even in your sleep since they speed up the metabolism leading to weight loss.
Activities You Can Do Using an Elliptical Trainer
Elliptical machines are fun to use and are more recreational than other exercise machines. Since the pedals move in coordination with the handles, balancing your weight is challenging and satisfying, which keeps you interested, unlike other monotonous exercises such as a treadmill.
Moreover, it offers several different effects, such as cross-country skiing, stepping, running, and rowing using a single machine. Meaning you get to work various parts of your body using these different activities that help weight loss.
Calories Burnt Using an Elliptical Trainer
You can spend considerable calories when you perform cardio with proper resistance on an elliptical trainer. Since it works many muscles simultaneously, you can also tone your body and achieve your weight loss goals.
A person weighing 60 kg exercises for an hour can approximately burn up to 700 calories. Though several other factors should be considered, assuming that all of those are well followed, an elliptical is an ideal machine for weight loss with such calorie burn in a short span.
Weight Loss Program Regime With Elliptical Trainer
You cannot hope to lose weight without a proper program in place. A well-planned program ensures optimal results and helps you follow the right method for keeping your body less prone to injuries.
You need to follow a few techniques to lose weight as a part of these well-defined programs. You should always start with the warm-up exercise before each session by starting the machine at the lowest setting. This helps your muscles to warm up appropriately for further activity.
Then continue with 3 sessions of 20 minutes each for a week. Gradually increase the rhythm as well as sessions based on your endurance levels. As you continue to exercise, you will find improvement in your stamina and your fitness levels increase, using which you can perform better as you go.
You must rest your body at least a day each week for your body to repair and replenish the muscles from minor tears and injuries that are usual during a workout. Finally, finish your workouts by introducing stretching exercises.
During the vigorous workout, your body is excited to a different level which needs to be brought down gradually to a normal state.
This ensures the restoration of proper mobility to your muscles. You can easily inch toward your weight loss goals when you follow these steps.
Another important point to note while working on this machine is to consume enough water to keep you properly rehydrated.
It should be followed both during and after the exercise to keep other health issues at bay and restore water levels in your body.
Should I Ride an Elliptical Trainer Daily?
There is no restriction on riding an elliptical trainer every day. However, it would help if you altered your session timing when you ride it daily, unlike the uniformly timed sessions that include a break during the week.
When it comes to the effectiveness of daily exercise with short timing or a longer session a few times a week, the latter method is preferable for quick results.
Cardio training works with the tension you build up during a long session where you keep your body working hard for a certain time.
This means 45 minutes session every 2 days is far more effective than a 15 to 25 minutes session every day. When you are starting, you can do so with 20-minute sessions and gradually increase the time to 45 minutes to 1 hour for best results.
Can You Lose Weight in 1 Month on an Elliptical Trainer?
When you train consistently, i.e., for at least every alternate day, you will see results from 1 ½ months to 2 months. It cannot be stated exactly as it depends on several factors, from your body weight to the diet you follow.
Some people have higher metabolism making it easy to lose weight, whereas some have lower metabolism making it harder to lose weight. So, do not get discouraged if you cannot find results quickly and keep going.
Also, make sure you are using the right resistance level if you cannot see the results after a decent time of exercising. Try to increase the workout time and check if all you needed was a little more time on the machine.
Most users start seeing progress with the slimming of their waist and legs. However, remember to follow a balanced diet even if you are making steady progress. Your diet should not only be calorie deficit but also nutritious for proper health.
Several people cannot sustain their weight after reaching their goal because they think it is fine to eat as they like once their goal is achieved. No, it is not! To maintain the weight you lost, you should still be careful with your diet and avoid mistakes.
Does an Elliptical Help You to Lose Belly Fat?
Cardio training is effective at helping you lose weight which also results in slimming your waist. Even the stubborn belly fat is addressed efficiently if you follow certain steps while working on an elliptical.
When you use your abs to their maximum, you will be able to lose weight around the belly area. Abdominal muscles play a major role and are activated only when you hold them tight by tucking in the stomach when exercising.
So, if your goal is to tone your stomach muscles, keep it supported when blowing by tucking it in more.
Is an Elliptical Bike the Right Choice to Tone Your Thighs?
Though an elliptical trainer offers a total body workout, its primary focus is on the lower body as it depends on your legs for moving the pedals. It works both the inside and outside of your legs, making it an apt machine to slim your thighs.
By altering the position of your feet on the pedals, you can work different areas in the lower body. For instance, you can stand on your toes to emphasize buttock muscles. This provision is not possible with many exercising machines.
Elliptical or Rowing Machine for Losing Weight?
Most exercising machines support weight loss, but when choosing between a rowing machine and an elliptical, you need to focus on your other goals.
If you want a toned tummy, rowing is the best choice; however, the elliptical works better for you if you are obese and want to lose weight.
Elliptical Bike or Treadmill to Lose Weight?
Treadmills are the ultimate choice for weight loss as they offer higher calorie burn than elliptical treadmills. The cardio training they offer is more vigorous than an elliptical.
Is a Treadmill More Effective Than an Elliptical Trainer?
When running on a treadmill, you can easily control your movements, whereas an elliptical guides your movements.
Meaning a treadmill can burn more calories than an elliptical trainer. But when looking for a balance of effectiveness and minimal injury, an elliptical is the right choice as there is a higher risk of injury on a treadmill.
