How to Use an Elliptical Machine – Do you want to learn how to use an elliptical machine correctly? If yes, then you are in the right place. This article will cover some top-quality elliptical machines that are suitable for home use. We will also look at some interesting benefits of elliptical machines.
This equipment helps to burn a lot of calories within a short time.
The heart muscles are equally strengthened when you carry out regular exercises with these fitness machines.
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Some Advantages of Elliptical Trainers [Elliptical Machine Benefits]
Elliptical machines have many amazing benefits. Below are some popular ones.
1. Provide low Impact Workouts
This is possible since you do not need to remove your legs from the pedals during workout sessions. Sometimes, having low impact exercises as an alternative to high impact exercises is a wise decision.
Some patients will confirm that one crucial piece of medical advice from their doctors is to stop running but to use the cross-trainer instead. Hence, whether by choice or necessity, this fitness equipment remains an incredible option.
2. They offer Two-way Fitness Option
Full-body workouts help to increase calories burned during each session, as well as improve heart rate. And with less perceived exertion, you can achieve faster results compared to other cardio machines.
How to use an Elliptical Machine?
Elliptical machines are not so difficult to use, although proper use is necessary to get the best fitness results and to avoid injuries.
Below are steps on how to operate them.
1. Step onto the Machine
You need to step onto the machine while facing the monitor when you are about to perform workouts using this machine effectively. Also, you have to be careful because the pedals may start to move, and this can result in an injury.
2. Hold the Handlebars When Stepping Onto the Machine
When stepping onto the machine, the pedals may start to move. And when that happens, you can lose your balance. You already know what may happen next.
To avoid this scenario, it is crucial to hold or grab the handlebars when stepping on the machine. This development will help to keep your balance.
3. Look for the Start Button
When you’re properly balanced on the machine, look for the start button to turn it on. Some trainers require you to start pedaling to power up the display. If yours does not have a start button, try to pedal and see if it will come on.
4. Start by Pedaling at an Even Pace
When using an elliptical machine, start by pedaling at an even pace, and then you can increase the pace or pedal faster.
Allow your arms to move with the handlebars. When the left pedal goes up, the right handle should move towards your body, and when the right pedal goes up, the left handle should move towards your body.
Do not lock your knees when pedaling. Keep your legs straight and pedal with the heels and not the toes. Turn up the resistance to enable you to push harder on the pedals. This is how to tone up your muscles.
5. Try Another Workout Method
Elliptical machines can also pedal backward. This is to provide variety in terms of workout options. And which is why you should always try other methods too to achieve a total body workout.
Pedaling backward will provide other workout results that the forward pedaling technique does not offer. For people with a knee injury, this method requires a lot of caution as it can be slightly hard on the knees.
6. Increase the Resistance Level
After making the forward and backward motions, you can now increase the incline and resistance levels. Increasing these levels will help you build your muscles, but it isn’t advisable to overdo it.
You can increase the level every five minutes, but it would be fine to recover before increasing it again.
Some Excellent Elliptical Machines
There are various top-quality elliptical trainers in the marketplace. So, choosing the best one for your specific needs may be a challenging task. This is why we’re providing a list of good machines that are suitable for home use.
1. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E905 Elliptical Machine – Editor’s Choice
This is a fantastic elliptical machine that aids the overall health and fitness levels. There are 8 levels of magnetic resistance. Its digital monitor displays your speed, time spent on the workout session, distance covered, calories burned, while a hand pulse monitor also reads your pulse rate.
The pedals or footpads and the handlebars have an anti-slip feature, making the equipment safe, convenient, and comfortable to use. This machine has a low noise level so, it operates quietly.
One wonderful feature is the compact design. This design makes it ideal for people who do not have ample space to exercise or workout.
Features
- There is a floor stabilizer that provides balance on all floors.
- The machine comes with a hand pulse monitor for your heart rate readouts.
- It’s compact and lightweight, and therefore ideal for small spaces.
- A digital monitor displays a scan result, your speed, the time you spent, distance, and the calories burned.
- There are 8 magnetic levels of resistance.
- The handlebars and footpads have anti-slip feature, making the product safe to use.
- This elliptical machine provides a smooth and noiseless operation.
- The machine has transportation wheels to make it convenient to move around the house.
- This product offers durability.
2. Schwinn 411 Compact Elliptical Machine – Amazon’s Picks
This is another good elliptical trainer. You can infer that it is a compact machine from its name. It is suitable for people with small workout space. The machine has a large LCD console that displays the progress report. Your result, speed, time, distance, RPM, and heart rate are displayed.
The calories you burned during the exercise will also show on the LCD monitor. You can perform quiet workouts with 7 preset programs.
The machine is noiseless, and it works amazingly, which means that you can undertake your exercises at any time of the day without disturbing other family members. There are 16 levels of magnetic resistance to help you achieve your fitness goals quicker than you can imagine.
Features
- This amazing product comes with a fully-loaded console.
- Its features make it super fun and extremely easy to use.
- The machine is ultra-silent so that you can use it any time of the day, even when you have a sleeping baby.
- This product offers versatility via 7-preset workout programs.
- There is flexibility for hand placement with both fixed and moving handlebars.
- You can monitor your heart rate with the ergonomic handle.
- The footpads have an anti-slip design.
- The large LCD console helps to track RPM, speed, time, distance, and calories burned.
- There are 16 levels of magnetic resistance.
- It is straightforward to assemble.
3. Nautilus Elliptical Trainer E618
This is another nice elliptical trainer, and it is one of the Nautilus series. You cannot ignore this machine when talking about cross-trainers. It uses Bluetooth connectivity to sync workout data with both the Nautilus app and other fitness tracking apps. This should further prove how excellent this product is.
With this machine, you can map your workouts. What this means is that you can capture the global routes that you have accomplished. You can even share the results with other fitness enthusiasts from around the world.
There is an opportunity to discover new routes from other parts of the world when you explore the world via your mobile app. You do not need to worry about your pace as the fitness training machine automatically adjusts to pace.
Aside from pace, the machine can also track your speed, distance, time, calories burned, and even your heart rate. You can put it that this is a sophisticated machine that gives you everything you want in your fitness training.
Features
- The machine is sturdy.
- It works quietly.
- The machine has a fully-featured or fully-loaded console.
- You can sync your workout data with recommended mobile apps via Bluetooth connectivity.
- With your mobile device, you can explore the world.
- There are 29 unique training programs.
- You can share your workout results with other fitness enthusiasts.
- With the Nautilus 2 trainer app, you can monitor your progress each week.
- There is a built-in charging port to enable you to charge your device while working out.
- The machine is motorized-inclined, and it has 25 levels of magnetic resistance.
4. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E1405 Flywheel Elliptical Trainer
This is another wonderful product from Sunny. It offers all the features you may need from an elliptical machine. There is a digital display monitor that shows your scan, speed, time, distance, calories burned.
Dual handlebars are available in both swing and fixed mode positions to provide full arm workouts. There are large anti-slip foot pads for safety.
Features
- An LCD monitor shows your scan, time, speed, distance, and calories.
- The pedals are large, and they have an anti-slip feature for safety and comfort.
- The handlebars have a dual-action.
- This machine delivers micro-adjustable resistance.
- The equipment operates noiselessly.
- Its 16 LBS flywheel delivers stability.
- This product is sturdy.
- Floor stabilizers produce balance and more stability.
- Transportation wheels make it convenient to move around the house.
Tips on How to Achieve Excellent Results with an Elliptical Machine?
- If it is your first time using the machine, try to familiarize yourself with the console or digital monitor. If you are exercising at home, you can study the manual before operating the machine, but if you are in a gym, you should seek the trainer or instructor’s assistance.
- Set a goal before every workout session.
- Ensure that you stay focused when working out. Always avoid unnecessary distractions if you have a set goal.
- Always engage in different workouts.
Final Verdict
As promised, we provided steps on how to start using an elliptical machine. You will agree that these machines are safe and easy to use when you know what steps to take. To make these products a lot easier, we also provided tips that can help you achieve great results with the use of this equipment.
If you need an elliptical trainer for personal or home use, we recommend buying any of the ones mentioned above. That is not to say they can’t be used in gyms too.
They are suitable for both commercial purposes and personal use. We selected these machines based on their benefits or features. Some of these benefits are right below.
- They are high-quality elliptical machines.
- These machines are durable and easy to use.
- They are highly affordable.
- You can use them for your general health and fitness.
- They provide a smooth and noiseless operation.
- These machines are compact and ideal for home use, especially when you have a limited workout space.
- They offer many resistance levels.
- You can conveniently learn about the calories you burned during every workout session.
- They are safe to use due to the anti-slip features on the footpads and handlebars.
These are some of the benefits you stand to enjoy when you have any of these elliptical trainers. To buy one, we suggest visiting Amazon. On that platform, you can get any fitness equipment you want at an unbelievable price.
Amazon offers top-quality products at incredible prices. They can equally assist with the delivery service, should you be interested in it.
Related: Recumbent Elliptical vs Recumbent Bike
