You are burning more calories per minute on an elliptical. I’m not sure that elevating your heart rate to a point where you have trouble talking is all that beneficial unless you are training for something. I’ve seen articles that indicate that moderate exercise is healthier than pushing it to extremes. Most people can live a long life if they just do a lot of walking and don’t pack on too much weight.
I agree that an elliptical may be a better investment. Much better calorie burn per unit of time than just a treadmill, with the added benefit of less stress on your knees due to lack of impact on a hard surface.
Try a trackball instead of a touchpad. I started using a Kensington Orbit with scroll wheel with my laptop and love it.
I also prefer an elliptical - low impact, and less jostling so I can read my kindle (increasing the font size helps) or watch youtube videos.
Since I know what SOME OF YOU are thinking: I don’t read through the entire workout. I find that 5-15 minutes of reading helps me get over the initial boredom when I’m still warming up.
I’ve read a couple of studies and so far as I can tell ellipticals and treadmills are about the same in burning calories. Ellipticals involve more of the body and are low impact, but if you don’t have a problem with joints or what not (my achilles tendons can go for forever and a day on a bike or elliptical but will start to have problems after a few days of running), the higher impact of treadmills strengthens your bones. From a purely personal standpoint, I hate treadmills. A real bicycle out in the fresh air is the winner, but for indoors I like an elliptical. Swimming is great - if you happen to have a pool handy, but I find swimming laps the most single boring form of exercise in all creation - only way I could ever do it is bodysurfing for hours on end.
That’s all what I am hoping.
I think my head just exploded from nostalgia. It’s been a long time since I used a Kensington trackball.
Me too, or three, or whatever. My biggest fear is my hip, which starts to bother me after long distance treadmill runs, will bother me just walking. But I can’t imagine trying to type on one so the walking treadmill it is.
I have 2 weeks to get in shape for skiing using the elliptical. Need to go from desk monkey to ski bum. Doubt I will get there, but maybe I won’t be winded carrying my skiis around.
I have lost 28 pounds using my elliptical (combined with weight watchers). Being heavy, I do like it better than treadmills since it is easier on my knees and lower back than a treadmill (I travel a lot so I was able to compare both type of units at the hotels before purchasing one).
I then re-upped my sub to Audible again and listen to books while walking.
That’s interesting that so many of you think a treadmill is harder on the joints. I realize with an elliptical you don’t lift your feet off the pedals, but walking on a treadmill seems even less of an impact than walking on a sidewalk.
What I find with the elliptical is that it puts more stress on my knees because they have to bend more and I push down with my legs more. I did something to my left knee a few years ago and know it aches from time to time and I can really feel it when I have to push with it.
Anyway, this is all anecdotal. I may be fooling myself. I certainly think both treadmills and ellipticals are low impact for the most part and I use them both when I’m being good about working out.
Different ellipticals can be hard on taller people or vice versa depending on the model. I find that walking on a treadmill at higher speeds I was slamming my feet down harder and causing more stress on my knee; on the elliptical my feet stayed planted and felt more like gliding.
I do believe if you want to go extremely fast the elliptical probably can be harder on the knees. I am aiming for a 30 minute walk per day as a good habit, more than for speed/heart rate.
In any case it is a good idea to mix it up if you are able.
So 6 weeks later and I am down 10 lbs through just walking and I am still eating as bad as ever. Maybe even worse.
I have been very slowly adding weight ever since I was 28 or so so it’s nice to see the fat falling off so easily by just walking for 3-4 hours a day at 1.6-3mph,depending on what I am doing. 15 more pounds and I will be into the normal range and more importantly finally stopping the slow downward decline of the past decade.
I went with a wireless Logitech trackball and it’s definitely a lot better than the mouse on the treadmill. It’s not difficult at all to switch between them daily. The new wireless keyboard (Logitech) however is a piece of shit. My older logitech is much better. I would love to avail myself of the newer cherry switch keyboards but I don’t see any wireless versions =(
Nice. Congrats!
Arise. My wife and I didn’t want to spend $350 for a family gym membership this winter. Instead we were looking at inexpensive but good treadmills to buy, that’s hopefully easy to assemble as well.
Any personal testimonials here?
Wire cutter recommends this:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XT975HW
This and other treadmills on both Amazon and Walmart have some reviews where people complain about a smell coming from the motor, polluting their house. That sounds a bit scary. There’s a 305 version of that treadmill as well that’s cheaper, I was thinking of getting that from Walmart, $421 all included, ready for pickup. That way if it turns out to be a dud, I can just drive it back to Walmart and get my money back. Much less hassle than trying to return something to Amazon that’s this big.