Are there benefits for choosing an cross trainer over a treadmill if you’re getting your cardio at the gym?
When you’re working toward getting in the 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week recommended by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, you might make a beeline for the cardio equipment at the gym!
And you might also be wondering, with all the options - treadmill, exercise bike, cross trainer, stair climber, rower, and sometimes more - if you’re choosing the right one.
The general rule is that if your working to the correct intensity they are all improving your fitness etc., however all cardio equipment has pro’s & con’s depending on your needs which include factors like age, function, mobility and health conditions and injuries!
Treadmill
What it is
A machine with an endless moving belt for walking or running. “I’d call this the bread-and-butter of cardio machines,” says Araceli De Leon, an ACE-certified personal trainer and health coach.
Muscles Targeted
The treadmill primarily helps build your cardiovascular endurance, says De Leon, but walking or running will also work the lower body muscles, including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves, according to ACSM. It’s not the most effective way to build these muscles, but using the treadmill will help to maintain them.
Perks
You can adjust the speed and incline to increase intensity or perform an interval or HIIT workout, says De Leon. Compared with the elliptical and rower, a treadmill has been found to burn more fat, according to a study published in 2021 in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. (It’s worth noting that that study only included nine men and no women.)
Considerations
Being on your phone and looking down or looking up at a TV in the gym can strain your neck, says De Leon. Also, walking too close to the console or holding onto the rails can affect your body’s walking cycle. Try to stay in the middle of the belt and avoid holding on, she says. (If you can’t safely use a treadmill without holding on, then another machine may be a better option. See below.) The treadmill can also be a higher impact activity. Though running or walking on a treadmill is not as hard on the joints as running on concrete, exercising on a track or turf outside will be a more joint-friendly form of exercise.
Exercise Bike
What it is
Indoor or stationary exercise bikes come in a variety of styles, such as an air bike (where pedalling pushes air through the wheel, providing resistance), a spin or indoor bike (where you can manually adjust resistance), and a recumbent bike (where you sit in an reclined position), among others.
Muscles Targeted
Your quads and hamstrings are the workhorses while cycling. Using a stationary bike can also build lower-body muscle.
Perks
On certain styles of bike, you can increase the resistance and stand up to pedal, which simulates climbing a hill. We would recommend indoor bicycling to those who are recovering from lower-extremity injuries. If you have balance problems, a stationary bike is a good option for you, since your feet are in one fixed position (as opposed to a treadmill or stair machine).
Considerations
While it’s low-impact and easy on the joints, if you have anterior knee pain (pain in the front of the knee), we recommend moving to the cross trainer, as the pedalling motion on the bike may put too much force on the knee.
Cross Trainer
What it is
An cross trainer is a stationary machine with two large pedals that move in a circular motion through space, as well as handlebars that move back and forth. You use the cross trainer standing up.
Muscles Targeted
Quads, hamstrings, and calves are all worked during this type of exercise, particularly if the resistance is increased. Without using a challenging resistance, this is mostly a cardio workout.
Perks
As a low-impact workout, the cross trainer is ideal for beginners, as well as people recovering from injury or in physical therapy. There is no pounding; your feet never leave the pedals that they’re on. An cross trainer (as well as rower, below) can also be an option for those with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.
Considerations
Avoid hunching, lifting your heels, or leaning too far back, all common mistakes. You need to maintain the proper centre of gravity on this machine.
Stair Climber
What it is
a stair climber, much like the name implies, is a machine that simulates walking up steps. There are many types of stair climbers, such as a step mill (revolving, escalator-like stairs), stair stepper (which has one pedal for each foot that you step on), or vertical climbers (ladder-like steppers).
Muscles Targeted
The stair stepper really activates the glutes, quads, and calves.
Perks
Stair climbing is usually a high-intensity workout. As such, the stair climber offers one of the highest calorie-burning cardio machines.
Considerations
Because it’s a higher-intensity exercise, you may not be able to do this type of workout for as long a duration as a less intense workout.
If you have knee or hip problems, a stair machine may aggravate that pain, and we recommend using an stair climber instead. On a stair climber, it can be common to use the handrails to support your weight and take some work off your legs, but this can put too much pressure on shoulders and wrists. If you’re struggling to keep up with the machine, decrease the speed!
Rowing Machine
What it is
A rowing machine is one where you sit on a sliding seat and use both hands to pull a handle to move you back and forth, mimicking a rowing motion.
Muscles Targeted
Muscles of the upper back and shoulders, quads, calves, and glutes get worked during the pushback and pull phase.
Perks
The rower can be a one-stop shop. “It’s a total-body conditioning machine. You get cardio, as well as upper and lower body strengthening. You can also adjust it to get the workout you’re looking for. For instance, by turning down the resistance, the workout becomes mostly cardio; increasing the resistance will provide more muscle activation. Rowing is also a low-impact activity, meaning it’s easy on joints.
Considerations
It may seem intimidating if you’ve never used one, but once you get the hang of the push-pull rowing motion, you’ll feel more confident. Start at the lowest resistance first and increase it as you become more comfortable on the machine (and as your stamina improves).
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