Your Guide to Elliptical Workouts for Weight Loss

A tried-and-true method of losing weight is working out. Combining your workout routine with healthy eating practices will make you see results faster. Of course, it would help if you expended more calories than you took to lose weight. The initial stages will be calculating the daily caloric intake and the amount of exercise required to lose weight. Exercise can be in many different forms, and those looking to lose weight should attempt a variety of them. Elliptical workouts, for example, are a terrific cardiovascular exercise since they offer weight-bearing motion with less pressure on the joints than running. This kind of exercise can simultaneously tone and build muscles. Anyone who has used an elliptical machine knows it provides a fantastic total-body exercise. 

Ready to start using the elliptical machine to lose weight? Here is how your elliptical routine can turn into a great weight-loss tool. 

Elliptical Exercise: What is It?

A gym is incomplete without an elliptical trainer. An elliptical trainer, often known as a cross trainer, is a type of workout machine that may simulate walking, running, stair climbing, and cross-country skiing. It is excellent for newbies since it lets you gradually introduce the cardio activity. Compared to running or walking on a treadmill, it provides a low-impact workout, making it easier on the knees and hips. However, it also involves bearing weight, which is necessary to develop strong bones, muscles, and connective tissue. 

How Do Elliptical Machines Help You Lose Weight?

According to a study, exercising correctly and consistently seems more likely to support long-term efforts to lose and maintain weight. The elliptical machine can be your best friend on your weight loss journey for the following reasons.

Burns Calories

Get on the elliptical if you want to maximise your calorie-burning rate in a short period. Depending on your weight, this exercise machine may burn between 270 to 400 calories in 30 minutes. By burning more calories than you consume, you can lose weight more efficiently. Consider making your elliptical workouts more intense to increase the calories you burn. 

Burns Body Fat

Elliptical helps speed up losing body fat since it burns more calories per minute than other cardio equipment, such as the stationary cycle. It is particularly true if you emphasise interval training.

Try to concentrate on increasing the duration and intensity of your workouts to increase fat burning. According to one study, high- and medium-intensity workouts assisted in fat loss. Still, high-intensity interval training(HIIT) allows you to accomplish more in less time.

The HealthifyMe Note

Ramp up your elliptical routine to see some fat-burning results. You will burn more calories when more muscles work simultaneously, such as when using an elliptical machine. Additionally, the non-impact aspect of elliptical training will enable you to exercise longer and harder. In addition, it does not inflict discomfort if you currently have joint issues or are overweight. However, one thing to realise is that ellipticals can only take you so far. Exercise is part of a healthier lifestyle, which includes various aspects.

Elliptical Exercises for Weight Loss

An elliptical machine can be the best way to lose weight with the right strategy. And if you are not a gym fan, don’t worry. You can make use of elliptical machines from the comfort of your home. 

The elliptical workouts below can help burn more calories, shape your lower body, and keep your routine fresh.

The 12-Minute Tabata Elliptical Routine

Whether working on an elliptical in a professional fitness facility or at home, this 12-minute Tabata-style workout will step things up. The concept of elliptical Tabata comes from High-Intensity Interval Training(HIIT). You need to work as hard as you can for the first 20 seconds and then rest for the next 10 seconds several times in a row. A 35-minute elliptical workout includes three 4-minute (Total 12 min) Tabatas. Tabata training plans target specific muscles or muscle groups.

The Interval Challenge Elliptical Workout

The interval challenge is perfect for a quick sweat and maximises calorie burn within brief periods of super-intense work. In 30 minutes, this method uses speed intervals and changes your resistance to boost your metabolism. You can adjust your pedal speed to vary the forward and backward motion. It keeps all your leg muscles working evenly.

The faster you go, the more calories you will burn while on an elliptical. However, do not push yourself too hard. If you are just starting, it’s probably best (and safe) to stick with a lower intensity until you build up your endurance. Start with a 3-5 minute warm-up on the elliptical trainer to warm your muscles, gradually increase your heart rate, and prepare your body for exercise. Then, you can gradually increase your speed and intensity. 

Focus on muscle strength to speed up your metabolic rate and lose weight. For stronger muscles, pedal backwards, keep the correct posture, and mix up your resistance settings and workout duration. 

The HealthifyMe Note

When you hit HIIT on the elliptical, you challenge your body to work harder than it would during a traditional workout. As a result, you burn more calories and improve your weight loss progress. However, ellipticals that lack built-in HIIT or don’t have high enough resistance or incline options are not good for weight loss. So, choose the right machine. 

Other Benefits of Elliptical Workout 

Focuses on Particular Leg Muscles

Adjust the foot pedals’ resistance and incline on an elliptical accordingly. You can target your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves and other lower body muscles.

Enhances Your Balance

You can strengthen your core muscles and enhance your body balance if you stand straight and grip the elliptical handles freely.

Lower and Upper Body Workout

Elliptical with handlebars can engage your upper and lower bodies. Equally, distribute your weight and resistance to get the most out of it for your upper body. To put it another way, move your arms and legs in unison.

Increases Your Stamina and Cardiovascular Health

The elliptical machine offers a great cardiovascular workout that is good for your heart, lungs, and muscles. As a result, it improves your stamina and endurance. You can also perform steady-state cardio exercises and high-intensity interval training on an elliptical machine.

How Much Time Should You Spend on the Elliptical?

Your total goals will determine how much time you should spend on the elliptical machine. Generally speaking, you should aim for 300 minutes of cardiovascular activity every week, with 150 minutes being the least.

To reach the 150-minute objective, this amounts to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day, five days per week. Increase the effort and complete the workout in 20 minutes if you don’t have 30 to spare. A quick way to enhance your cardiovascular health and increase your calorie burn is to exercise more intensely.

If you are new to ellipticals, three 10-minute sessions per day can be a good starting point. Then, you can gradually increase the sessions that last 30 to 60 minutes. 

Conclusion

The elliptical machine can help you burn a lot of calories while enhancing your stamina, improving your balance, and strengthening your heart, lungs, and muscles. Be persistent and set new objectives for yourself each week and each month. 

While an elliptical machine will undoubtedly help you lose weight, it will be far more difficult without following a nutritious diet. You must use a combination of food and exercise to establish a sustained calorie deficit if you want to lose weight. It may take trial and error to determine the ideal caloric deficit for your body. Still, you can start by calculating the calories you must consume daily to maintain weight.