Cardiovascular fitness training is necessary for optimal health. Our bodies benefit from running but running on hard surfaces can do more harm than good to our body. For example, many runners have beat up their knees, ankles, hips, back and other body parts from indiscriminately running outside on rough, hard, pavement. Treadmills can be the source for bodily aches and pains as well. Frequent running on a treadmill can become stressful on your body and even worse, the pressure applied to your joints can build up and cause severe pain, strictly limiting your ability to run for long distances. Stair climbers can put an enormous amount of pressure on your joints too. Running outdoors on anything other than grass can cause significant damage to our body, just as climbing stairs, or running on a treadmill can. Elliptical trainers provide similar cardio results as other aerobic exercises such as climbing stairs and running on the treadmill, however, working out on elliptical’s and cross-trainers significantly reduce the pressure one applies to their joints while trying to lose weight. Elliptical trainers allow its users to exercise while putting almost no pressure on their knees whatsoever. Through providing an impact free, cardiovascular workout, with a wide range of resistance levels, millions of Americans use elliptical machines at home and at the gym.
Impact injuries plague athletes around the world daily. Cross-trainers and elliptical machines became popular in the 1990s as the public needed a way to get a total body workout inside their home without having to bang their knees, hips and ankles up. No matter how sophisticated the suspension system on a treadmill is, runners who like to exercise for long periods of time will eventually due damage to their body from an extended amount of time of applying pressure to their joints. Reducing the amount of injuries caused by in home aerobic activity such as running on treadmills and climbing stairs, elliptical trainers entered the market approximately 20 years ago and have become more and more popular since their inception.
Although some elliptical’s only works out the lower body, the majority of elliptical’s and cross-trainers provide their users with total body workouts, making time spent on the elliptical more efficient and effective than time spent on a stair climber or stationary bike. Calories burn at a much faster rate if you exercise your entire body on an elliptical, versus sitting down in a recumbent bike and cycling for several miles. More muscle groups are targeted simultaneously from working out on an elliptical than almost any other piece of fitness equipment.
Cross-trainers will not only help people decrease their body fat, build lean muscle and have fun doing it, but exercising on cross-trainers also increases motor fitness skills and balance. Developing stronger motor fitness abilities and improving your balance can both be worked on while using the lower body workout on an elliptical, while not holding on to the upper-arms, rails, or whatever else your cross-trainer has to hold on to. Although it will be difficult at first and you may even fall (be careful, have friend with you), once you get the hang of walking/jogging/running on your trainer without holding onto anything, you will be on your way to better balance and stronger coordination skills.
Pricing on ellipticals and cross-trainers can range from $100 to $10,000.00.

