Does Elliptical Help With Weight Loss?

Elliptical machines have become an increasingly popular aerobic exercise machine for home and gym use. They’re efficient and easy to run, and they don’t put the same strain on your joints that other types of training machines do. You can get a great cardio workout on an elliptical machine, but does the elliptical help with weight loss?

Using the elliptical machine can definitely be a part of your weight loss program.

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in every day. And the elliptical machine perfectly helps you to achieve this objective.

If you want to use an elliptical machine to help you reach your goals, it is important to understand how to use it properly and what other steps you should be taking in your quest for weight loss.

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The Basics of Weight Loss

The first thing you should do if you want to lose weight is to make sure that your expectations are realistic.

A slow, gradual rate of weight loss is best for most people.

So if you are trying to lose 10 pounds in a month or more than two pounds a week, you may be setting yourself up for failure.

Once that’s taken care of, here’s how weight loss works:

REMEMBER
To lose weight, you’ll need to eat fewer calories than you burn each day.

You can work out on an elliptical trainer every day but still gain weight if you don’t address your diet and exercise routine as a whole.

Will Elliptical Help Me Lose Weight?

Yes, the elliptical can help you lose weight.

The elliptical is a great way to get a total-body cardio workout in a short amount of time.

It works your legs, glutes, arms, and core muscles, giving you the benefits of a resistance training workout and a cardiovascular workout in one.

The elliptical is one of the best machines for weight loss because it allows you to burn lots of calories without putting too much stress on your joints.

You can use various elliptical workouts to target specific muscles in your body and shed fat all over for a slimmer stomach and sleek physique.

Elliptical 30 Minutes a Day Weight Loss

Elliptical machines are an effective form of exercise.

Exercising on an elliptical burns 303 calories in 30 minutes, as found in a study conducted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). The study compared the calorie expenditure of 10 indoor exercise machines – including an elliptical machine.

On average, a 30-minute workout on an elliptical machine can burn between 200 and 500 calories, depending on intensity and weight.

So doing this type of workout five days a week will bring you in at between 1,000 and 2,500 calories burned per week — which could equate to as much as 2 lbs. of fat loss per month.

In other words, if you use an elliptical trainer at a moderate pace for 30 minutes every day while not making any other changes to your diet or exercise regimen, you may be able to lose up to 2 pounds per month.

And this rate of weight loss is safe and sustainable for the long term.

Did you know that drinking coffee can also help boost your metabolism? How? Find out here.

Elliptical 30 Minutes a Day – 2 Months

Although it’s not always easy to get motivated to exercise, the benefits of exercising on an elliptical machine for 30 minutes a day for 2 months are well worth the effort.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that everyone gets at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of aerobic activity each week.

This means that exercising on an elliptical machine for 30 minutes a day for 2 months will help you meet this requirement.

Whether your goal is weight loss, improved heart health, or better overall fitness and health, exercising on an elliptical machine for 30 minutes a day will help you achieve your goals.

If you work out on an elliptical machine for 30 minutes each day, you can burn up to 300 calories, depending on your weight and how hard you work out.

Also, exercising on the elliptical trainer is considered a vigorous activity, which means you burn more calories than at rest.

A 125-pound person burns about 270 calories in 30 minutes of using the elliptical machine, according to Harvard Health Publications.

To lose 1 pound per week, you need to create a deficit of about 500 calories more each day, and doing this in combination with eating fewer calories will help speed up your weight loss efforts.

Best Elliptical Workout for Weight Loss

Most people at the gym will go to the elliptical and start doing a workout, but they don’t plan it out.

Interestingly, you can burn more calories in less time if you implement a few strategies into your routine.

Here are some of the best elliptical workouts for weight loss.

Warm-up

It is important that you warm up before you do any elliptical workout.

You don’t want to just jump on and start going full speed because this increases your risk for injury.

Start out by walking on the elliptical at a low speed for about five minutes to get your body warmed up.

Intervals

Interval training is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. This is because it gets your heart rate up and pushes you to go harder than you normally would.

Interval training involves switching back and forth between high-intensity exercise and low-intensity activity.

During the intervals where you are working hard, try to work as hard as possible without stopping. This will help you burn more calories during each interval.

When you’re not working hard, slow down so that you can recover for the next interval.

Best Elliptical Workout for Weight Loss – High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Step 1: To do an interval workout on the elliptical, start by warming up by walking for five minutes at a slow pace.

Step 2: Then alternate between 30-second intervals of intense speed with 30 seconds of recovery to help keep your heart rate up.

Step 3: Finish the workout with a cool-down period of easy jogging for five minutes.

Even the treadmill and the StairMaster can also help you lose weight. Dr. Porcari states, “No machine is bad.” In case you missed it, you can read the article explaining how the treadmill and the StairMaster can help you lose weight here.

Does The Elliptical Work Your Stomach?

Yes, elliptical machines can help you lose weight and tone your muscles, including your stomach.

In fact, any type of aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate for a sustained period of time will help you burn calories and fat.

And this should lead to weight loss all over, including in your stomach.

If you’re doing strength-training exercises at the same time as your elliptical workout, you’ll also build muscle mass which will increase your calorie burn and give you a firmer stomach.

Elliptical Machine Benefits – Stomach

Generally speaking, you can’t spot-reduce fat from your stomach, but you can burn calories from your entire body, including the abdominal area.

The elliptical primarily works your lower body, but it also challenges your core to stabilize your body as you move through several planes of motion.

TIP
To maximize calorie burning and sculpting of your stomach muscles, add some resistance to your elliptical workout.

Because this increases the intensity of the exercise and allows you to burn more calories in less time.

How can a bicycle workout help you lose weight? Don’t miss out on reading the very informative article here.

Elliptical Machine Benefits

An elliptical machine is a piece of exercise equipment used to simulate stair climbing, walking, or running. And all these without causing excessive pressure to the joints, hence decreasing the risk of impact injuries.

The “elliptical” in the name of the machine refers to the smooth, elliptical path that your feet follow as you exercise.

Elliptical machines are sometimes called “elliptical trainers” or simply “ellipticals.”

Elliptical machine benefits are numerous. Some of them are:

Elliptical is easy to use.
It helps to increase your heart rate and burn calories.
It’s very effective for weight loss.
Using an elliptical machine is a great way to stay in shape.
Elliptical machines are great for those who have problems with their knees or hips.
The elliptical exercise machine allows a smooth motion, which is easy on the joints and muscles.
It causes less impact on the knees, hips, and back.
It can even be enjoyed by those who have difficulty moving around due to back pain or other injuries.
Elliptical trainers can tone your lower body.
They’re also amazing for strengthening your core muscles.
An elliptical machine provides a vigorous full-body workout.
Additionally, it helps build strength and endurance in your major muscle groups, including your glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
The arm extensions help work your biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
Elliptical exercise machines can be used by anyone regardless of age or fitness level.
The resistance levels are adjustable, so it can be made more difficult.

Elliptical Before and After

An elliptical is a great piece of exercise equipment whether you’re looking to lose weight or build muscle. Do you know how much an elliptical can help you?

The earlier you include it in your workout regimen, the better it will be for your health.

Before hopping onto an elliptical, take a look at what this machine can do for you. What changes can an elliptical workout give you?

A great example of how an elliptical can change your body is the story of Emma. She’s a good friend of mine and lost 25 pounds and 6 inches off her waist. And this she achieved after working out on an elliptical for about a year.

When Emma made the decision to start using the elliptical, she was already running on the treadmill. But she wasn’t seeing any encouraging results from that activity.

Then she started her weekly workouts on an elliptical trainer. She found herself losing weight and experiencing increased flexibility and energy levels.

Emma’s motivating story may give you an idea of how an elliptical can transform you from the inside out.