Cardio · Cardio

Elliptical

How to use the elliptical with good posture, which muscles it works, how long and how hard to train, and how it compares with the treadmill and the bike.

The elliptical mimics running but without impact: your feet never leave the pedals, which move along an oval path. It allows intense cardio with little load on the knees and hips, and with moving handles it adds arm work.

What it works

It improves cardiovascular fitness. Muscle-wise it works the quads, glutes and hamstrings; with moving handles, the chest, back and arms too. It burns slightly more calories than the bike at a similar effort because you are standing.

How to use it

1. Step on with your feet centered on the pedals and hold the handles.
2. Keep your torso upright, eyes forward and abs lightly braced.
3. Push through your whole foot, without staying on your toes.
4. Move your arms in rhythm with your legs, without leaning on the handles.
5. Try pedaling backward for a few minutes too: it works the glutes and hamstrings more.

How to structure your sessions

• Steady moderate: 20 to 40 minutes at a resistance that lets you talk in short sentences.
• Intervals: 1 minute at high resistance and 2 minutes easy, 6 to 8 times.

Common mistakes

• Leaning on the handles and taking weight off your legs.
• Staying on your toes, which overloads the calves and ankle.
• Minimum resistance with a very high cadence: it feels intense but achieves little.

Precautions

It loads the ankle and knee, though without impact. If you have an ankle injury, the stationary bike is usually better tolerated because your feet do not carry your body weight.

Alternatives with less joint load

They train the same muscle group. Highlighted joints are also loaded by the exercise on this page.

• Stationary bike · Low-impact cardio
  • Knee
• Recumbent bike · Low-impact cardio
  • Knee

If you have an injury, pain or a medical condition, check with a professional before doing this exercise.