Treadmills are great for at-home cardio workouts, but if running’s not really your thing? That’s where ellipticals come in. Here at Fitness Equipment Maine, we want to match you to the perfect exercise equipment. If you’ve been thinking about starting your home gym—or adding to the home gym you’ve already started—here are some reasons to consider an elliptical machine.
Easy on the Knees
Running, either outside or on a treadmill, is great exercise, but the repeated pounding can damage your knees over time. If you already have a knee injury or are predisposed to joint pain, using an elliptical can be a great alternative to running. The pedals of the elliptical machine rise up and down with your feet, reducing the strain on your joints and the risk of musculoskeletal injury.
Low-impact workouts have the added benefit of improving strength, lowering blood pressure, and reducing stress.
Full-Body Workouts
Ellipticals have another benefit over treadmills because they work your whole body. Ellipticals have handles that work in conjunction with the foot pedals to work your arms, chest, and shoulders. People usually think of cardio and working your upper body as two different workouts, but with an elliptical machine, you can roll them into one. Most ellipticals also have different levels of resistance, so you can choose if you want to focus on cardio, strengthening your muscles, or both! Many ellipticals have interval settings as well, so you can get a varied workout on a single machine.
Workouts that Fit Your Day
Finding the time to exercise is a challenge no matter how you choose to do it. Ellipticals are great for crafting a workout routine that fits your lifestyle. If you only have twenty minutes to squeeze in a workout while you work from home, an intense interval workout on an elliptical is just the thing.
If you have a longer window of time to exercise, spending an hour on the elliptical on a low resistance setting is a great way to get in a full-body workout and increase your stamina.
Ellipticals at Fitness Equipment Maine
To see our complete inventory of ellipticals and other great exercise equipment, visit our showroom at 244 Saint John Street in Portland, Maine.
