8 Benefits Of Using Commercial Cross Trainers

Have you always watched others using commercial cross trainers or ellipticals at the gym and wondered whether you should be using it, too? Many who don’t have much experience with gym equipment aren’t sure what the difference between this machine and a treadmill is – don’t they both allow you to run? In this article, we have outlined 8 benefits associated with ellipticals.

1. Injury Prevention

   Overuse injuries are prevalent amongst runners, but most of these injuries can actually be prevented (or prevented from reoccurring). Using an elliptical is perfect for beginners (whose knees, ankles and joints aren’t used to the motion) and veterans (to keep them in the sport).

2. Rehabilitation

   If an overuse injury has occurred, a cross trainer can help in two ways – by helping you to maintain fitness despite being forced to train less and by correcting the cause of the injury. It provides a modified training program that allows you to run without exacerbating the injury.

3. Greater Running Fitness

   Whilst there are many motivations to run, a desire to run faster is often the most common. An elliptical can actually be quite helpful in becoming a faster runner, as it can enhance your efficiency, increase your power and increase the amount of time you can train without getting tired.

4. Active Recovery

   Keep in mind that workouts only help you to achieve athletic conditioning when they are followed by rest and recovery activities. An elliptical is often used for active-recovery workouts and runners who use them will become fitter than those who don’t (providing they use it correctly).

5. Enhanced Motivation

   No matter how much you love running, it can eventually become boring. The use of an elliptical can actually help you to maintain your enthusiasm for the workout, as it is a viable alternative to running. This is perfect for those days when you just don’t feel like jumping on the treadmill.

6. Rejuvenation

   Remember that no one can train hard for the while year – this is just the way nature made us. If you want to run better next year, it is important that you give your body a break from formal training. After a 2 week period of complete rest, the elliptical is a great way to get back into it.

7. Enjoy Other Sports

   Regular use of a commercial cross trainer can actually help you to enjoy other sports and workouts. A runner might do okay on a bicycle, but they won’t fare well against a trained cyclist. As the motion of this machine mirrors a handful of exercises, it can increase your ability to perform.

8. Fit Pregnancy

   Believe it or not, an elliptical can help pregnant women to stay fit and postpartum women to get fit. In the later stages of pregnancy and shortly after giving birth, high intensity exercise can be uncomfortable and is not recommended. This is a low-intensity exercise with maximum benefits.

Whilst we hope that the above points have shown you the various ways that you can benefit from the use of a commercial cross trainer, we do want to stress that you should seek expert advice prior to exercising when injured or pregnant. It is important to remember that everyone is different, so the motion of running may actually do more harm than good in your case.

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