Exercise Physiologist Weighs in On Elliptical Workouts
Women鈥檚 Health featured insight from , instructor and coordinator for the exercise science program, in an article comparing the elliptical machine to running. Rothstein explains that, among other factors, while both are great forms of cardio, burning a similar number of calories, the biggest difference is impact.
鈥淭he elliptical is lower impact鈥hich is beneficial if you鈥檙e trying to decrease strain on the joints, but the higher impact of running recruits a great degree of lower-body muscles since more force is needed to propel yourself forward,鈥� he says. He also notes that the elliptical does some propelling work for the user due to its limited range of motion and momentum, which helps push and pull the pedals.
The article also appeared on , , and MSN.com.