Cardio workouts on an elliptical machine give you more bang for your buck than a comparably priced treadmill. This is simply because you are working your upper body and arms along with your legs. Elliptical trainers are virtual no-impact machines, while treadmill manufacturers have recently worked to make their machines lower impact, there is still very little comparison.
For those who haven’t been on an elliptical cross trainer it can feel a bit unnatural. The truth is elliptical machines actually have more of a natural foot and leg motion than a treadmill. Seems unlikely and you may ask “how can walking or running on a treadmill be unnatural?” The answer is, the treadmill doesn’t allow you to work your hamstrings, because it keeps coming at you and your legs don’t have to pull you forward. If you spend a lot of time running on a treadmill and then switch to running outside, it will be very clear to you, because you are working your legs harder.
Many don’t realize that you can also use an elliptical for a great abs exercise; all that you need to do is engage your abs during your workout. Yes, you can use a treadmill for an abs exercise as well but, this is easier said than done because it is very unnatural to do an entire cardio workout while flexing your abdominal muscles. So this will take some getting used to. With an elliptical cross trainer, you’re lower or no-impact motion allows you to keep your abs flexed the entire time. Try it the next time you’re in the gym.
Something else you might like to know about elliptical cross trainers is that they actually have been shown in a study to burn more calories than the level of effort requires. This is because your body perceives an elliptical as an easy workout even though you are actually working hard.