For the people who are just stepping into the world of fitness, the elliptical workout will be great for them. It will allow the beginners to ease their way into the session of cardio exercise.
It is mostly the right choice for the people who get benefitted from less stress on their joints and conditioning the heart and lower body at the same time.
It is a low-impact exercise compared to walking or running on a top-quality treadmill. It is gentle to the hips and knees. Being weight-bearing helps build strong muscles, connective tissue, and bones. If the machine comes with arm handles, people can work on their entire body, leading to more calorie-burn.
Precautions
Doctors recommend the low-impact cardio workouts for reducing risks associated with health and maintaining physical wellness. But the situation of every person is not the same.
It is always better to consult with the doctor before starting any workout, especially if you are suffering from any illnesses, medical conditions or injuries, or any medication that may affect the heart rate or the whole workouts session.
At the starting of trying the elliptical trainer, you may feel pain mostly in the lower body and the quads i.e., front muscles of thighs. It is quite normal to feel such pain at the beginning as muscles are working now.
But you can lessen this stress by starting gently. Begin with a workout of a shorter period, like 10 minutes or so. And then gradually lift your intensity as you will begin to build more stamina.
How To Workout
You have to find out the correct intensity for you. The exact pace for you will be, you will feel that you are exercising, but at the same time, you can talk in full sentences. Stop working out if your muscles start to feel tired or weak or if you think so breathlessness.
Do this exercise about three times per week on each alternating day, with a day to rest in between it.
Stretch the lower body after exercising, and ensure to be hydrated. Drink enough water before and after the session.
Ensure to track your intensity. The simplest way to track your power, which is mandatory, is to follow the rating of perceived exertion (RPE). RPE is a scale grading between 1 to 10 on how hard someone is exercising.
For elliptical, you have to stay between level 4 and level 6 and maintain moderate intensity.
Beginner Elliptical Workout
| Time | Intensity/Pace | RPE |
| 5 minutes | Warming up comfortably. Keep the ramps or resistance low. | 4 |
| 3 minutes | Increasing the resistance and/or ramps 1-4 increments, or until working more rigid than the warm-up pace. You will feel you are exercising, but you will be able to continue a conversation. It is the baseline pace. | 5 |
| 2 minutes | Increasingthe resistance and/or ramps again until working somewhatmore rigid than the baseline. | 5–6 |
| 3 minutes | Decreasing the ramps or resistance back to the baseline. | 5 |
| 2 minutes | Increasingthe resistance and/or ramps again until working somewhat harder than the baseline. | 5–6 |
| 5 minutes | Decreasing the ramps or resistance back to the comfortable level for cooling down. | 4 |
| Total Time of Workout: 20 Minutes |
Progressing with the Elliptical Workout
When you are a beginner, you can add another three minutes of level 5 ramps, which are more comfortable with this 20-minute beginner workout, and then increase two minutes before cooling down. Stay at this level for one week if you want and then raise another slice of more accessible work for three minutes and more challenging work for two minutes.
Then it will be a total of 30 minutes of exercise. It supports the guideline of minimum daily practice for moderate to forceful physical activity.
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Last Updated on January 1, 2023