Elliptical Benefits: 10 Reasons To Use This Cardio Machine

Maybe your like

HealthlineSubscribe

Fitness

10 Benefits of an Elliptical Machine Workout

Medically reviewed by Micky Lal, MA, CSCS,RYT — Written by Sara Lindberg — Updated on October 1, 2025

Stamina
Calories
Joint health
Full-body workout
Fat burning
Leg muscles
Balance
Injury recovery
Varied workouts
Easy to use
Vs. treadmill
Safety
FAQ
Takeaway

An elliptical machine provides a low impact cardio workout. It can benefit your overall fitness, including increasing your stamina and strengthening your upper and lower body.

The elliptical trainer is a type of stationary exercise machine that combines elements of walking and stair-climbing movements to help improve cardiovascular fitness.

It’s one of the most sought-after cardio machines at fitness centers and a top choice for home exercise equipment.

Keep reading to learn more about 10 possible benefits of exercising with an elliptical machine.

1. Boosts your stamina and cardio capacity

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, is a key part of a balanced exercise routine. When you do aerobic exercise, your heart and lungs need to work harder to provide your muscles with more blood and oxygen.

The elliptical machine allows you to get a good aerobic workout, which can strengthen your heart, lungs, and muscles. This, in turn, can help build your stamina and endurance.

On an elliptical machine, you can perform both high intensity interval training (HIIT) and steady-state cardio workouts.

2. Burns a lot of calories

The elliptical trainer is an effective way to burn calories, which could help support weight management goals.

Depending on your weight, this cardio machine can help you burn around 270 to 400 calories in 30 minutes.

The lower end of the range represents a person weighing 125 pounds (56.7 kilograms [kg]), while the higher end is for someone weighing 185 pounds (83.9 kg).

However, several other factors can influence the number of calories you burn during an elliptical session, including your current fitness level and the speed, intensity, and incline of the machine.

»Learn more:How Many Calories Are Burned on an Elliptical in 30 Minutes?

3. Puts less stress on your joints

One of the most commonly reported benefits of the elliptical trainer is that it’s a low impact exercise.

During some aerobic activities like running, your lower body joints, such as the knees, ankles, and hips, can take a beating from the constant impact.

On the elliptical, however, your feet never lift off the pedals. Instead, your lower body glides through the movements of walking, running, and ascending a steep slope.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, the elliptical machine may be especially beneficial for people with knee or hip arthritis because it places minimal stress, weight, or impact on the joints.

A 2021 study also found that the elliptical trainer caused less long-term joint and cartilage degeneration in the knee than cycling, running, and swimming.

4. Serves as both an upper and lower body workout

An elliptical machine with handles can work the muscles in both your upper and lower body.

To maximize the upper body benefits, distribute your weight and resistance evenly by pumping your arms at the same speed as your legs. To focus even more on the upper body, initiate the movement from the arms and let your lower body follow along.

When done correctly, the elliptical can target your glutes, hamstrings, quads, chest, back, biceps, triceps, and core muscles.

5. Burns body fat

The elliptical machine can be an effective tool for burning body fat and losing weight when used in conjunction with other tools, such as balanced eating, resistance training, and effective sleep management.

Weight loss primarily occurs when a calorie deficit is maintained over a prolonged period. A calorie deficit occurs when your body expends more energy (calories) than it takes in daily.

Regular aerobic exercise can help you maintain a calorie deficit by burning calories. Some research also found that aerobic exercise is associated with less abdominal fat and reductions in waist circumference.

To maximize fat burning in a shorter amount of time, try HIIT. You can start with a 2-to-1 ratio, such as 30 seconds of high intensity work followed by 15 seconds of recovery, or 60 seconds of high intensity work followed by 30 seconds of recovery.

Don’t stop moving your legs during the recovery periods. Continue to move the pedals at a slower pace.

6. Targets specific leg muscles

You can change both the resistance and incline of the foot pedals on an elliptical. By doing this, you can target different muscles in your lower body, including your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.

By increasing the incline, you may feel the backside of your lower body more. If you adjust the foot pedals lower, you may feel your quads working harder.

Plus, since the foot pedals also move in reverse, you can change the direction of your stride and focus more on your hamstrings and glutes.

7. Improves your balance

Using an elliptical machine may be an effective way to improve overall balance, which is important for preventing falls and other injuries.

Try standing up straight and releasing the elliptical handles. This could target your core muscles and work on your balance.

Just ensure that the resistance and incline are set at manageable levels so you can use the elliptical machine safely without using the handles.

8. Maintains fitness after injury

Some research suggests that working out on an elliptical can be an effective way to build or maintain cardiovascular fitness while recovering from an injury.

Since it’s a low impact exercise, the elliptical puts less stress on your joints than high impact workouts like running, jogging, or jumping.

Working out on an elliptical after an injury could also help improve your range of motion and strengthen the muscles and joints while taking the stress off the injured area.

9. Provides a variety of options

Elliptical machines typically offer a range of preprogrammed exercise routines that simulate hill climbing, interval training, and other customizable options, allowing you to achieve the type of workout you desire.

10. Straightforward to use

One of the advantages of an elliptical is that it doesn’t take long to learn how to use it. Although the learning curve with this machine is fairly easy, you may want to ask a personal trainer for guidance if you haven’t used one before.

A trainer can provide you with tips on how to use it correctly and recommend the type of workout that may be best suited for your fitness goals.

When first starting the elliptical, you may want to use only the foot pedals. Once you get used to the machine’s movement, you can add the handles.

Is an elliptical better than a treadmill?

The elliptical and treadmill are excellent stationary aerobic exercise machines, and each has its own unique benefits.

The elliptical may be a better option if you want a low impact exercise that’s easier on the joints and can support injury recovery. You can also adjust the incline and resistance to mimic a running workout.

On the other hand, a treadmill may be more effective at oxidizing fats, which refers to how your body breaks down fat cells and uses them as energy. So, the treadmill may be more effective at burning fat than the elliptical.

Running on the treadmill also requires your feet to leave the ground, forcing your body to react and adapt. This may recruit your lower body muscles to a greater degree and require more force to propel yourself forward.

Plus, pumping your arms boosts your heart rate, increases calorie burning, and uses some key upper body muscles like the biceps, triceps, chest, and upper back.

Many ellipticals come with handlebars that allow you to push and pull against resistance. Unlike the arm movements you perform continuously while running, this motion is optional with an elliptical, and the machine will do some of the work for you.

Although you should engage your core muscles when performing any aerobic workout, it’s easier to let these critical muscles relax when exercising on the elliptical, possibly making running a better core workout.

One way to get the best of both worlds is to incorporate elliptical training into a running routine. For example, replace one outdoor or treadmill running day with a 30- to 45-minute workout on the elliptical.

»More on this:Elliptical vs. treadmill

Possible risks of the elliptical machine

Like all exercise machines, there are some potential risks associated with using an elliptical.

You may find that your muscles are sore the days after using it for the first few times, especially if you’ve never used an elliptical before. The movement pattern is different than walking. This may feel awkward, and it’ll activate your muscles in different ways.

It’s essential to ease into an elliptical workout routine, allowing your body to become accustomed to these movements and helping to prevent overuse injuries.

As you become more comfortable on the machine, you can start to adjust the resistance, speed, and incline to make your workouts more intense.

Frequently asked questions

How long on the elliptical for 10,000 steps?

On average, it takes around 40 minutes to hit 10,000 steps on the elliptical. But factors like speed and stride length can affect this time.

Is 30 minutes of elliptical a day enough?

The amount of time you should spend on the elliptical depends on your overall goals.In general, you should aim for a minimum of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise weekly, or 75 minutes of high intensity exercise.This translates to at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days a week. If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, up the intensity and do 20 minutes instead.

The amount of time you should spend on the elliptical depends on your overall goals.

In general, you should aim for a minimum of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise weekly, or 75 minutes of high intensity exercise.

This translates to at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days a week. If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, up the intensity and do 20 minutes instead.

Can I train for a 5K on an elliptical?

Using an elliptical to train for a 5K race can help build your cardiovascular fitness. But it won’t effectively train all of the muscles used during running, so it’s best to use a combination of running and elliptical training when preparing for a 5K.

The bottom line

Including the elliptical machine in your fitness routine can help strengthen your heart, lungs, and muscles, all while boosting your stamina, improving your balance, and burning calories.

It’s also a great option if you have joint issues or want to build or maintain your fitness after an injury.

While this low impact piece of equipment is a great choice for most fitness levels, it’s important to include other exercises in your routine if you’re looking to strengthen your legs and build bone density.

A personal trainer or healthcare professional can help develop an appropriate workout plan for you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Activities to steps conversion chart. (2021).https://wellness.osu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/2021/02/2021.02.-%20HLS%20Step%20Conversion%20Chart.pdf
American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids. (2024).https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
Armstrong A, et al. (2022). Effect of aerobic exercise on waist circumference in adults with overweight or obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9540641/
Bosch AN, et al. (2020). Physiological and metabolic responses to exercise on treadmill, elliptical trainer, and stepper: Practical implications for training.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33477112/
Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights. (2021).https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights
Chapter 5: Selection and use of exercise equipment. (n.d.).https://acewebcontent.azureedge.net/continuingeducation/resources/4a5wy7yz/fss/Chapter5.pdf
Filipovic M, et al. (2021). Maximal fat oxidation: Comparison between treadmill, elliptical and rowing exercises.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7919349/
Hung K-C, et al. (2019). Effects of 8-week core training on core endurance and running economy.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6407754/
Khodadadi F, et al. (2023). The effect of high-intensity interval training type on body fat percentage, fat and fat-free mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10054577/
Rath L, et al. (2023). Elliptical machines go easy on your joints.https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/physical-activity/other-activities/elliptical-machines-arthritis-joints
Sade S, et al. (2023). Development of an elliptical perturbation system that provides unexpected perturbations during elliptical walking (the EPES system).https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10521489/
Sarwan G, et al. (2024). Management of weight loss plateau.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK576400/
Schirò S, et al. (2021). Impact of different physical activity types on knee joint structural degeneration assessed with 3T MRI in overweight and obese subjects: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8122031/

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Micky Lal, MA, CSCS,RYT — Written by Sara Lindberg — Updated on October 1, 2025

Health Conditions

Condition Spotlight

Wellness Topics

Product Reviews

Featured Programs

Featured

Lessons

Newsletters

Lifestyle Quizzes

Health News

This Just In

Top Reads

Video Series

Find Your Bezzy Community

Follow us on social media