Everyone wants to find the miracle machine that burns fat without requiring a ton of effort. Unfortunately, such equipment doesn’t exist, but there are some options for making even the sweatiest workouts a tad easier and less stressful for the body.
When it comes to belly fat, for most people, especially women, it’s one of the hardest places to lose excess weight, and it typically requires fine-tuning both your exercise regime and your eating habits. In this article, we will go over whether using an elliptical machine can help you eliminate stubborn belly fat and what makes it a good choice for your cardio training sessions.
So without further ado, let’s get started.
Can the Elliptical Help You Burn Fat?
The correct answer would be – yes or no. If you’re willing to eat right and exercise a few times per week, then yes, the elliptical can 100% help you get rid of stubborn belly fat. However, if you’re wondering whether just going on the elliptical will enable you to target and eliminate specifically the belly fat, then the answer is no.
By now, you likely know that it’s impossible to target specific areas of your body and only lose weight there. No exercise or machine will help you remove fat from a particular body part; the sooner you accept that, the better long-term results you will see. Losing weight from your stomach can only help by doing body recomposing (meaning losing fat and gaining muscle) or by simply losing weight. Once you see the numbers on the scale go down, that will inevitably lead to your love handles and belly disappearing at a particular point. For some people, it’s totally possible not to see any results for the first several months of their weight-loss journey, so don’t worry if it takes you a bit longer.
The role of the elliptical machine in this entire process is to help you lose a few extra calories during your training sessions. As a form of cardio, it’s a terrific way to burn calories while putting less stress on the body. Another benefit of the elliptical machine is that you can get one for your home, as there are plenty of affordable models on the market. That way, you won’t have to go to the gym on your weight loss journey necessarily.
What Are the Benefits of the Elliptical Machine?
As you likely know, there are many ways to do cardio – you can run, you can bike, you can do HIIT workouts, you can jump rope, etc. The opportunities are endless. So the question is, why and in which cases should you prefer the elliptical for your workouts? Well, let’s take a look at the benefits of this form of cardio compared to others.
Versatility
The movements you do on the elliptical sort of imitate the ones you do when you go on a run. However, unlike running, the elliptical gives you plenty of ways to change the intensity of the workout. For example, you can do the workout with almost no existence and just work on moving faster. Alternatively, you can increase the resistance and thus moves slowly but with more focus. Along with that, you have the opportunity to do long, steady-state cardio, but you can also go ahead and do a HIIT-style workout with changing intervals. This versatility is one of the best characteristics of the elliptical machine, and it’s what makes it such a good choice for a cardio machine to get for your home gym.
Low Impact
Most cardio workouts are pretty hard on the knees and the joints overall. Running, jumping, sprinting – all of those workouts put a ton of stress on your lower body, so they’re not always the best choice, especially for people recovering from injuries or who have persistent ones. Along with that, if you have a ton of excess weight or are completely new to working out, constantly running and jumping may seriously damage your knees and even lead to serious injuries.
On the other hand, the elliptical machine allows you to do cardio with minimum impact on your joints, as your movement is supported by the foot pedals. Additionally, your own weight propels you forward rather than hinders you.
Ease of Use
Learning how to use the elliptical machine is extremely easy to use, and you don’t even need someone to explain it to you. It doesn’t require a learning curve at all, and there’s no way to the movement in a way that’s harmful to you, and that could potentially lead to injuries. This is incredibly useful for beginners or for people who are older and don’t want to be teaching themselves new movements.
Make the Most Out of Your Elliptical Training
To make the most out of your elliptical training and to ensure it helps you lose belly fat, it’s good to incorporate strength training and a healthy meal plan that provides you’re not overeating, and you’re in a calorie deficit. By combining all these three things – a few cardio sessions a week, training for muscles and power, and a good eating plan, you will get rid of that unwanted belly fat in no time. With that said, it’s still important to listen to your body and not overwork yourself, as the extra stress may lead to the opposite effect and may cause your body to hold on to weight. So be patient, work consistently, and the results will come.
Conclusion
Finally, we can safely say that the elliptical on its own won’t help you burn off belly fat, as it’s impossible to target one body area and only lose weight there. However, the elliptical can allow you to maintain a calorie deficit and lose weight more efficiently, which will help you get rid of the excess fat and build muscle over time. Overall, it’s one of the best ways to get your cardio training in without causing extra stress on the joints, making it an ideal choice for everyone, from beginners to professional athletes.