Treadmills are great for taking a stroll or going for a run while protected from the sometimes fierce weather or darkness. So why am I looking to get rid of mine?

For years I’ve heard how great elliptical machines are on the knees. Now that my knees, hips, and other lower parts seem to have given out on me, the excitement of hopping on the treadmill and running to exhaustion has lost its appeal. So the purchase of a joint-friendly piece of exercise equipment seems to be in my near future. I’ve listed pros and cons of both machines to help make a final decision as to whether I should replace my treadmill with an elliptical.

Elliptical

Pros

• adjustable incline on some models
• adjustable resistance for easier or more difficult workoutlow-impact, so no shin issues for me (huge plus!)
• forward and reverse motion options – forward simulates cross country skiing when using the handlebars; reverse helps to target quadriceps muscleshigh-calorie burn
• total body workout, since they’re equipped with cross country bars

Cons

• potential injury to ankles and Achilles tendon due to the unique motion of the machine
• since one size fits all, my shorter legs are more likely to become overextended causing injury; pulled muscles are, unfortunately, familiar to me, so the thought of buying a machine that could cause a repeat injury doesn’t sound appealing

Treadmill

Pros (for the model that I already own)

• adjustable incline and speed
• great when training for distance running
• high calorie burn
• total body workout (I have cross country bars on mine)

Cons

• aggravates my shin pain
• high impact movement is difficult on my hips and knees

Maybe you can help me by providing pros and cons for both types of equipment.

Do you own, or have you used, a variable stride elliptical? How was the workout?

Post your personal treadmill and elliptical machine experiences here.

Love to all!

CC