Elliptical Benefits and Disadvantages: An Honest Review (+Studies)

Elliptical Bike: Benefits and Disadvantages

I’ll first outline the benefits and disadvantages I see in the elliptical bike compared to walking, for people looking to stay active, move more, build muscle, or lose weight.

Ideally, similar comparisons should be made for all the other activities you’re considering:

• Elliptical Bike vs. Stationary Bike
• Elliptical Bike vs. Running
• Elliptical Bike vs. Yoga
• Elliptical Bike vs. Swimming, etc.

But I’ve focused on walking because it’s the most commonly practiced physical activity at any age.

✅ Benefits of the Elliptical Bike

1. It allows you to vary your activities to avoid getting bored.
2. If you don’t enjoy walking, it’s a good alternative; some people find it more engaging.
3. Some individuals experience less knee or back pain on the elliptical compared to walking. If you’re one of them, the elliptical bike is a suitable option as it has less impact than walking (especially running).
4. Typically, 10 minutes on the elliptical bike engages the muscles and cardiovascular system more (resulting in more calorie expenditure) than 10 minutes of walking. This is beneficial for overall health.
5. With a stationary elliptical bike, you also engage your arms, which is not the case with walking.

❌ Disadvantages of the Elliptical Bike

1. It’s less straightforward to set up: you need to equip yourself or go to a place where an elliptical bike is available. An elliptical bike is very bulky.
2. It can be more expensive.
3. Initially, you may have difficulties using it and feel uncomfortable.
4. There are more situations where using an elliptical bike is not suitable (flexibility issues, balance problems leading to difficulties getting on) compared to walking.
5. Time often passes more slowly on an elliptical bike than when walking outdoors (boredom).

What does an elliptical bike work on?

The elliptical bike truly engages various muscles, including the upper limbs. This is not the case with walking without poles, where the arm muscles are not heavily involved, nor with the stationary bike.

Here is a table that precisely compares what an elliptical bike works on compared to other activities.

Muscles/Activities	Elliptical Trainer	🚴‍♀️ Stationary Bike	🏊‍♀️ Swimming	🚶‍♀️ Walking	🏃‍♀️ Running	🧘‍♀️ Yoga	🚣‍♀️ Rowing
🦵 Quadriceps	+++	+	+	+	+++	–	+
🦵 Hamstrings	+++	+	+	+	+++	–	+
🍑 Glutes	+++	+	+	+	+++	–	+
🦵 Calves	+++	+	+	+	+++	–	+
💪 Abs and Lower Back	–	+	+	+	+	+++	+
💪 Back Muscles	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
💪 Chest and Arms (Upper Body Muscles)	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
❤️ Cardiovascular Endurance	+++	+++	+++	+++	+++	+++	+++
💢 Impact on Joints	🟢	🟢	🟢	🟡	🔴	🟢	🟢

As you can see, only the abs and back muscles are slightly less engaged on an elliptical bike than in other activities.

All these activities also engage the cardiovascular system. Here, it’s more about the intensity at which you practice that will engage it more or less than the activity itself, although using the arms does engage it more.

What are the main benefits of an elliptical machine?

The benefits of the elliptical bike are those of physical activity in general: physical activity has many positive impacts on physical and mental health and well-being. It also helps regulate weight (for those for whom it matters).

Now, is the elliptical bike more effective than other activities? Does it have more benefits?

As usual, you should always compare the elliptical bike to something else you might do:

Stay at home lying on the couch watching a series?

In this case, it’s certain that 30 minutes on the elliptical bike vs. 30 minutes watching a series lying on the couch has more benefits for improving your physical condition or calorie expenditure.

30 minutes on the elliptical bike vs. 30 minutes of walking or running?

I will focus on the elliptical bike benefits most sought after by internet users. The benefits for losing belly fat, losing weight, reducing cellulite, or better strengthening the body and glutes.

Objectives	🚴‍♀️ Elliptical Bike	🚴‍♀️ Stationary Bike	🏊‍♀️ Swimming	🚶‍♀️ Walking	🏃‍♀️ Running	🧘‍♀️ Yoga	🚣‍♀️ Rowing
Lose Belly Fat	+++	+	++	++	+++	–	++
Lose Weight	+++	+	++	++	+++	–	++
Reduce Cellulite	+++	+	++	++	+++	–	++
Better Body Strengthening	–	+	++	++	++	+	++
Strengthen Glutes	+++	+	++	++	+++	–	++

This remains extremely theoretical because it will depend a lot on the intensity at which you practice the activity and how long you can sustain it.

Calories burned on the elliptical machine

For example, you burn more calories and engage your muscles more if you walk for 4 hours than if you do 10 minutes of very low-intensity elliptical biking without getting out of breath.

On the other hand, at the same intensity and duration of effort, you will burn more calories doing elliptical biking than running, especially because you are standing and using your arms (Morio 2016).

Here is a table summarizing the calories burned on the elliptical bike compared to other activities, for a woman weighing 65 kg, measuring 1.60 m, doing 30 minutes of effort, slightly out of breath, and not being a sportsperson.

Activity	MET	Calories Burned (30 minutes)
🚴‍♀️ Elliptical Bike	5-8	95-152
🚴‍♀️ Stationary Bike	3-7	49.5-115.5
🏊‍♀️ Swimming	4-10	65.0-162.5
🚶‍♀️ Walking	2.9-6.0	47.85-97.5
🏃‍♀️ Running	6-12	97.5-195.0
🧘‍♀️ Yoga	1-3	8.25-19.5
🚣‍♀️ Rowing	4-10	65.0-162.5

The MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a measure used to assess the intensity of an activity.

1 MET equals your energy expenditure at rest, doing nothing while sitting.

The table shows that when using an elliptical bike, you expend 5 to 8 times more energy (and calories) than when sitting.

Elliptical Bike vs. Running vs. Stair Stepper 🧑‍🔬

A research team (Bosch 2021) also compared oxygen consumption, heart rate, and the oxidation of carbohydrates and fats in 18 trained runners with an average age of 23 when they performed three different activities:

• Running on a treadmill
• Elliptical bike
• Stair stepper

The constants measured were the same regardless of the activity performed! Therefore, elliptical biking, stair stepping, and running, when done with the same perceived effort, likely allow for the consumption of similar calories and muscle engagement.

What are the contraindications of the elliptical bike?

There are no absolute contraindications to the elliptical bike. Even if you have knee osteoarthritis, scoliosis, or a total knee replacement or hip replacement.

However, you should test the activity progressively if you have never done it before to see how your body reacts!

Start by doing it for only 2/3 minutes if you are really apprehensive that this activity may not be suitable for the difficulties you are experiencing.

If everything is fine, start again the next day or a few days later, doing it a little longer or more intensely, and so on.

If you have had pain, try doing it for an even shorter time to see how it goes.

If you have heart problems contraindicating any physical activity (which is very rare, as adapted physical activity is usually recommended), in this case, the elliptical bike is not suitable.

Elliptical Bike: How to Know If It’s Right for You?

I hope this article has provided you with insights into whether the elliptical bike is suitable for you.

As I explained, there are very few situations (if any) where the elliptical bike is formally contraindicated. In most cases, you can gently test it for only a few seconds to see if you tolerate the movement well.

The elliptical bike allows you to engage your body more than many other activities in the same amount of time, which can be interesting for a healthy lifestyle, sports performance, or weight loss perspective.

However, as it is still quite bulky, other equally demanding activities like running or using a stair stepper may be more suitable for you!

***

If you have an experience to share or questions, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page. Enjoy your physical activity session! 🙂

You may also like:

• Bike Riding for Knee Arthritis?
• My Review on Reduslim for Weight Loss

 📚 SOURCES

Burnfield JM, Shu Y, Buster TW, Taylor AP, Nelson CA. Impact of elliptical trainer ergonomic modifications on perceptions of safety, comfort, workout, and usability for people with physical disabilities and chronic conditions. Phys Ther. 2011 Nov;91(11):1604-17. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20100332. Epub 2011 Sep 1. PMID: 21885449; PMCID: PMC3367158.

Bosch AN, Flanagan KC, Eken MM, Withers A, Burger J, Lamberts RP. Physiological and Metabolic Responses to Exercise on Treadmill, Elliptical Trainer, and Stepper: Practical Implications for Training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021 Mar 1;31(2):135-142. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0155. Epub 2021 Jan 20. PMID: 33477112.

Morio C, Haddoum M, Fournet D, Gueguen N. Influence of exercise type on metabolic cost and gross efficiency: elliptical trainer versus cycling trainer. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2016 May;56(5):520-6. Epub 2015 Feb 10. PMID: 25665747.

Moreside JM, McGill SM. How do elliptical machines differ from walking: a study of torso motion and muscle activity. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2012 Aug;27(7):738-43. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2012.03.009. Epub 2012 Apr 23. PMID: 22534321.