How does walking compare with working out on an elliptical machine?
Both are considered low-impact workouts, but as repeated studies show, the two activities differ significantly in terms of how much force is applied to various joints and how many calories each burns.
Minute for minute, using an elliptical machine is likely to burn more calories than walking.
According to recent estimates by the Mayo Clinic, a 160-pound person using an elliptical machine for an hour would burn 365 calories. The same person walking for an hour would burn 314 calories. (A similar person using a stair-stepping machine would burn 657 calories, by these calculations.)
The person on the elliptical machine also would put far less stress on lower-body joints during the workout. You generate forces equivalent to about 110 percent of your body weight with each step while walking, according to a 2014 study, but only about three-quarters of your body weight while using an elliptical machine, making the latter training preferable for people with achy, arthritic knees and hips.
However, as The New York Times reported in April 2014, elliptical training places greater strain on the lower back than walking because of how the muscles fire, a consideration for people with back problems.
Some elliptical machines have movable handles or ski-style poles. The arm movements associated with using such elliptical machines do not seem to provide much of an upper-body workout, but they do increase the activation of muscles around the hips and in the lower back, studies show, which would be useful for people who want stronger midsections.
On the other hand, walking provides a substantially better workout than elliptical machines for the hamstrings, calves and small muscles around the ankles, according to biomechanical studies.
A study published in 2010 by the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research put college students on treadmills and ellipticals for two 15-minute sessions and monitored their energy consumption. Both were instructed to maintain a pace that felt challenging but sustainable. Their energy consumption was about the same on either machine, suggesting that the efficacy of working out on either machine is determined by how much effort the exerciser puts in.
Overall, the latest research suggests that elliptical machines are a good choice for people with creaky knees and the patience to master the machine's operations. Others may prefer to walk.
Celia Storey added some information to this report.
ActiveStyle on 08/24/2015