Evaluating Elliptically

Now that the Hockey Heart Study and it’s critique has cautioned me to do some pre-season training , also known as exercise, perhaps I should clean off my equipment rack - also known as an elliptical trainer - and start using the thing. But first, we must procrastinate! Sure this contraption will make me sweat! But will it really help?

Off I go into the realm of the intraweb searching through articles, risking downloads and compiling information regarding the physiological benefits of working out on the elliptical trainer all in the name of Beer League Hockey.

First of all, is it easy to use? Because if you are anything like the majority of players on my team, natural ability - or more precisely lack of it - is why you’re in the beer leagues and not filing for arbitration as you head into your year of restricted free agency.

On the websites I’ve cruised, there were some people expressed a preference for treadmills because they provide a more ‘natural feeling’ workout. Some fitness experts feel that elliptical trainers force you to use an unnatural stride. But the majority of users, and I have to agree find it easy to use and surprisingly natural. Really I do have one. Made by Diamondback.

Both types of exercise machines, the elliptical trainer and the treadmill will reportedly provide about the same quality of workout in terms of cardiovascular, health, and training benefits, including equal calorie burning potential. When measuring the differences in oxygen retention, heart rate, and perceived exertion between two groups - one using treadmills, one using elliptical trainers - researchers found that there was little, if any, real difference between the two.

The workout provided on the elliptical trainer is also similar to the treadmill in that it is a weight-bearing activity. For some of us it’s a little more weight bearing than others. And weight-bearing activities are important in order to maintain and build bone density (keep them strong), which can reduce the chances of osteoporosis.

But here is where elliptical trainers differ from jogging, and why they may be a better choice for those of us whose joints have taken a beating over the years and for whom anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction doesn’t sound like a fun time. There is zero impact on the knees and ankles, so less jarring of the joints and less stress on the soft tissue during a workout on the elliptical trainer.

Now here’s the standard warning and disclaimer. I’m not a doctor, I don’t even play one on a website. So if you’re considering taking up exercise of any sort contact your doctor first, and take it easy to start. Especially if you play on my team, because unlike our friends at Minnesota Heat Hockey Club who are encouraging their teammates to participate in the Saint Paul Inline Marathon, our hockey team is trying to encourage it’s members to get off the couch and get their own damn beer.

References:

http://www.firstpath.com/scripts/cgiip.exe/story.html?article=2392
http://www.fitfaq.com/treadmills-vs-ellipticals.html http://www.elliptical-exercise-machines.com/