If you use both a treadmill and an elliptical...

[Anonymous]

I am a regular exerciser, but moderate, not hard core: I do thirty minutes most days on either the treadmill or elliptical. On the treadmill I usually jog 15-20 minutes at 5.5 mph and walk 10-15 minutes at 4 mph. My question is, I started alternating in the elliptical over a year ago, but I still find the elliptical to be really hard, much harder than the treadmill! On the elliptical I am really winded after 20 minutes and it is a real struggle to finish the 30 minutes, whereas it is no problem on the treadmill. On the elliptical I usually use a preset program at level 5 (that is, the overall program level is level 5 and I maintain a speed of between 5.5mph and 6 mph; that means the incline/difficulty on the elliptical ranges from 3 to 12 during the workout). I'm wondering, is it normal that the elliptical is so much ahrder than the treadmill even after a year of using it? Should I lower the level? Any advice would be helpful.

[Anonymous]

I would guess it's the incline. Elliptical is more like climbing stairs than walking - i get more winded on stairs and the elliptical than I do on the treadmill or when running outside. And i'm no casual exerciser - I've done marathons, and routinely run 20-40 miles a week.

for me, if I don't get a bit winded, I obviously wasn't trying hard enough. I want to be *tired* when I'm done with whatever I'm doing. I wouldn't lower the level unless you have asthma or something. (eventually, the level you're doing will seem easier, or should.)

I'd assume that you're getting a pretty good workout when you're on the elliptical, and if you want to get a better workout on the treadmill, you might want to push the speed a bit or start using the incline.

[Anonymous]

agree. i would definitely up the incline on the treadmill

[Anonymous]

This sounds weird to me because I usually get more winded on the treadmill. I run at about 5.5 mph with no incline for 30-40 minutes and when I do the elliptical I put it on an incline of 10 and never feel like I get as good a workout as when I run. Maybe it's the particular elliptical you're using?