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OK, you know that you need to lose a few pounds, but where do you start? You could go jogging, but that’s a bit boring. Weights are another option, but you want to lose some inches not build muscle. Let me give you a tip. Using an elliptical trainer to lose weight is fun and suitable for all ages and levels of fitness.There are a number of reasons why an elliptical machine is one of the best pieces of equipment to help you shift some excess pounds. It has a smooth gentle action, so there is no pressure on the joints as with jogging or using a treadmill. The machine exercises the arms at the same time as the legs. This helps to burn more calories and is therefore more effective than an exercise bike.

If you are buying an elliptical for home use, you should get one that has a heart rate monitor. This will help you gauge the level of exercise intensity that you need to reach to get into the ‘fat burning zone’. If you are using equipment in a gym this will most certainly already be on the machine. The most common type has a handgrip sensor. But a more accurate type is a belt sensor that will fit around the chest.

To burn off the calories you should be aiming to use your elliptical trainer 4-5 times per week for a period of 20-30 minutes. This type of approach to exercise could be described as ‘little and often’. It’s much better than trying to do a one and half hour marathon once a week. If you have not exercised for some time, then ease yourself into it and build up the number of times that you exercise. You may need to check with your doctor to make sure that you are on the right track.

All but the very cheapest models have a variety of exercise programs built into their computers. This is one of the biggest benefits of using an elliptical trainer for weight loss. There is enough variety and enjoyment to make sure you stick with your exercise program and not abandon it after a few weeks.