Let’s talk about a rivalry, a rivalry as old as the history of workout equipment itself. It is about the choice of either going with an elliptical trainer or a stationary bike.
Don’t have much info about the technical details of elliptical trainers and stationary bikes? Well, no need to worry at all! In this article, we will be covering every single notable detail that will help you to make the best choice! So let’s start from the distinctive benefits and features of elliptical vs stationary bike to quickly understand the difference.
Difference Between Stationary and Elliptical Bike
| Stationary Bike | Elliptical | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories Burned | With an average cycling speed of 12-13.9 mph, you can burn up to 570-600 calories per hour. | Using an elliptical machine for an hour can help you burn 350-450 calories. |
| Weight loss | Talking about weight loss, stationary bikes are a much intense and better option for weight loss workouts, especially in the lower limb and abdomen region. | For weight loss, the elliptical trainer is more like a trainer that can be used to engage your whole body for a refreshing workout set rather than focusing on one specific target. |
| CVS impact | Talking about the effect of a stationary bike workout on the cardiovascular system, stationary bikes are not a very great choice because these bikes focus on the lower limb and abdomen region more than the rest of the body. | While an elliptical bike is without a doubt one of the best trainers one can get to keep the CVS healthy and active. |
| Portability | With added transport wheels and foldable bike structure, a stationary bike is one of the most portable high-end workout equipment available in the market today. | Although elliptical trainers also come with a transport wheel and multiple portability options still most of the ellipticals are large and bulky making them less portable. |
| Muscle strengthening | Extremely suitable for muscle strengthening due to the intense lower limb and abdomen workout machine schematics. | Talking about muscle impact, elliptical trainers aren’t much successful in workouts focused on muscle strengthening. |
| Joint impact | Due to a more intense workout-oriented design, stationary bikes are the perfect choice for people looking for a more strengthening and intense knee/joints workout. | In terms of joint impact, elliptical trainers aren’t much successful because of a low-zero impact design. |
| User Interface | Most stationary bikes come with a feature-packed and user-friendly interface that is probably why this bike is so popular across the globe. | Being a bit more advanced than other workout machines of the same category, many people still find using an elliptical trainer trickier than others. |
| Back support | Probably the very feature that makes this bike so popular. All stationary bikes come with a back mesh/static seat support. | There’s no concept of back support in elliptical trainers. |
Interesting, right? No, you know the fundamental and critical differences between an elliptical trainer and a stationary; let’s look at each of these separately.
Recently we reviewed and listed the best elliptical for basements, these are machines that can be accommodated in low ceilings and made to move conveniently.
Stationary Bike
Probably one of the most commonly used workout equipment used across the globe! Stationary bikes, also known as exercise bikes, are well known for the lower limb and abdomen strengthening properties. The same reason makes these bikes so commonly used by physicians and physiotherapists worldwide for patients dealing with knee or joint injuries.
The most common types of stationary bikes are upright bikes and recumbent bikes. Besides minor differences in body and sitting position, both the bikes work identically when working on the lower body region.
Elliptical Trainers
Considering the sudden increase in demand for elliptical trainers globally, elliptical trainers have evolved from the traditional workout equipment we were using since forever. However, it is a fact that the majority of the people across the globe are not much comfortable while dealing with the user interface and multiple new features of these trainers.
But it is just a matter of a few weeks or months before people will start adapting and enjoy the remarkable technology of elliptical trainers.
What exactly are these trainers suitable for?
Well, elliptical trainers do not focus on a specific body region or part. Instead, these trainers engage your whole body to perfectly distribute the positive outcomes of the workout throughout the body.
Comparison Between Elliptical vs Stationary Bike
Now, the real question is, what is better? An elliptical trainer or a stationary bike. Well, we understand this question is proving to be a massive source of confusion across the globe. But do not worry, let’s discuss some of the common differences that will help you choose the right equipment.
1. Calories Burned
No matter where you live, whenever you will ultimately decide to get a workout machine for your gym back at home, there is only one thing that’s going to pop in your head no matter what. How many calories per hour this machine burns?
Let’s start with stationary bikes. Due to the much intense and high-impact workout schematics offered by stationary bikes, the number of calories burned in an hour is higher in stationary bikes than in elliptical trainers.
With an hour of dedicated workout on a stationary bike, you can quickly burn 570-600 calories while maintaining an average speed of 12-13.9 mph.
While elliptical trainers are low-impact workout machines that distribute the workout effect throughout the body equally, that’s why calories burned by an elliptical trainer in an hour for an average weighted person are the lowest of all.
With a 1-hour workout on an elliptical trainer, you can burn 350-450 calories only when you fall under an average weighted person (185 lb).
2. Effects on CVS
The Cardio Vascular System, commonly referred to as the CVS, is the central system that moves nutrients, hormones, and gases around the body with the help of the heart, lungs, blood, and blood vessels. Any hindrance or narrowing in the CVS path, and that’s enough to knock you down permanently.
Talking about the CVS, stationary bikes aren’t a great choice if you want to work on your CVS.
The primary reason behind this is that stationary bikes are more focused on the lower body region than a complete body workout.
On the other hand, elliptical bikes are suggested by physicians and surgeons across the globe to build a healthier and active CVS as the elliptical trainers involve the complete body during the workout, which assures a steady flow of blood throughout the body.
As blood is the major transport factor used in the CVS, a healthy and steady blood flow means a healthy and active CVS.
3. Is Back Support Necessary?
Technically saying, yes. On average, around 540 million people worldwide are facing backache problems in one way or the other. The primary reason behind this is that most people don’t get enough back support while tending to everyday work.
For stationary bikes, back support is one of the main features which make these bikes unique. Each stationary bike comes with a mesh/static back cushion, allowing the user to get proper back support when going through long workout sets.
On the other hand, elliptical trainers are more like treadmills, without any prominent back support. Using an elliptical trainer is more like traditional running with added arm workouts which doesn’t make these a good choice for backache people. During this comparison elliptical vs stationary bike we find that back support is not available in both of these machines such as available in recumbent bikes.
4. Can I Move these Around Easily?
Well, sure thing you can! Most of the modern workout equipment we’re using today comes with multiple transport options that make these machines highly suitable to be used at home.
Talking about stationary bikes, these bikes are truly the epitome of portability among workout machines. Along with a foldable body structure that allows them to squeeze in narrow spots, stationary bikes also come with portable front and back wheels.
Allowing the user to easily transport the bike to his/her favorite room or yard.
On the contrary, elliptical trainers aren’t much successful in the portability region. The main reason behind this is that these trainers are much heavier and larger than a stationary bike.
Which makes it difficult to transport these trainers here and there easily and often.
Before deciding in favor of any exercising machine, consider analysis elliptical vs stair climber and elliptical vs bike vs treadmill. These will let you know the pros and cons of each machine, and we also discuss age factors and recommendations.
Wrap Up — Elliptical vs Stationary Bike
With all that being said, now everything is up to you and you only. Without a doubt, both the workout machines are superb. Both come with a long list of pros and cons.
Yet, there’s no way we can get one of the two discussed machines and then adjust it according to our requirements later. That wouldn’t make sense, right?
Think about this, you’re facing severe knee pain and need a low-impact workout machine that will slowly rehabilitate the aching knee. Instead, you decide to buy a treadmill or stationary bike with high-impact schematics.
The result, as you can imagine, would not be so great.
To avoid such bad decisions, it’s always better to compare every option available before finally sticking to one that suits you better.
Some machines work with knee injuries, some with slimming workouts. But the main reason behind getting either a stationary bike or an elliptical trainer must be what suits you best.