20-Minute Low-Impact Elliptical Routine

Last Updated on August 10, 2017 by Karen

What a workout!  I was feeling soreness in my knees after my last workout so I had taken the past week recovering.  I got out at a reasonable hour after work today, and didn’t have a legitimate excuse to not go for a run.  The first 1.5 mile was a pure torture I must say – I was thirsty, my legs were sore, I had a runner’s stitch – but I wasn’t going to quit it. Good thing I kept pushing my legs and lungs, because at 2.8 miles, I really found my groove!  My breathing was consistent, the side ache went away, and I was running at a steady pace. I ended up sticking it out for 1.2 miles longer and logged a total of 4.0 miles.

Finished up my time at the gym with this low-impact elliptical routine, or what I call the “I-Don’t-Want-To-Workout Workout”.  It did the trick though!

I highly recommend trying out this workout on a day when you’re just not feelin’ the gym.  It alternates between low to medium resistance and high resistance sprinting (you can do anything for a minute!), which keeps things interesting but not strenuous.

I used to do my workouts only on the elliptical machine, and I still use it from time to time for cross-training.  Plus, there are many advantages over treadmills:

•  You exercise both your arms (much needed) and legs.
•  You can pedal in reverse, which allows you to train different muscle groups like your calf and hamstring muscles.
•  It can be less stressful on your joints, hips, and back.

Now here’s the question for you: do you prefer treadmill or elliptical exercises?