4 Best Cardio Machines for Joint-Friendly Weight Loss at Home
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There are many good reasons to lose weight: better health, more energy, or simply feeling more confident in your skin. While the motivation may be clear, finding a safe workout tool that accommodates health restrictions can be trickier. In this article, you’ll learn about the top 4 home cardio machines, including treadmills, cross trainers, smart trainers, and rowing machines, to help you burn fat and reach your goal weight.
1. Treadmill: highly accessible but low calorie burn
A treadmill is the most accessible machine on this list as it’s self-explanatory and you do not need to adjust the machine before your workout. Settings like incline and speed can be adjusted intuitively to change the difficulty of your workout. Another advantage is that there is a long list of running apps that you can use to follow weight loss training plans and track your progress. For example, you could download the Nike Run Club App.
On the downside, your dog may hate the treadmill because it’s wondering why you’re not simply taking them for a walk. Depending on whether you walk or run, treadmill workouts can range from low- to high-impact. However, jogging isn’t recommended for anyone with sensitive knees, ankles, or backs. And even if you swing your arms with purpose, it’s still not a full-body workout. For reference, a 68 kg (150 lb) adult burns about 150 calories in 30 minutes of brisk walking on a treadmill.
2. Cross trainer: assisted movements with limited connectivity
A cross trainer is an elliptical workout tool where you move your arms and legs in some sort of walking motion, supported by the machine. This primarily engages your arms, glutes, and legs while being rather low-impact. Even at a moderate pace, the cross trainer remains joint-friendly while an adult of 68 kg (150lb) burns about 300 calories during a 30-minute weight loss workout.
A disadvantage of cross trainers is that most have fixed pedals and handles, which means you can’t adjust your movement to accommodate health limitations. The shifting side-to-side movement and the need to press down through each step may pose a anyone with balance issues like vertigo. Lastly, the small number of fitness apps for cross trainers makes them less appealing if you’re looking for interactive workouts to stay motivated. A popular app for ellipticals is iFit.
3. Smart trainer (indoor bike trainer): low impact yet lower-body training only
The indoor bike trainer is already a great low-impact workout tool to practise cycling at home. If you’re seeking more advanced workouts, you can upgrade to a smart trainer, burning about 300 calories in a 30-minute session. Indoor bike trainers allow you to mount your regular outdoor bike and connect to cycling apps that automatically adjust resistance based on your workout plan or virtual terrain. This creates a more realistic and dynamic indoor cycling experience, closely simulating real-world riding conditions. The smart trainer has the biggest variety of apps, ranging from scenic rides with Rouvy to gamified races with Zwift.
One limitation of indoor cycling is that it only targets lower body muscles, such as the glutes, calves, and quadriceps. When going for longer or more intense rides, the fixed riding posture can lead to discomfort in the lower back. This is a particular concern for anyone with pre-existing conditions like herniated discs.
4. Rowing machine: master the motion for full-body burns
The indoor rowing machine offers a low-impact and full-body workout, training about 85% of your muscles, including your glutes, core, shoulders, back, and arms. Similar to indoor cycling, rowing machines can be connected to lots of fitness apps, offering fat-burning programs of various intensity levels. For example, the indoor rowing app EXR features an easy 9-week weight loss training plan. Generally speaking, 30 minutes of moderate indoor rowing burns about 300 calories.
Compared to other workout gear, the indoor rowing machine may make more noise especially when using a model with air resistance. For beginners, mastering a proper indoor rowing technique may be time-consuming, but necessary to prevent poor form and related injuries.
Conclusion
Each cardio machine has its place in a weight loss workout plan, featuring a different level of muscle engagement and calorie-burning potential. Treadmills are easy to use, but only burn relatively few calories. Cross trainers provide joint-friendly, low-impact movements, though they may lack variety in training. Smart bike trainers are great for interactive workouts, but primarily target the lower body. Indoor rowing, however, strikes a rare balance, offering a full-body, low-impact workout that burns calories efficiently while being entertaining thanks to fitness apps like EXR. For those seeking both effectiveness and variety, rowing is a powerful choice for joint-friendly weight loss.
Start your weight loss journey on the rowing machine with EXR!
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