Thinking of investing in home exercise equipment and wondering what the differences are between a treadmill and an elliptical? Are you wondering if you should buy the best value or the cheapest? Or wondering if there are health differences based on your lifestyle?

The biggest difference between an elliptical and a treadmill is that an elliptical is a “no impact” machine which is important for some people and also works the upper body. And a treadmill allows for more realistic running motion, which can be important if you’re working on becoming a better runner.

But one big advantage of a treadmill over an elliptical is that the elliptical only allows you to have a fixed stride length along with forward and backward movement. Many heart-conscious people think that the elliptical trainer is a good machine for cardiovascular exercise. However, it doesn’t really address the biomechanics and timing of the ankles, knees, and hips. When using this machine, the function of the foot muscles is limited. Treadmills allow you to control the overlap of your feet, while the elliptical trainer keeps your feet a set width apart.

A treadmill is the natural physiological way of walking or running. To live a longer and healthier life, you need to make sure you have what is called “specific activity.” They can give you specific and often necessary feedback on proper foot placement and technique, for example: the sound of each step needs to be very low, an elliptical cannot do this. If you want instant feedback on a treadmill, place a mirror in front and to the side of the unit and work on increasing your stride. This will help reduce any damaging stress while maximizing lymphatic flow and drainage in the body.

Both the elliptical and the treadmill stimulate the lymphatic system and its flow, which is a good thing, of course, but opinions differ due to the natural function of the foot on the treadmill, where it can be considered better. It also allows more variety, intensity and depth to training, for example, working both the adductors and abductors of the hips and lateral steps. Side steps help develop the total internal and external functions of both legs. It also reduces any chance of overuse problems.

The muscles of the buttocks, thighs, legs and feet are used. You can also walk backwards, which is good for people who have a history of leg cramps and stress fractures; this will improve muscle timing and biomechanics in your legs. For people who want more intensity and a challenge, try jumping high.

A very significant difference between the machines is the question of balance. A person’s balance isn’t as much of a factor on an elliptical machine as it is on a treadmill, and it’s even possible that balance will improve over time. Pros have recommended using tubes on a treadmill, gripping them from behind or in front to build more arm strength and improve upper body fitness. If you are familiar with cross trace pattern it can help you too.

If cost is a factor, of course there are many ways to save money on these machines. From discounts to wholesale prices, low-cost or cheaper equipment can be easily found online.

In the end, it all depends on which machine you like, and more importantly, which machine you will use the most. Both the elliptical and the treadmill are great pieces of exercise equipment and are only good if you use them consistently and don’t let them collect dust. In any case, no matter which one you choose, you will surely benefit from making them an important part of your personal health plan.