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If you have a knee, back or hip injury try using an elliptical trainer for a low impact workout, as running or jogging limit the kind of exercises you can do, as they are high impact.

Running and jogging certainly gives you a good cardio workout, This can be very frustrating if you believe this exercise is the only way for health & fitness for a good workout.

Learning how to use this exercise machine will help you to have a good cardiovascular workout without hurting yourself. When you learn how to use an elliptical trainer you also burn more calories, increase your stamina and maximize your workout.

Moving Your Legs:

An elliptical trainer involves moving your legs properly. Learning how to use this machine properly means achieving the right stride. Having too long a stride is uncomfortable and you will not enjoy your workout. On the other hand having too short a stride will feel just as uncomfortable as well.

In the first case you may feel that this workout is not for you and abandon it before you really have given it a chance. In the second case you are not burning as much calories as you want in order to lose weight. Aim for your stride to feel natural, it should feel the same when you are walking.

What to Do with Your Arms:

When it comes to your arms there are several things you can do when learning how to use an elliptical trainer. Some machines will offer you a total body workout by connecting the handles with the foot pedals. This gets your upper body involved as your arms move in sync with your feet.

Another way to deal with your arms when beginning to use an elliptical trainer is to hold on to the handlebars without moving them. Some people choose to do this to keep their balance if they are not confident when using this machine. Aim to move your arms the way you would when running. This burns the most calories and helps you to build your core muscles as your body builds up your balance ability.

Challenge Yourself:

When learning how to use an elliptical trainer, challenge yourself. Just as you would with any type of workout. Make sure you vary the speed. Keep an eye on the resistance levels. Start slowly with the resistance levels and increase the levels with each workout.