Unfortunately home exercise equipment is never cheap, which means it is really important to invest in the right machine. For effective weight loss, you need to find out which piece of equipment is best at helping to burn up those excess calories.

The two market leaders in terms of number of sales are treadmills and ellipticals, and many people will argue about which piece of equipment is the best. Naturally since you are the person who will be using the machine, you have to come to your own personal decision about which you like best, but there is a definite answer to the argument about which one burns the most calories.

Both machines are able to help you burn the same out calories, depending on how you exercise with them. Working out on an elliptical can burn as many calories as running on a treadmill.

Many people find that running on a treadmill is too intense for their joints - it is true that a workout on a treadmill can have a very deep impact on your body. If you find that you cannot run on a treadmill, then a workout on an elliptical can be just as effective at burning calories, and will have a lesser impact on your joints and muscles.

It really does all boil down to how you use your exercise machine. For example, by running for an hour on a treadmill at about 7 mph your body would use up approximately 783 calories. Now if you were to use an elliptical trainer for about an hour, you should burn around 774 calories, so the figures are more or less the same. However, if you were to use the treadmill set at only 3 mph you would only burn 297 calories, which is a huge difference!

However, this isn’t a cut and dry formula. The number of calories you burn on an elliptical trainer can vary. Some people adopt a moderate approach to their workout on the elliptical, while others go at it full force.

To consider which exercise machine will give you the better workout and help you burn more calories, think about which one you will enjoy most. Which machine will motivate you to get up and move?

If you simply love walking, jogging, or running, then you want to invest in a treadmill. It’s much better than walking on the surface of the street. But if burning calories is your main concern, you’ll need to make sure that you increase the speed and up the incline.

For those that have problems with the knees and ankles, or have experienced joint pain then an elliptical would be perfect for you. Not only does it allow you to burn calories, but ellipticals also have a less harsh impact on your body. They are also ideal for older people because they are much more forgiving to the joints and muscles. Some people even invest in an elliptical and a treadmill so that they can mix up their workout routine ensuring that they get the benefits of both types of machine.