Are you torn between a cross trainer and a treadmill? You're not alone. Both devices are popular for home use and offer an effective way to stay active. But what's the best choice for you? That depends on your personal goal: do you want to lose weight, improve your fitness, or train in a way that's less demanding on your joints? Both devices have their own advantages, depending on what you want to use them for.
In this article, we'll clearly explain the differences between the cross trainer and the treadmill. We'll discuss how the devices work, which muscle groups they activate, and what the pros and cons are in different situations. At the end of the article, you can determine for yourself which device best suits your body, goals, and lifestyle.
What's the difference between a cross trainer and a treadmill?
Although both the cross trainer and the treadmill focus on cardio training, they differ significantly in movement and muscle activation. On a cross trainer, you make an elliptical movement where your feet continuously maintain contact with the pedals. At the same time, you move your arms along via the handles. This creates a smooth, combined movement where both your lower and upper body actively participate. So you train your legs, glutes, arms, shoulders, and back in one movement, without shocks or impact on your joints.
A treadmill, on the other hand, simulates the natural movement pattern of walking, jogging, or running. Here, mainly your lower body is active; think of your calves, thighs, hamstrings, and glute muscles. You can move your arms freely, just as you would during a walk or running training outside. The intensity here depends heavily on your speed and possibly the incline angle of the treadmill. Because you push off and land with each step, there's more impact on your joints than with the cross trainer, although this is absorbed by good cushioning in modern treadmills.
In summary: the cross trainer offers a low-impact full-body workout, while the treadmill focuses on a natural, more intensive lower body training with a realistic running pattern. What feels more comfortable depends strongly on your preference and training goal.
Cross trainer vs. treadmill: what's better in your situation?
There isn't one best choice when it comes to the cross trainer or the treadmill. It depends entirely on what your goal is. In this section, we'll therefore delve deeper into specific situations and goals, such as losing weight, building fitness, joint-friendly training, and convenience for home use.
For each of these goals, we'll look at which device fits best and why. This way, you can make a choice based on your personal situation that's not only effective but also fits your lifestyle and goals.
What works better for weight loss?
If you want to lose weight, it basically comes down to creating a calorie deficit. Both the cross trainer and the treadmill can contribute effectively to this, provided you use them regularly and with sufficient intensity.
A treadmill offers the possibility to walk, jog, or run, which provides high calorie burning, especially during an intense running session. On the other hand, a cross trainer requires a constant, smooth movement where you use both your legs and arms. This activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously, which also contributes to increased energy expenditure.
The difference in effectiveness isn't so much in the device itself, but in how intensively and consistently you train. Someone who takes a leisurely walk on a treadmill will burn less than someone who works intensively on a cross trainer, and vice versa.
Therefore, choose the device that motivates you to move regularly. Because ultimately, consistency is the key to success. So then you can best choose a device that motivates and stimulates you to use it regularly.
What's more effective for building fitness?
If you want to improve your endurance, both the treadmill and the cross trainer are excellent options. On a treadmill, you can easily vary in pace and incline angle, making the device particularly suitable for intensive interval training like HIIT.
Such training quickly raises your heart rate and helps your cardiovascular system become stronger. Additionally, running on a treadmill aligns well with athletic goals like training for a competition or improving your running speed.
The cross trainer, in turn, is ideal for longer, stable training at moderate intensity, also called steady-state cardio. Here you train with lower impact on your joints, but still stay in an effective heart rate zone for fat burning and fitness building. Moreover, on a cross trainer, you can more easily sustain longer sessions because it's less demanding on your joints than running.
The best choice therefore depends on how you prefer to train. If you go for intensity and speed, the treadmill offers more challenge. If you prefer a low-threshold but complete cardio session, the cross trainer is an excellent choice.
What's less demanding on your joints?
If you suffer from sensitive knees, hips, or ankles, it's important to choose a device that doesn't unnecessarily stress your body. In that case, the cross trainer has a clear advantage. Thanks to the smooth, elliptical movement, your feet constantly stay on the pedals, resulting in virtually no impact on your joints.
The treadmill, on the other hand, simulates the natural movement pattern of walking or running, where you repeatedly push off and land with force. This creates a certain amount of shock loading, especially at higher speeds or longer sessions. However, this isn't necessarily a disadvantage: modern treadmills, like those from WalkingPad, are equipped with shock absorption and a cushioned running surface that significantly reduces the impact on joints.
In short: if you're looking for maximum joint-friendliness, the cross trainer offers the best experience. If you prefer to train in a natural running rhythm and still want to consider your joints, choose a quality treadmill with good cushioning or opt for a walking pad that only allows walking and minimally stresses your joints.
What's more convenient for home use?
When choosing fitness equipment for home, ease of use and available space play a major role. After all, you don't want a device that takes up unnecessary space or is difficult to store. In that regard, the treadmill, particularly the foldable treadmills from WalkingPad, scores exceptionally well.
Our compact treadmills are specially designed for small living spaces, are easy to fold, and slide effortlessly under your bed or couch. Moreover, they're quiet in use, which is ideal if you live in an apartment and don't want to disturb others while training.
A traditional cross trainer, on the other hand, takes up more space and is rarely foldable. The device is typically taller, wider, and harder to move. This makes it less suitable for compact living environments. Additionally, cross trainers can produce more noise due to their mechanical movement pattern, especially during intensive use.
So if you're looking for a practical solution for daily movement in a limited space, a compact, foldable, and quiet treadmill like those from WalkingPad is a smart choice for home use.
What's better: treadmill or cross trainer?
The choice between a cross trainer and a treadmill depends entirely on your personal goals and circumstances. If you want to lose weight, both devices are suitable, as long as you use them intensively and consistently. If you want to improve your fitness, the treadmill offers possibilities for intensive interval training, while the cross trainer excels in long-duration, joint-friendly sessions.
If you have sensitive knees or are recovering, the cross trainer offers the least impact. And if you have little space and mainly want to train at home, a compact and foldable treadmill, like those from WalkingPad, is often the most practical choice.
Whatever you choose, the most important thing is that you enjoy moving. Because only then will you stick with it. So go for the device that motivates you to take action and fits well with your lifestyle. And do you want to move more easily at home without hassle? Then a WalkingPad treadmill is an excellent first step toward a fitter and more active life.
