If you have ever gone to a gym, any gym, then you know that cross trainers are quite popular. There’s a good reason for that – cross trainers have a lot of health benefits.

Here are just some of the reasons why you should use a cross trainer:

1.  Workout for the Whole Body

When you’re using the cross trainer, you’re using your whole body. Unlike the treadmill, which allows you to only work on the lower half of your body, the cross trainer lets you work on almost all of your body’s muscles. After all, that’s why it is called a ‘cross’ trainer in the first place.

The cross trainer lets you simultaneously work out the

• quadriceps
• biceps
• triceps
• hamstrings
• glutes
• chest
• back muscles

As you move your legs in a walking or running motion, you use your leg muscles and work out the lower half of your body. By holding the handlebars and making a resistance to the lower half of your body, you’re working out the upper half – the back, the chest, etc.

However, this is the case only if you’re using the cross trainer properly. Some people just focus on the legs and superficially work out the upper body, which is not the right way to do it. You should try to create as much resistance to your lower body as you can. Only then can you get a full-body workout and get the most of the cross trainer.

2.  Great Cardio Exercise

Not only does the cross trainer help you build muscles, but it also helps you improve your cardio endurance. Actually, the cross trainer is probably the best way to build your cardio, which is why many professional fitness trainers swear by it.

Using the cross trainer will get your heart rate up, making it stronger each time you exercise. Besides that, the cross trainer also exercises your lungs and breathing capacity.

After using the cross trainer for a while, you’ll surely notice how much your cardio stamina has improved. You’ll be able to run or walk for much longer periods of time than before. You can see your progress during some other activities, too – cycling, rope-jumping, etc.

3.  Effective for Weight Loss

Because it requires you to use a lot of different muscles at once, the cross trainer also helps you burn calories fast.

Some experts say that a regular half an hour workout can burn up to 400 calories. That’s a lot, considering you burn half as much running on a treadmill for 30 minutes.

Besides that, 400 calories can be considered an average energy value of one meal.

The best thing about cross trainers is that you don’t even feel tired while using it. The RPE (Relative Perceived Exertion) is quite low with cross trainer users. So, basically, you’ll be able to use it for a longer time and burn a bunch of calories without even realizing it.

4.  Helps Build up Strength

The cross trainer can help you become stronger and fitter, which is no secret.

However, many doctors recommend the cross trainer to patients as a form of physical therapy because it’s a great weight-bearing exercise.

Using the cross trainer resembles a real walking motion. The machine follows your natural ankle, foot, knee, and even hip movement, and doesn’t put any stress on the joints. Your feet lay flat on the pedals without lifting, which is why there’s no strain.

When you’re walking or running on the ground, each step creates a lot of pressure on the joints. That can be quite detrimental to the health and strength of the joints. Furthermore, it can cause you a lot of pain. The cross trainer enables you to get the same workout, only without the stress on the joints.

Also, the cross trainer can help strengthen your bones and prevent bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.

5.  Easy to Use

This is the most obvious reason to use the cross trainer, but in the busy world we live in today, simplicity is very important.

The only thing you need to do is step on the cross trainer and start walking. If you want, you can choose a program of your liking, which is also pretty easy to do. Just press the buttons, and that’s it. Why not try out a new program and test your endurance?

While you’re exercising on the cross trainer, you can multitask. You can use your phone, read a book, watch a movie, etc.

You can get a cross trainer for your home if you don’t like going to the gym, or don’t have the time. The cross trainer is not that big either, so you can probably fit it in even if you live in an apartment.

Furthermore, the cross trainer is a low-maintenance machine. Because it has fewer parts, it is less likely to break. However, even if it does accidentally break, most cross trainers will have a warranty that can cover the reparation costs.