You'd never guess that this is the most useless thing in the gym

Cassie Smith and Krissy Kendall, two doctors of kinesiology, rated and categorized the 10 most common cardio machines in gyms, identifying the most and least efficient exercise machines.

In the gym, you can always hear fitness coaches tell you that every aerobic equipment can achieve a good weight loss effect. But in fact, not all aerobic equipment can help you lose weight efficiently.

A research report in the Journal of the American Medical Association investigated several types of aerobic fitness equipment in gyms today. The results showed that energy consumption is the greatest when fitness enthusiasts run or walk slowly on a treadmill, so the treadmill is the best equipment for exercising cardiopulmonary oxygen demand.

In fact, jogging on a treadmill consumes 40% more energy than riding a bicycle for the same amount of time. Surprisingly, elliptical machines and recumbent bikes, which are very common in Chinese gyms, are considered the least useful aerobic equipment.

Through experimental measurement, Dr. Cassie Smith and Dr. Krissy Kendall evaluated the most and least efficient aerobic fitness equipment based on three aspects: energy efficiency (burning the most calories in the shortest time and improving aerobic capacity), usability (whether it is simple and effective for daily use), and popularity (how popular it is in local gyms).

Below is a detailed rating and classification of the top ten aerobic equipment for your reference so that you can choose to use it during exercise.

treadmill

Energy efficiency: A Usability: A+ Popularity: A+

Professional evaluation: Unlike other aerobic equipment, the treadmill allows your entire body to exercise, and it is a reasonable exercise. The treadmill is super easy to use, with a few simple buttons you can start running, adjust the speed, and even adjust the incline.

To maximize your exercise time, unplug your headphones, turn off the TV, and complete some high-intensity training on the treadmill.

Stair machine

Energy efficiency: A Usability: A- Popularity: A-

Pro take: We recommend incorporating interval training into this workout, and try not to use the armrests to support your upper body, as this will reduce the intensity of your workout and reduce the number of calories you burn.

Rowing Machine

Energy efficiency: A+ Usability: B+ Popularity: B

Pro review: Not every gym has a rowing machine, but we think it's one of the most effective ways to get a cardio workout. It's a full-body, wide-range exercise, and you'll burn a ton of calories just by spending 10 minutes on the machine. But the biggest disadvantage of this device is that if the movements are not standardized, the effect will be greatly reduced.

Aerobic bike

Energy efficiency: A+ Performance: B

Professional review: If we had to rate the appearance, we would have to give it an F (fail), but its energy efficiency is definitely at the A+ level. The harder you pedal, the greater the air resistance.

Spinning bike

Energy efficiency: A Usability: B Popularity: A

Professional evaluation: Spinning bike is a good aerobic exercise. In order to burn fat, you can set a long-distance, high-intensity mode. However, beginners should be careful, if you sit uncomfortably for a long time, you may have embarrassing bruises in certain parts of your body the next morning.

Rope ladder

Energy efficiency: B+ Usability: B- Popularity: C-

Pro review: This is a great full-body workout, but the only downside is that most commercial gyms don't have this piece of equipment.

Ski Machine

Energy efficiency: B+ Usability: C Popularity: D

Expert review: This machine looks like a standing rowing machine, which allows the fitness user to participate in the upper and lower body exercises, which can instantly increase your heart rate.

Arc Step Rotator

Energy efficiency: C Performance: D

Professional review: In fact, this machine puzzles many professional fitness enthusiasts because it makes your body move in an unnatural way.

Elliptical Machine

Energy efficiency: D Usability: F Popularity: A

Professional evaluation: The elliptical machine is placed after the arc step spinner because the arc step spinner has more functions, but they all have the same problem: unnatural body movement and insufficient functionality. Not only that, if you adjust the resistance of the machine to below 10, it is basically the same as lying on the sofa.

Recumbent Bike

Energy efficiency: D Performance: F

Professional evaluation: This equipment allows your upper body, torso and hips to rest, and your whole body does basically nothing except moving your legs.