Ask a Trainer: What’s the Best Cardio: Bike, Treadmill, or Elliptical?

When you step into the gym, on top of wondering whether it’s best to do cardio or strength training first, you may be wondering which piece of exercise equipment will give you the best workout.

We asked Nike master trainer Holly Rilinger to help us make sense of this fitness decision making when it comes to choosing the right cardio exercise machine: bike, treadmill, or elliptical.

“No matter what piece of equipment you use, there’s ways to make it both high- and low-intensity, and all three provide a great way to workout,” says Rilinger.

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Written by:

Brittany Doohan

Brittany Doohan was the Content Director at HealthiNation and is currently the Editorial Director at Medscape. Through her work with Medscape, she won a Silver Telly Award in May 2022 for "Sleepless Nation: A Public Health Epidemic — Episode 2: A Decade Without a Diagnosis." She has worked in health journalism and video production for more than 8 years, and loves the challenge of explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand and creative way.

Reviewed by:

Brian Clista, MD

Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

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