Beginners know that elliptical machines are for walking on, but what about all of the other stuff that shows up on the dash?

Well, in addition to changing resistance (sometimes shown in colored bars on the LCD screen) and incline (available on some models), there’s also what’s known as High Intensity Interval Training or HITT.

The simple explanation for this fancy term is that the machine user can add short “bursts” of faster running to a slower 15-20 minute routine.

This elliptical equivalent of sprinting is a way to maximize your time on the machine.

The idea behind high intensity interval training is that the short bursts of activity allow the user to burn a whole lot of calories quickly and really get the heart pumping for more elevation into that desired “cardio zone”.

The slower parts in between are for allowing the body to get its footing again.  It wouldn’t be possible for most users to sustain a high intensity rate of, say 5 strides per second, over 15 minutes.  But many can do that for about 1-2 minutes.  Look at the screen, and you’ll see how this affects your calorie count.

Another feature of this HITT model, and elliptical use in general, is that users can “ease into” patterns conveniently by keeping a very accurate tally of how far they “ran”, how much they burned, and where their heart rate went.

Experts warn beginning runners, for example, not to increase overall distance more than a few tenths of a mile at a time to protect the body from bone injuries.

These and other injuries are easy to avoid with the low impact workout on the elliptical, and in addition, users can “ration” themselves to specific distances and resistance levels, to really control how they are increasing their routines.

Whether or not a user is practicing advanced training options like HITT, they can use the elliptical to get more direct knowledge of their cardio training results.

The advanced features of elliptical machines can show users their actual heart rate in “real time”.  As soon as the machine “calibrates” to a user’s current heart rate, it can detect changes and constantly provide this kind of feedback.

What some ellipticals can do is change the resistance and other features of the workout to keep the user’s heart rate in a specific zone.  This facilitates what experts say is the optimal cardio workout: a sustained heart rate over a period of time.

All of this adds up to a high demand for elliptical machines in gyms for a wide range of customers who want to use these kinds of strategies and features to get and stay fit safely and efficiently over a period of time.  If you are getting used to the elliptical machine, think about adding high interval training into your routine and seeing how it affects your heart rate and your calorie count.

by Justin Stoltz, Fitness Future Correspondent