I joined a gym last January, started out on the treadmill and did OK. I moved on to the elliptical and loved it, I found I could burn more, have greater endurance and less pain. Then, I tried the stationary bike. Upright was uncomfortable in the “sitting area”, and recumbent seemed like a LOT more work to accomplish the same amount of burn as either the treadmill or the elliptical.
Recently, I entered a 5k (approx. 3.1 miles) run on a whim. I wasn’t a runner. I only entered to see if I could do it. Well, 28 minutes after I started, I finished, running the whole way. I was really pleased with my performance. Since then, I’ve been running 2-3 times per week. The fortunate thing is that the pedestrian path around the building I work in is just over 1.5 miles, so 2 laps is more than 3 miles. Until this week, I had not failed to make it 2 laps. This week, I’ve kind of hit “the wall” at just over one lap.
I don’t know exactly what I’m doing right, but since late January, I’m down 18 pounds, and the size 36 waist pants I’ve worn for about 13 years are falling off of me. The size 34’s I got earlier this summer are even fitting looser.
So, I’m not sure WHICH burns the best, but I really enjoy running outside. Treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes all suffer from the lack of scenery and fresh air.