How Long Should I Be on the Elliptical to Lose Weight?

Key Takeaways

• Elliptical workouts engage both the upper and lower body, protecting joints while supporting consistent fat loss and cardiovascular health.
• A 30-minute elliptical session can burn between 270–380 calories, depending on your body weight, intensity, and fitness level.
• Ellipticals target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, glutes, quads, hamstrings, arms, and core, improving strength and functional fitness.
• Workout duration should match fitness level, goals, and intensity; beginners start shorter, intermediates train moderately, and advanced users maximize sessions.
• SOLE ellipticals provide smooth, low-impact motion, adjustable stride and resistance, whisper-quiet operation, advanced displays, and free SOLE+ workouts for an effective home fitness solution.

Why Elliptical Training Works for Weight Loss

Elliptical workouts engage both the upper and lower body, helping you burn more calories than traditional stationary exercises. The low-impact motion protects your knees and joints, making it easier to train consistently. Regular use improves cardiovascular health, endurance, and supports sustainable fat loss.

Calorie-Burning Potential of Elliptical Workouts

Calorie burn depends on weight, intensity, resistance, and duration. Ellipticals provide full-body movement that maximizes energy use. Adjusting stride, resistance, or using interval programs boosts calorie burn and keeps workouts effective.

Low-Impact Advantage for Consistent Training

Elliptical motion reduces joint stress while delivering effective cardio. This allows longer, more frequent sessions for steady fat loss. Ellipticals’ smooth motion and customizable resistance make it easy to train safely at the right intensity every day.

Full-Body Engagement Benefits

Ellipticals work glutes, quads, hamstrings, arms, and core simultaneously, burning more calories and improving functional strength. Varying resistance or pedaling direction targets different muscles, keeping workouts challenging and preventing plateaus.

Ideal Elliptical Duration Based on Your Fitness Level

How long you should spend on the elliptical depends on your fitness level, workout intensity, and personal goals. A Harvard study shows that calorie burn varies by body weight during a general 30 minute elliptical session:

• 270 calories for a 125-pound person
• 324 calories for a 155-pound person
• 378 calories for a 185-pound person

Based on these findings, you can adjust your workout length to match your fitness level and weight-loss goals:

Consistency matters more than intensity when building long-term cardio habits.

• Beginners: 15–30 minutes to build endurance and get accustomed to the motion.
• Intermediate: 30–45 minutes for steady progress and consistent calorie burn.
• Advanced: 45–60 minutes to maximize fat loss and cardiovascular benefits.

Tailoring your duration and intensity to your body and experience level ensures effective and sustainable results.

Factors Influencing Workout Length

Before deciding how long to spend on the elliptical, it’s important to learn about the factors that can affect your workout duration and overall results.

1. Physical Condition and Fitness Level

Your current fitness level plays a major role in determining how long you can safely and effectively use the elliptical. Beginners may find 15–20 minutes challenging, while more experienced users can handle 45–60 minutes. Gradually increasing duration over time improves stamina and helps prevent overtraining or injury.

2. Weight Loss Goals

The amount of weight you aim to lose also affects workout length. For example, someone looking to lose 5–10 pounds may benefit from 150–200 minutes of moderate elliptical exercise per week, whereas someone aiming to lose 20–30 pounds might need 250–300 minutes weekly, ideally spread across multiple sessions. 

3. Training Intensity

Workout intensity plays a major role in calorie burn and fat loss. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the elliptical, alternating short bursts of high resistance and fast pace with brief recovery periods, can be much more effective. Even a shorter HIIT session can provide similar results to a longer moderate-paced workout, helping to keep your metabolism active long after you finish.

Maximizing Your Elliptical Workouts

Incorporating Interval Training

Interval training involves alternating between high-intensity bursts and lower-intensity recovery periods. This method burns more calories during the workout and keeps your metabolism high afterward.

Here's how you can structure an interval workout on the elliptical:

1. Warm-up: 5 minutes at a low resistance and easy pace.
2. High-intensity interval: 1 minute at high resistance and fast pace.
3. Recovery interval: 2 minutes at low resistance and moderate pace.
4. Repeat the intervals for 20–30 minutes.
5. Cool-down: 5 minutes at a low resistance and easy pace.

Using Resistance and Incline

Increasing the resistance and incline on your elliptical can significantly boost your workout's effectiveness - higher resistance levels force your muscles to work harder, increasing calorie burn and muscle tone. Incline settings mimic uphill movement, which targets different muscle groups and adds variety to your workout.

All our SOLE ellipticals have different resistance and incline levels.

• E25: 20 lbs flywheel weight, 20 resistance levels, 20 incline levels
• E35: 25 lbs flywheel weight, 20 resistance levels, 20 incline levels
• E95: 27 lbs flywheel weight, 20 resistance levels, 20 incline levels
• E95S: 30 lbs flywheel weight, 20 resistance levels, N/A incline levels
• E98: 32 lbs flywheel weight, 40 resistance levels, 20 incline levels

Tracking Progress

Tracking your progress is essential to stay motivated and make necessary adjustments; use a fitness tracker or the built-in monitor on your elliptical to keep an eye on metrics like time, distance, calories burned, and heart rate. Regularly review your progress and set new goals to keep yourself challenged and engaged.

All SOLE ellipticals have displays that show your workout metrics like calories burned, duration, etc. You can also connect your SOLE equipment with our free SOLE+ app to monitor your progress even better.

Track every stride with the SOLE+ app and see your progress in real time.

Creating a Calorie Deficit

To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means burning more calories than you consume. This can be achieved by combining regular exercise with a balanced diet: aim for a deficit of 500–1000 calories per day to lose 1–2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) per week, which is considered safe and sustainable.
Here are some nutritional tips to support your weight loss journey:

• Focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
• Avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and high-calorie snacks.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals to keep your metabolism active.
• Include protein in every meal to support muscle recovery and growth.

Common Elliptical Mistakes That Sabotage Weight Loss

Even with consistent effort, certain habits can limit your results. Avoiding these common mistakes will help you get the most out of your elliptical workouts.

Leaning Too Heavily on Handles

Relying too much on the handles reduces lower-body engagement, which lowers calorie burn and limits overall effectiveness. Focus on maintaining an upright posture and using your legs to drive the motion.

Setting Resistance Too Low

Using minimal resistance makes pedaling easier but limits muscle activation and slows fat loss. Gradually increase resistance to challenge your muscles and enhance calorie burn.

Maintaining the Same Routine

Performing the same workout repeatedly can cause your body to adapt, reducing its effectiveness over time. Vary your intensity, stride, and resistance, or incorporate interval sessions to keep your workouts challenging and results consistent.

Top-Rated Ellipticals to Improve Your Home Workouts

SOLE ellipticals provide smooth, low-impact workouts with features designed for all fitness levels. Their precise flywheels and high gear ratios ensure natural motion, reducing joint strain while improving efficiency. Multi-grip handles and adjustable stride lengths accommodate different heights, and whisper-quiet operation makes them perfect for home use.

SOLE’s whisper-quiet ellipticals let you train anytime without disturbing your household.

Advanced consoles offer Bluetooth connectivity, heart rate monitoring, and integration with the SOLE+ app, giving access to free instructor-led workouts. Built with heavy-duty steel frames supporting up to 375 lbs, SOLE ellipticals are durable and reliable.

• E25 & E35 Series – The E25 features a digital display and ergonomic handles, while the E35 adds a larger touchscreen and multi-position grips for more versatility.
• E9X Series – The E95, E95S, and E98 offer adjustable pedals and stride lengths, pre-programmed workouts including HIIT and Fat Burn, and commercial-grade touchscreens. The E98 includes wireless charging and media apps for a full home fitness experience.

With SOLE ellipticals, you get a complete home workout solution, durable, effective, and backed by free SOLE+ workouts to help you stay motivated and reach your goals.

Ready to burn calories, strengthen your body, and enjoy every workout? Check out SOLE ellipticals and start your fitness journey today

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many days a week should I use the elliptical?

For effective weight loss, aim to use the elliptical at least 5 days a week. This frequency ensures you burn enough calories to create a deficit, which is necessary for losing weight. Make sure to include rest days to allow your body to recover and prevent overuse injuries.

Can I lose belly fat with the elliptical?

Yes, using the elliptical can help you lose belly fat as part of an overall weight loss plan. While you can't spot-reduce fat from specific areas, regular elliptical workouts combined with a healthy diet will help reduce overall body fat, including the belly area.

What should I eat before and after an elliptical workout?

Before your workout, eat a small meal or snack that includes carbohydrates and protein to fuel your session - a banana with peanut butter or a yogurt with granola, for instance, will provide you with the necessary energy and help sustain your performance. 

After your workout, focus on replenishing your energy and aiding muscle recovery with a balanced meal that includes protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Grilled chicken with quinoa and vegetables or a smoothie with protein powder, fruits, and spinach are great options.

Is it better to use the elliptical in the morning or evening?

The best time to use the elliptical is whenever it fits best into your schedule and when you feel most energetic. Some people prefer morning workouts to start their day with a burst of energy, while others find evening sessions help them unwind. Consistency is more important than the specific time of day, so choose a time that you can stick to regularly.

How can I avoid getting bored on the elliptical?

To keep your workouts interesting, vary your routine with different resistance levels, inclines, or interval training. Using a SOLE elliptical, you can also take advantage of the built-in touchscreen or connect to the free SOLE+ app for instructor-led workouts, which provide variety and guidance. Listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks while exercising can also make the time pass more quickly and keep you motivated.