Do Elliptical Workouts Add to Your Step Count?

If you’ve ever noticed your step tracker barely budging during a sweaty elliptical session, you might wonder does this workout even “count” toward your step goal? While elliptical movement mimics walking in some ways, the benefits and tracking are a bit more nuanced.

Elliptical vs. Walking: What’s the Difference?

On the elliptical, your legs move in a stride-like motion, similar to walking, but with one key distinction your feet never leave the pedals. This reduces the impact on your joints, making it a smart choice for people with knee or hip concerns. However, it also means you lose out on one benefit of walking: the bone-strengthening effect of foot strikes on a hard surface.

Another difference is how you typically approach each activity:

• Steps often come from day-to-day movement errands, pacing during calls, or walking the dog which may not always raise your heart rate significantly.

• Elliptical workouts are usually more concentrated bouts of activity that can provide a stronger cardiovascular challenge, especially if you increase resistance or engage your arms.

Why Steps Still Matter

Counting steps helps track your non-exercise activity the movement that breaks up long periods of sitting. Research shows extended sitting can slow blood flow, reduce oxygen delivery to muscles and the brain, and increase heart disease risk, even if you exercise regularly.

That’s why aiming for a daily step goal remains valuable it encourages you to move consistently throughout the day, not just during workouts.

Does the Elliptical “Count”?

Fitness experts agree it’s fair to count elliptical strides as part of your step total. This machine still activates your muscles and boosts circulation, even without the pounding impact of walking.

If your tracker doesn’t log them automatically:

1. Check the machine display some show stride or “rep” counts.

2. Estimate manually count strides for one minute, then multiply by your total workout minutes for an approximate step count.

Just note that higher resistance or longer stride length may reduce your total stride count, but give you a more intense, heart-healthy workout.

Best of Both Worlds

Steps and elliptical workouts serve different purposes:

• Steps: Measure overall daily movement and keep you active outside of workouts.

• Elliptical: Provides concentrated cardio, muscle activation, and joint-friendly conditioning.

For optimal health, experts recommend both aim for thousands of daily steps plus at least 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity cardio (and a couple of strength training sessions). If that means sacrificing a few hundred steps for a quality elliptical session, it’s a trade worth making.

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