Why choose to invest in an elliptical, instead of a treadmill or a semi-recumbent bike? The elliptical can be considered a middle ground product when comparing it to other forms of cardiovascular exercise. A reason to choose this over a treadmill would be the lack of impact on the joints. Another advantage is that along with strengthening your heart, you can also focus on strengthening all lower body muscles by increasing the resistance necessary to complete the ellipse pattern. The advantage over a semi-recumbent bike is that this form of exercise is full weight bearing. This means that along with strengthening your muscles, you will maintain or increase the bone density in your lower body.