There are way too many exercise machines and tools available out there to choose from. If you are confused and overwhelmed by the latest and greatest exercise equipments and don't know which one to go for, I don't blame you at all. You know, every time I see those infomercials showing a man burning fat simply by attaching an exercise gadget on his belly while watching a movie show at the same time, I have to laugh hard, for I know only too well how 'good' (read bad) these exercise gadgets are.

Unlike real workout equipments, exercise gadgets lack the power of commanding the attention of masses for long. Once people are disappointed with a gadget, it goes off the market, only to be replaced by a "newer, better and more efficient" model. Each time you buy one of these gadgets, you are literally throwing your precious cash down the drain.

Now, if you wish to burn fat while watching movies, that is not a bad idea at all; in fact, you can do what you want with the help of correct fitness equipment. Right now there are two major home fitness equipments available, treadmills and elliptical trainers. In this article I will compare and contrast the two so that it becomes easy for you to choose one of them.

1. Little body movement: With treadmills, you need to actually walk, jog or run on the treadmill in order to burn fat and lose weight. On the other hand, elliptical trainers help you burn fat totally hands-free. They require very little concentration on your part.

Unlike treadmills, elliptical trainers don't force you to take your feet off the pedals. In other words, elliptical trainers literally let you run in the air without using your legs or hands. Being low impact, you don't run the risk of muscle or bone injury, the reason why ellipticals are so popular among the disabled, elderly and physically injured people.

2. Full body workout with less concentration: With treadmills, you need to be concentrated on your workout pattern at all times, keep changing the speeds and incline constantly and make sure that you are walking or running at the right speed. With elliptical trainers, most of these tasks can be done automatically.

When you turn on the machine, your feet are revolved in an elliptical fashion while you hold on to the handlebars firmly; mind you, all the while you don't need to move your feet at all. Elliptical trainers don't force you to stay concentrated throughout the whole workout session. In fact, you can safely turn on the equipment and watch your favorite movies and shows while it does its job at the background. And unlike those ab crunching machines, it helps you burns fat from and tones up ALL parts of your body.

With elliptical trainers, you don't need to move a muscle in order to burn fat. For example, let's say that you wish to burn fat from your belly and arms. You don't need to move your belly and arms in order to burn fat from there; elliptical trainers would start burning fat from one part of your body, then quickly switch on to another part, then next, and so on. Elliptical trainers work so fast that compared to treadmills, you would actually end up burning more calories in less time.

So which home fitness equipment is the best? I personally prefer elliptical trainers since they not only offer low impact and full body workouts but also help me burn more fat in less time. I am the type of person who cannot bear with intense workouts for too long. Being a complete introvert, I have little interest in walking, jogging or running; as such, treadmills are definitely not for me.

On the other hand, if you have a preference for outdoor activities such as walking and running, or want to get involved in intense workouts, then treadmills are definitely for you. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as "best fitness equipment"; at the end of the day, you should choose the one that best suits your body and mindset.