Other features that you may want to consider include safety features, shock absorption, variable speeds, calorie counters (to tell you just how hard you've been working!) time/distance calculators, and of course a reasonable guarantee/warranty. The motor should be have a warranty of at least 2 years, and more better. Some are as long as ten years. Shop around.

Buying a treadmill online can be very easy. Not only can it save you money, but you can usually come up with good deals on shipping. Take your time and compare, and then start walking!

This will not only push your body further and burn more calories during your workout - but it can also elevate your calorie burn for up to 24 hours after your workout.

- Use Upper Body Arms

Many ellipticals offer you upper body arm bars that you can use to build your arms muscles into your workout. More muscles worked = more calories burned. If there are no upper body arms, grab a couple of 2 - 5 pounds handweights and swing your arms while striding.

- Take Advantage of Forward and Backward Directions

Using more muscles (and one you may not have used before) also ups your calorie burn, even after your workout. So take advantage of fact that most ellipticals allow you to go forward and backward. Switch up your routine every few minutes to up your calorie burn.

- Break up your Workout

Experts are now telling us that 2 mini-workouts may even be better than 1 long workout as far as calories burned. Why?

Any exercise will temporarily rev up your metabolism - so if you can do 15 - 20 minutes in morning, and 15 - 20 minutes in afternoon, your metabolism will stay charged up for a longer time. (If you can't do this, don't worry - remember that a 30 minute workout will still burn more calories than a 15 minute workout!)

So there are some tips to skyrocket your calorie burn on your elliptical. Good luck and have fun blasting those calories!

Kathryn O'Neill is the chief editor for Elliptical Trainer Review