Buying Advice - Ellipticals
You can get all the benefits of a stepper and a treadmill with this unique, low-impact fitness machine. Elliptical crosstrainers offer the benefits of cardio exercise, without the high impact on your joints. The smooth motion of the elliptical movement works the large muscles in your lower body. By changing direction, incline and resistance, you will tone your gluteals and quadriceps better than with any other cardiovascular machine. It also effectively works the calves, hamstrings, and hip flexors.
What To Look For
- Make sure it is stable.
- Make sure the elliptical motion is smooth and quiet.
- Has adjustable elevation/incline to work different muscle groups.
- Has easily adjustable resistance.
- Nonslip pedals.
How does it work?
Elliptical crosstrainers are similar to steppers, but instead of moving your feet up and down, they actually move in an elliptical motion. This eliminates the high impact on your joints. When trying out crosstrainers, make sure that the pedals move smoothly and quietly.
What kind of crosstrainer should I get?
Your budget will largely determine which machine you will buy. As ellipticals go up in price, the quality, durability and features improve. Elliptical crosstrainers vary in design, from models with dual action features (arm levers which work your upper body) to home versions of the models you see in health clubs. You should choose the one you feel most comfortable on and are likely to use most often.
What features should I look for?
To vary your workout and challenge yourself, the elliptical machine should have a way to adjust resistance. (Either electronically or by turning a dial). An even better feature to look for is an elevated incline to work different muscle groups. This can be adjusted manually by the user or it can be motorized and adjusted on the console or by the computer. Make sure the pedals have a good nonslip design. This is important since you don’t want your feet to slide off while trying to maintain a consistent pace during your workout. Look at the display, you may have a preference as to what is shown on the console. Most models will at least show speed, distance and workout time. Also look for calories burned, degree of incline (if available), and heart rate (if available).
How much space do you have?
Different models have different sized footprints, so be sure and measure the area you plan to place it in. This will ensure that the model you want will fit.
