The Exercise Equipment Blog

High-end elliptical trainers come with a built-in warm-up and cool down system, which prevents injuries to your joints and muscles. A good warm-up is essential to any kind of training, because you will get better results if your muscles are prepared for the stress that’s about to be applied on them. The cool down simply protects you from injuring yourself while suddenly stopping from your workout. To continue reading What to Look for in an Elliptical (Part 4) click here

Make sure the stride length is somewhere around 21 inches, since a lower measurement can hinder your training. A smooth, silent motion is critical for your workout, not only because it will give you a feeling of safety, but also because it will allow you to exercise even when a member of your family is sleeping for example.

Make sure the frame of the elliptical can be adjusted to your dimensions so you can exercise in a comfortable, natural body position. Even if you don’t plan on using them in your training, the elliptical should have arm levers, since these provide stability and balance to the entire machine. It’s a good habit to use handrails and arm levers however, since they provide a complete workout, stimulating your upper body.

Being relatively new to the fitness scene, elliptical trainers don’t offer the kind of variety that treadmills do. However the lack of variety doesn’t mean that the choosing process is easy. A good elliptical costs somewhere around $1000, cheaper alternatives not being that well built, breaking down more often and making a lot more noise than their high-end “brothers”. In addition, when testing a cheaper machine in a store, you might notice it wobbling or being unstable, which is something you should avoid at all cost, as it will prove to create a poor workout environment for you.

Most people tend to put elliptical trainers and treadmills in the same bag – however there is a huge difference between the two exercise machines. While the treadmill consists of a mechanical track where you can jog, run or simply walk, the elliptical trainer looks more like a skiing device, because of its long, oversized pedals and its handles, which resemble ski poles. The elliptical’s main advantage is that it perfectly simulates your body’s biomechanics when running or jogging, so the possibility of injury or faulty exercising is quite scarce. Another great difference is that the elliptical stimulates your whole body, while treadmills concentrate only on your lower body.

Some say that the Lifecycle C7i and R7i are the best exercise bikes – if money is no object. These Life Fitness bikes (one is upright and the other recumbent) have many features usually found only in gym bikes, including 20 levels of resistance, 10 pre-programmed workouts, and a Polar heart rate monitor with included wireless chest strap. Both are powered by pedaling, so there’s no need to to plug them in, and both have a high weight capacity, 400 pounds. LifeFitness offers a lifetime warranty for the frame, 3 years on parts, and 1 year labor.

The EFX 5.17i is Precor’s entry-level model, but it is still one of the most durable options among elliptical trainers. It has 4 programs, twenty resistance levels, an optional heart rate monitor, an incline that adjusts from 12 to 25 degrees, and a 19 inch stride. The Precor EFX 5.17i also has a childproof safety feature. According to Precor, its elliptical trainers don’t have a weight limit, so they’re appropriate and stable for heavier individuals.

Following the steps described in my previous posts will make choosing a treadmill much easier, however you should always test the exercise machine before buying it. Also make sure you get a long warranty with your treadmill. If a treadmill comes with a 3-month warranty you can be sure that its builders and sellers don’t expect it to last a long time, but when it comes with a 2-year warranty it means the treadmill’s breakdown rate will not be very high.

If you have health problems (especially heart-related ones), your treadmill’s electronic board is crucial. Make sure the board shows basic parameters like speed, distance, calorie burnout or inclination degree and make sure it contains a cardio-belt that lets you measure your heartbeats. Most new treadmill models include one of these belts, which are an important additional feature for people with cardiac problems.

So you chose to buy a high-quality treadmill and you found the room to put it in, but a third, very important step in choosing a treadmill is your own bodily health. Make sure the frame of the treadmill lets you exercise in a comfortable position and that the walking track is in accordance to your body’s biomechanics. Actually, most treadmill-related injuries come from the walking track, or the walking deck, both having a seriously unhealthy effect on your ankles and knees in case they don’t respect a set of healthy measures. The walking deck’s thickness should be somewhere around a minimum of 3 inches, while the walking track’s length should be between 48 and 50 inches and its width about 17-19 inches. These measurements will provide a healthy workout space.

Another thing you should take into consideration is figure out how much free space you have in your house, so that your newly bought, huge treadmill won’t end up packed inside your closet because of the lack of room. Treadmills come in various sizes and some of them fold neatly, while others are rigid, or simply can’t be packed. Also, it’s best if you could exercise outdoors (on a terrace, a balcony, or even in your backyard), not only because the treadmill won’t bother your household’s furniture setup, but also because working in fresh air is better for your body. However during winter or bad weather, you’ll still have to exercise inside, so you must have a “plan B” solution.