Discover the Best Elliptical Machines for You
If you’ve come to review the best elliptical machines around at the moment, then this site is perfectly placed to give you all the information and advice you need.
Are you looking at elliptical machines because you want to work out at home and stop wasting your hard-earned gym money?
Do you have problems with your back or your knees and so are looking for a means of getting a low-impact, cardiovascular workout?
Or, is it simply time to do something about increasing your level of fitness?
For most people, one of these 3 is the reason they get into ellipticals – for me, it was a case of having a bad back.
Thankfully, I’ve been able to train hard for years now, get fit and keep my back in shape because of this fantastic invention. So, to help you and others find out as much as you can about these magnificent exercise machines, I started the Best Elliptical Machines blog.
So How Do Elliptical Trainers Actually Work & What Makes The Best Elliptical Machines?
Elliptical machines smoothly and fluidly simulate the combination of your step, walk and cycling motions – you put your feet into its pedals and you’re off. As you workout, it’s not only your legs that reap the benefit, but your arms and heart too!
Because your feet always stay on the pedals, you remove that jarring impact on your knees and back that you get when doing traditional workout activities – e.g. road running, treadmill work, etc.
Suitable for all ages and fitness levels (if in doubt, always check with your medical specialist first), you can adjust the elliptical for your own personal needs. Generally you’ll find most machines offer you a combination of settings for changing resistance intensity as well as pedal motion direction.
Many ellipticals are lightweight, fold up and include an LCD display of key performance indicators like speed, time and distance travelled. With one of these trainers, you’re able to perform really effective leg exercises at home.
Personally, my favourite is the Horizon Fitness EX-57 Elliptical Trainer, which you can find more details on if you click here, but not all ellipticals you can buy will be right for you.
Some of the key factors you need to take into consideration when you are checking out your elliptical machine are;
- How tall you are
- How much you weigh
- How far/wide apart the pedals on the machine are
- How noisy it is when in use
The reason your height is a factor, is because of your stride length – this varies from machine to machine, so the taller you are the longer the stride length needs to be. A machine with a stride length of 18 inches is ideal for most as it’ll accommodate a wider height range.
Ellipticals will only take a specific max weight, so you need to check that.
Sometimes the width apart of the pedals can be an issue for people with hip or knee problems, as the wider stance can stress those joints (elliptical workouts are great exercises for knee pain)
You’ll also find some elliptical machines on the market are actually not that stable and some are very noisy indeed. Fortunately, however, the buyer reviews will highlight any design shortcomings for you, which will help maximise your chances of picking the best elliptical machines for your needs.
So, these are some of the key points to be aware of with these trainers – hopefully these insights will prove of value to you when you buy.
If you want a quiet, stable machine with decent pedal width and great stride length, then I can’t say enough about the Horizon Fitness EX-57 Elliptical Trainer – click here to find out what others say about it.
Remember, the best elliptical machines always have a lot of highly-rated reviews, so make sure you do your research first.