You wouldn’t be reading this unless you had decided you need to do something serious about reaching and keeping a reasonable level of fitness and a healthy weight. So you’re seriously thinking of buying some form of home gym equipment, since the local fitness center is not all that convenient, and work and life don’t lend themselves to regular visits.
An elliptical trainer looks like it could be the answer – low impact, ideal for cardio fitness, and you can work with more than just your legs. And they can be quite fun.
There are plenty of them out there, so it’s a matter of working out which brand and model is best for you.
Before you make your final selection, here are seven questions to consider which help you make the best decision.
1. Do You Really Need An Elliptical machine At All?
The sort of question a mother might ask, but could it end up an costly dust gatherer? Just examine the for sale ads – there’s no shortage of lightly used home gym equipment. Maybe you could try a few week’s membership at your local fitness center and see how you feel about regular exercise at the end of it.
2. Is It Just For You Or Will Others Use It Too?
The decision will be easier if you are the only user.
The only question then is what suits your size and weight best.
But if you plan to share your elliptical trainer with your partner or family you may need to compromise to make sure everyone is reasonably happy.
Variable stride length elliptical machines offer a solution to this problem, allowing everyone to have a comfortable workout.
3. Which Room Will It Be Located In?
When making that decision you will need to pay attention to available floor space, noise, and the height of the ceiling.
One way of providing stability during workouts, particularly for heavy users, is to make the elliptical trainer heavy too. So even with transport wheels they are difficult to move, and a permanent position is best.
Most good elliptical trainers are fairly quiet, particularly if the resistance levels are based on magnetic braking, but you will probably need to consider the comfort of others in your home, not to mention the neighbors.
Once in each cycle of an elliptical trainer you can be a foot or more above floor level, which, although it will put your head a lot closer to the ceiling won’t be a problem in a normal room. Just how high is the ceiling in your basement?
4. Assembly.
Allow at least 1 1/2 hours to assemble your elliptical trainer, and try to find someone to help you. Alternately, if you are buying from a local shop you might be able to organize assembly before delivery, but expect extra cost and some difficulty in moving it into and around your home. But if you buy through the internet you have no choice but to put it together by yourself.
Assembly won’t be fun, but it will definitely go better if you are sure that all the parts are present, that you have identified them according to diagrams in the manual, and that you have read the manual carefully at least once.
5. What sort of exercise program will you have?
The type of elliptical trainer that will suit you best will depend on whether you are big and mean to use it hard every day, or a lighter person who may just want to keep fit with a few brief workouts each week, or someone in between.
If you are reasonably big and tend to work yourself pretty hard you will need a heavy stable elliptical machine – in particular look for one with a wide base to minimize rocking.
6. What Kind Of Elliptical machine Will Suit You Best?
Elliptical trainers vary according to where the big flywheel is placed – forward, rear or middle.
Front and rear drive trainers are the most common, and it is a good idea to try both types before you buy because the action and level of comfort does vary.
Front drive machines are a little more complex and will require more maintenance, but most good quality machines will last pretty well. Front drive machines can collect dirt and junk in the tracks and need to be kept clean.
7. How Much?
By the time you’ve got this far you will have a fair idea just what you want, and the likely costs. You’ve probably worked out that you should be looking at a well made elliptical which will last a long time and provide a stable workout platform, that you are probably not going to be able to find something like that cheaply, and that if you are a heavyweight who works out hard you may have to pay something extra Lighter people have more choices.
Despite that, within any price range there are normally one or two trainers that are good to use and provide value for money. Check out buyer reviews and try out the ones that appeal to you before making a final decision.
Summing Up.
There is quite a lot to think about when choosing an elliptical machine to suit your needs for a few years – it can be a substantial investment. The main thing is to get the two issues of comfort and stability sorted out, and once you have narrowed the field to a reasonable number you can only sort these factors out by trying the trainer yourself.
One way of sorting out the great from the ordinary is to visit my growing blog – Home Elliptical Trainers Guide – to check out the better elliptical machines that are available, as well as where the best prices are.
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