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Tips For Shopping For An Elliptical Trainer

| Author: Treadmill and Elliptical Reviewer

Elliptical trainers are fast becoming serious competition for the traditional treadmill. Ellipticals provide a great range of motion for a great workout and they challenge endurance and coordination and really help keep you sharp.

An elliptical trainer can only provide those benefits, though, if it contains some must-have features.

In any piece of fitness equipment safety comes first. That’s provided by a sturdy frame and quality parts. It’s no accident that those attributes also give you a good deal for your money. Look for an elliptical made from good steel alloy and high-impact plastic or composites.

The handrails should feel like the Hulk could not rip them off. The stepping pads should be able to withstand an insane six-year old jumping on them until he’s sixty. Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

At the same time, all those parts should be smooth and quiet. That isn’t just a matter of not being annoyed while you listen to music. Quality parts are quiet and vice-versa. They’re reliable and long-lasting and continue to perform like new even after years of use.

But beyond the basics, ellipticals have several unique features that will distinguish a great one from a merely good one.

Adjustable resistance and inclines will help you get the most out of your workout. As you use the machine over a period of time your strength and coordination levels will improve. That’s the who Elliptical trainers le idea. The machine should let you start out at your level, but keep up with you as you rise.

One important feature that ties into that is stride length. Since ellipticals, by design, allow you to emulate walking they have to be set for some stride length. Get one appropriate to your height, leg length and natural stride. Some are as short as 14 inches while the average is 16″ or 18″. You will also find elliptical trainers that that have longer strides for taller people. For example the ProForm Crosswalk Elliptical has a
stride of 22 inches.

Even though you need the right stride, be prepared to stretch yourself a bit. You don’t want to feel awkward forever. With an elliptical many people do at first – that’s natural. But you want the machine to have the capacity to challenge you. A longer stride length is a factor in making that possible.

The arm handles (not present on all models) let you get a good upper body workout while you walk. If their resistance can be adjusted, that’s a great feature. Here again they should let you work them at your beginning level, but not be too easy as you gain muscle.

Look for quality that fits your body style and workout goals and you’re bound to find something that suits your needs. If you live in a small condo or apartment you may want to look at space saving ellipticals such as the ProForm 650 T Elliptical

There are also some ellipticals, such as the ProForm Epic 1200 Pro that has a special feature that allow you to target specific areas of the body so you can easily focus on your problem area. Built into the 1200 is Quick target Toning, which adjusts the elliptical to focus on specific areas like the thighs, butt, hip, back of legs etc., all this with 1 push of a button.

You should also take a look at the elliptical’s warranty. Some warranties only cover your elliptical for 90 days, while others have a much longer warranty.