Elliptical trainers are becoming very popular amongst people working out both in gyms and at home. This is because an elliptical trainer allows anyone to get a great workout, even someone who has joint problems, as it offers a very low impact cardiovascular workout. Possible injuries are greatly reduced and a person can work on their upper and lower bodies so is great for weight loss as well as fitness goals. Buying an elliptical trainer is an investment in your own healthy future but knowing what to buy and what to look for can be a challenge.
There are many brands and models in the market today making it even harder to choose between them. Price will have to guide you somewhat, but they range from just $500 up to $5000. The key thing to look at in an elliptical is its flywheel. This is the part that creates the elliptical motion of the machine and generates the resistance so that you can alter how intense your workouts are.
The lower priced machines, while tempting at their affordability, have components that just won’t last that long. The flywheels are cheaply made and use belts to create resistance. After not a lot of use these belts will need replacing. Ideally if you can afford it, look for an elliptical machine that has a flywheel that uses a magnetic system to alternate electrical current to get the required resistance changes.
Where the flywheel is on the trainer is also something to pay attention to. Usually models have one big flywheel that is places at the back of the model. The drawback to this design is the machine is long and big. Lately more modern designers have created shorter fatter models by putting on 2 smaller flywheels side by side. The benefit to this change they claim is the model becomes more stable and the motion is even smoother.
Finally but very importantly you need to make sure the flywheel mechanism on the machine you are considering has a warranty, as this is the thing most likely to break. Good brands will offer at least 12 months whereas others will go as high as 5 years. Buy a brand that is known and can be trusted to back up its warranty.
Elliptical fitness equipment and accessories. Today’s special: Kettler Elliptical Cross Trainer