Best of the Best

Let’s imagine for a moment that some poor slob, who’d been stranded on a desert island for 25 years, is finally rescued. Somewhere on his “to do list” after a big juicy steak, a cold beer, and a good movie, is a relaxing trip to the gym. I offer, that one glimpse of an elliptical machine would elicit a response somewhere between “you’ve got to be kidding me!” I mean think about it, if you’ve never seen one before, an elliptical machine looks like the wheel-less love child of a big bug and a bicycle! And the variety of poses you see on an Elliptical only adds to the peculiarity: the rump way out, the chest pressed forward, or the always fun to see, hunch back! Yikes!

I mention this not just because a big juicy steak and a cold beer sound pretty good right now, but because the elliptical machine may be the most improperly used piece of exercise equipment out there. If used correctly, the Elliptical is a fantastic training tool that provides a great cardiovascular alternative to the pounding on the joints from running; or a more even full body alternative to the unavoidable distribution of the workload to the quadriceps from bicycling. But if used incorrectly, the strain on the back, hips, knees, even the shoulders, can cause real orthopedic problems.

Because only your hands and feet touch the machine, all that “real estate” in between is vulnerable to injury from improper use. So part of the task in choosing a Home Elliptical Machine is to simultaneously make certain you’re stance, form, and duration of workout are all “right” for you.

Thus, the key things to look for a home elliptical machine are:
1) Does the machine allow me proper stance and form?
2) Does the machine have the programs and monitoring capability I want?
3) Is the machine’s elliptical mechanism going to last?