Best of the Best

If it’s not a rowing movement, it’s a swimming motion… if it’s not a swimming motion, how about climbing? Isn’t it funny how fitness equipment engineers are always attempting to recreate something? You may not have thought much about it, but the next time you walk through the gym, take a look at the rows of bizarre contraptions that line the machine area. I’m pretty sure two things will be obvious to you: first, you’ll have no clue as to what 50% of those crazy appendages on those machine do, much less know how to use them; and second, you’ll notice that those machines always seem to be empty!

OK, then glance over to where the treadmills, stationary bikes, and stair steppers are… packed!

I bring this up, not because I’ve got a sponsorship deal with a bike manufacturer (though if any of those companies are looking for a spokesman, I’m available!), but I bring this up because it illustrates a pretty basic principal of exercise: “Keep it simple, stupid!”

Now climbing stairs may not be as sexy as swimming the English Channel or conquering Mount Everest, but during peak gym hours that long waiting line to get on Stair Steppers keeps growing because as a cardio training tool, climbing stairs is pretty hard to beat.

All Stair Steppers are not alike, as they’ve been engineered differently, and thus have slightly different ranges of motion, angles of foot placement, and programming options. Thus, when searching for a Home Stair Stepper, I suggest three things to consider:

1. Does the machine and its range of motion fit me comfortably?
2. Does the computer track the variables and have the programming options I want?
3. Will it last?