The elliptical trainer is one of the most popular gym machines for home use, and the benefits of having one at home are fascinating. Not only is it easy to use, but it also allows you to perform a workout that promotes cardiovascular health, strengthens the muscles, and speeds up weight loss. But how to choose an elliptical trainer? The main goal of today’s discussion will be that.
The elliptical is one of the devices that make up the cardio machine family, including treadmills, exercise bikes, indoor cycle bikes, stair climbers and rowing machines. The elliptical is classified within the cross-training group because it combines upper and lower trunk movements.
The lower part of the body works from the pedals, while the upper part receives its part of the exercise from the machine’s arms that move back and forth as if it were cross-country skiing. While discussing how to choose an elliptical we also have to understand the ins and outs of an elliptical.
Doing a little research before purchasing an elliptical can help you find the right device. Because who wants to buy a gym machine to get in shape, that ends up being used as a coat rack or as a dusty ornament in the storage room? So we give you some clues about what you have to take into account and evaluate before buying your elliptical. So the following sections will help you how to choose an elliptical.
Before looking for how to choose an elliptical let us see benefits of an elliptical machine, how does an elliptical machine work, their types, features and so on. by all these discussion you will easily get to know how to choose an elliptical that suits you the best.
Benefits of an Elliptical Machine
As it is a machine that allows us to work almost the entire body, it is one of the most useful and precious devices in any gym. It provides strength training and aerobic exercise without the need to resort to special training plans.
Health Benefits
Elliptical machines promote cardiovascular health. This translates into the energy needed to carry out any daily activity, from going to work to preparing dinner and doing the dishes afterward. An elliptical training produces an increase in the heart rate, burning calories and working the muscles of the legs, arms, back, chest and shoulders at the same time, without hurting the joints or muscles. And since different muscle groups work at the same time, the training time is shorter.
Elliptical training is often better even than running or walking, as your feet stay on the pedals rather than continually bumping into the ground or a hard pavement surface. The result is an incredible workout for the leg muscles without putting pressure on the joints and back.
Easy to Use
Using an elliptical is not complicated at all, nor does it require special coordination skills. Most ellipticals have easily adjustable controls and are used primarily to regulate the intensity of the workout. Some appliances include preset programs that are based on goals for elapsed time or calories burned.
Convenience and Portability
Ellipticals for commercial use like the ones we can find in gyms and fitness centers are equipped with a lot of extras and accessories, so they are large, heavy, and expensive. But luckily, the world’s leading brands of fitness machines make devices with their home audience in mind. For this sector, they design smaller and lighter elliptical models; some even fold up the minimum space in the home.
How Does an Elliptical Machine Work?
An elliptical provides a full-body cardiovascular exercise that allows you to burn calories efficiently. Making it work only requires the movement of your feet since users can release the arms of the machine and hold on to the fixed horizontal bar to make it work with only the lower part of the body, thus maintaining balance and support for.
Why Pedals?
The pedals are associated with a flywheel that provides a smooth pedaling action, simulating natural walking or running. The brakes can be adjusted to different resistances and move back and forth. Many ellipticals also have adjustable pedals to suit the user’s height and the angle of their feet.
Modifying pedal resistance and incline are two ways to do a more demanding workout. Most ellipticals offer different levels of pedal resistance. Less frequent is to find ellipticals with inclined ramps.
The stride length is a factor influencing the smoothness of pedaling. The longer the stride length, the better. This ranges from about 7 inches on simpler models to 21 inches on higher-quality machines. Some ellipticals even come with 26-inch stride lengths for taller ones.
Why Arms?
Most newer elliptical models come with arms that move the upper body in a similar way to cross country skiing. It is also called handlebars and allows you to exercise your arms, shoulders, chest, and back; the upper body in short.
Types of Elliptical Bikes
There are different types of ellipticals: rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, and center-drive. It refers to the kinds of motor they carry, a fundamental element that provides resistance to pedaling action. The flywheel is a technologically advanced version of the bicycle chain. Its location on the elliptical has a significant impact on the quality of exercise. Regardless of the position of the flywheel, you must provide a smooth and quiet ride.
- Rear-wheel drive ellipticals: The steering wheel is located at the rear of the elliptical, providing more inertia. This means a smooth and comfortable gait. It has fewer moving parts than a front-wheel-drive machine, so it requires less maintenance and repairs.
- Front-wheel drive ellipticals: The steering wheel at the front provides a flatter ride. Ideal for users with a longer stride, as it offers more comfort for them.
- Central drive: With the central steering wheel, the user’s weight is deposited in the center of the machine, while the drive mechanisms remain to the sides. This provides a stable and resistant base, leaving the body in a natural position. These ellipticals are smaller than the front or rear-wheel drive.
In terms of machine length, center-drive ellipticals are between 127cm and 150cm long, compared to the 150cm or 210cm that a front or rear-wheel drive elliptical can measure.
Features of Elliptical Bikes
Different manufacturers produce elliptical machines with a variety of features and designs. They all start from the same base, but depending on the brand and model, we find more or fewer accessories and additional features that make their use even more comfortable.
The Essential
Even the cheapest ellipticals monitor heart rate and performance in terms of speed, time, distance, and calories burned. Most of the models also allow them to be programmed for personalized workouts.
Additional Features
The high- end elliptical trainers offer predefined programs to optimize workouts and achieve specific goals. Some ellipticals are equipped with adjustable incline ramps that vary the intensity of exercise and muscle work. If more than one member of the family uses the machine, some ellipticals come with a variable pitch feature to accommodate different measurements of users.
Other models even come with cooling fans, USB ports, and LED displays. There are ellipticals with built-in TV monitors or speakers connected to MP3 players to play music during exercise.
How to choose an elliptical trainer for home
Elliptical at home is a complete workout for the whole family. Installing it has its own specifics.
- Dimensions of the orbit track. The simplest models take up the least space. A good solution for those who want more functionality is a foldable, compact and mobile option.
- Purchase budget. It is customary to refer to inexpensive models, the cost of which does not exceed your budget. Among them, ellipticals with magnetic loading with manual and electromagnetic load control prevail.
They are efficient and convenient devices, especially for beginners. Not all of them come with a large software package, but in any case, the home ellipse has a console with a screen and a load adjustment system. - Height and weight of users. The choice of stride length and maximum allowable weight depends on the height and weight of users. Along with them, you can choose a convenient width of the pedals and the height of the handrails
- Product brand. A well-known brand means high quality, but also a higher price. When choosing a little-known manufacturer, you should carefully read the reviews of buyers and experts.
Check out the following products. You may find your best choice:
Thus, the optimal configuration of an elliptical simulator for the home may imply a magnetic loading system with an electric drive, the possibility of folding or small dimensions, a step length of at least 400 mm, a user’s weight from 120 kg, the presence of transport rollers and floor uneven stabilizers.
Everything else – the weight and location of the flywheel, the Q-factor, the composition of the software package, the capabilities of the computer and additional options – the user determines for himself.
As a recommendation, the online store Eleptica.Ru offers its own choice of home devices: a selection of ellipsoidal exercise equipment for the home.
Conclusion
An elliptical is an excellent option if you want to get a full-body workout: build muscle and burn calories without hurting your joints and back. They are easy to use and designed to meet the sporting needs of beginners and amateurs alike. Acquiring an elliptical trainer is one more step towards adopting increasingly healthy habits.
