Elliptical trainers seem to be all the rage these days with almost every gym having banks of them and many being used at home as well. An elliptical trainer is really a cross between a treadmill and a stair climber allowing you to efficiently get the best of both worlds in one machine. Although, if you were thinking that you could get in twice as much exercise for the same amount of effort then you may be a bit disappointed. The whole idea is to combine the two exercises into a highly effective exercise system that really makes you work hard. But just how effective are elliptical trainers and are they just another fad or are they really as innovative as their makers claim?

When considering the question how effective are elliptical trainers you have to look at them in the context of the equipment that they are replacing. Stair exercisers although good for what they were designed to do are very restricted in their ability to work different areas of the body and can be of limited value to anyone looking for a single machine solution. Of course, you have the same problem with a standard treadmill but there is also the added complication for some people that you also have constant impact when you are running on a treadmill.

But how effective are elliptical trainers in burning those extra calories? For all the talk of getting fit this is the real reason that most people want an exercise machine and in this area of specialization the elliptical trainers excel. The combination of aerobic and weight bearing exercise is great for burning up the calories and for toning up almost every part of your body and most of the major muscle groups. And they also have the added bonus that there is virtually no impact involved so they really do look to have all the benefits with very few drawbacks.

The real answer to the question of how effective are elliptical trainers is contained in their clever use of technology. The central axis moves in an elliptical motion so that all the major lower muscle groups get a thorough workout while the hands and arms get an upper body workout from the movable handlebars. Many of the machines can also be programmed to work at different speeds for varying amounts of time so that there is an element of variety and you don't get too bored. Although this may sound like a small point it is very important to maintain interest so that you are encouraged to keep going. Elliptical trainers are an excellent way to get an all body workout with the added advantage of having minimal impact to your joints and also are an excellent way to stay fit and healthy.

We all know that running is a great way to get in shape, lose weight and continue to stay fit. If you like running, walking or jogging but prefer to do it in the comfort of your own home then a great way to go is to purchase a treadmill. These exercise machines allow you to run or exercise whenever you want without having to worry about the weather, traffic, admiring, or amused glances from folks on the street that are passing by. Unfortunately, like anything in the world of health and fitness, treadmills can be very expensive when purchased brand new. Of course there are always cheap options but then the quality can suffer and if the guarantee is not very good you could find yourself stuck with a useless piece of equipment sitting in the corner of the room doubling as a hanger for your clothes. There is however another way to purchase a treadmill where you don't necessarily have to put up with poor quality just because your budget is limited and that's through the purchase of a refurbished treadmill. Buying refurbished treadmills means that you can have a top quality treadmill for far less in price when compared to a new but substandard alternative.

Refurbished treadmills are machines that have been used before, either by a private owner or in a commercial gym. Don't be alarmed because rather than just a second hand treadmill that may be old and likely to break down, these refurbished exercise machines have been cleaned up, tested for faults, restored and repaired. So even if you cannot afford to buy a top of the line treadmill from your local showroom you still have the option of not having to put up with a poor alternative.

There are two types of refurbished treadmills, those that have been refurbished by the factory that originally made them and those that have been refurbished by another company or outlet. If your budget is very limited then you may be better off searching for a model from a private outlet. Although it does not usually have such a high specification as a factory model, it can have advantages. Firstly that you are more likely to be able to source a model locally if there is someone who deals in them near you and secondly the price is generally lower than a factory unit.

Of course, the best option if you can afford it, is to buy a refurbished factory model. Factory refurbished treadmills are usually completely rebuilt and are also repainted and thoroughly checked for any flaws. This does increase their price slightly so you don't end up saving as much money on your refurbished treadmill had you instead bought a model from a private outlet. It is usually a guarantee towards a good level of work and reliability.

So if you want a good quality treadmill for a reasonable price then it may be worth looking into buying a good refurbished model rather than an inferior new treadmill.

Is your Treadmill having problems?

If you are here because:

*1. You own a treadmill.

*2. You are having problems with your treadmill.

*3. You want to prevent problems before they happen.

Treadmills act like vacumn cleaners and seem to attract dust and dirt. This being the case, they need regular cleaning. We have found that:

* Most motors overload and burn up because they are either full of dust and dirt or the deck and belt are worn so much that they cause excessive current draw on the motor.

* Many belts have to be replaced because they have been out of alignment for so long that they have split or the edges have curled and are rubbing on the covers.

* Many people risk being hurt every year because their treadmill will suddenly jump from 2 or 3 mph to 8 or 9 mph, or sometimes just stop, all because of dirty speed sensors.

I you are having these problems there is help! You need the TREADMILL REPORT. This report is a must for every treadmill owner. It will help you diagnose and solve most of your problems as well as prevent future problems.

Included in this report are directions for performing preventive maintenance on your treadmill and, repair procedures for some of the most common problems.

Please follow these directions for safe and efficient use of your treadmill for you and your family.

Choosing the best elliptical trainer for you can be tough decision. If you are new to the world of ellipticals, the term "elliptical" literally means to be oval shaped. An elliptical trainer uses a smooth oval like movement to provide smooth movement that is both easy and fun. An elliptical machine works when you stand on soft footpads, and hold handgrips that will help with balance issues. Depending on the model you purchase, your machine may have an upper body workout feature as well. The exercise itself is a lot like walking or running. However, while you are bearing weight on your feet, your feet will not leave the footpads, so you will not experience the level of joint impact you might with walking or running on a treadmill. You, therefore, get an excellent total body workout in a very low impact environment.

What Do I Look For In An Elliptical?

1. The first thing you should consider is your price range. You can buy an elliptical trainer for anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. The more money you invest in the machine, the closer you will come to health club quality, but not every person using an elliptical wants or needs health club quality machines. Part of choosing the best elliptical trainer for you includes deciding how much money you want to spend. Remember, buying exercise equipment should never break the bank. Exercise is not designed to be an expensive activity.

2. The second thing to consider is the features you want. One feature you should consider is resistance control. You can either choose manual or electronic control. Manual is cheaper, but the electronic model usually measures your heart rate for you. Another feature you need to consider are the available programs. Some ellipticals come with no programs. Others have several. Typically, more than three programs is enough, but that's for you to decide.

3. The final thing to consider is the customer satisfaction with the company. This could include some thoughts about the warranty. You should probably do your homework with regard to whatever company you've decided makes the best elliptical trainer. Even the best equipment that does not come with a warranty can be a real problem. Read customer reviews, and you will get a pretty good idea of the customer satisfaction level with the company.

Personal fitness has never been more popular. This might be because of recent health scares linked to obesity. It could also still be due to the pressure and influence of fashion magazines that only show pictures of sleek, attractive women and strong, muscular men. It may even be driven by the simplest of desires to loose weight, keep fit and healthy.

Whatever the reason, many recent studies have already shown that more people then ever before are getting involved in personnel fitness and more of them are choosing to purchase home exercise equipment in order to achieve their goals rather than joining a gym.

So what is stopping you from moving out of the gym and joining the home exercise revolution? Here are six common excuses that many people use for not purchasing home exercise equipment and why they are wrong.

Excuse 1: Home exercise equipment is too expensive.
It is true that some home exercise equipment is very expensive. Of course, there is the very cheap end of the exercise equipment market and many people are tempted to purchase products from it thinking that they are saving money. But we would not recommend this as cheap exercise equipment is typically poorly made and will rarely keep pace with your exercising needs as your fitness starts to improve.

The price of good quality home exercise equipment is falling sharply and the range of features fitted as standard to help with your exercise routine is increasing rapidly. In the future, as home exercise equipment becomes more popular, this trend is sure to continue.

If you are a member of a gym, you are probably already paying out hundreds of pounds a year in membership fees. Could your gym fees be better spent?

Excuse 2: Going to the gym is more convenient.
People today are living increasingly busy life styles. How many times have you had to miss a lunchtime training session at the gym for an important meeting at work or been exercising in the evening as it is the only time available to you when you could be out enjoying yourself?

With home exercise equipment, you can literally get out of bed, perform your exercise routine, and dive in the shower all before you go to work. Alternatively, use your exercise equipment in the evening to unwind from the stress of the day.

Your home exercise equipment is always there when you need it and at the times when it is most convenient for you to use it. No more time wasted driving to and from the gym or waiting for the item of exercise equipment you want to use to become available.

Excuse 3: I do not have the space.
Another common objection to home exercise equipment is that there is not the space available for it. Sometimes, this can be a valid objection. If for example, you live in a small flat and will have to move the table and a heavy sofa to get sufficient floor space to set up your exercise equipment, then perhaps home exercise equipment is not for you?

But if the issue is where to put your home exercise equipment when it is not in use then this is no longer such a problem. Most manufacturers can currently provide good home exercise equipment that can be folded up after use. And as exercising at home becomes increasingly more popular, home exercise equipment is going to become even more compact and easy to store.

Excuse 4: I need my fitness coach!
Many people need the guidance and motivation of a fitness coach to keep their exercise routine on track. But if 6am in the morning is the most convenient time for you to exercise, where is your fitness coach?

The Internet now provides you with the solution. Web sites exist today that you can subscribe to for a small fee and obtain a complete exercise program tailored to your exact personal needs and current fitness level.

With so much attention being given to losing weight and getting into shape, it's hard to resist not buying all of the equipment being offered in the commercials that you see. If you're not careful you could end up with a houseful of equipment that you may use for a few days and then start using it to hang your laundry on. Every commercial that you see shows slim, beautiful girls and buff gorgeous men, smiling while they exercise as if it were the most enjoyable thing in the world. None of them are sweating, so it gives the illusion that these exercises are easy to perform and that if you purchase the equipment, you too will be able to effortlessly get in shape. The hard truth is that getting into shape takes both effort and sweat; so don't just believe what is being presented to you.

The way to choose the equipment that will work best for you is to ask yourself a few simple questions.

The first thing you want to consider is how much space you have available in your home to store the equipment. You can't determine the size of a machine by watching it being demonstrated in a large room. Many of these machines are bulky and take up a lot of space. If you see one that interests you, then call the manufacturer to get the machine's specifications. This way you will be able to make an informed decision about how much space you will need.

Another thing to consider is the cost of the machine. Many of the commercials that you see will advertise the price broken down into a number of "easy" payments, plus shipping. Five payments of $50 each is $250.00. This still may not seem like much, but what they don't tell you is the shipping can be very costly. Many of these machines are very heavy and shipping is determined by the weight of the machine. By not inquiring about the shipping charge, you could end up paying too much.

The quality of a machine should also be taken into account. There are many similar machines being offered on the market, and each has a different price. Price is not necessarily indicative of quality, so go online and research what people have to say about the different equipment. This way you will hear the opinions from the people who have actually used them.

Defining your fitness goals is another way to avoid purchasing the wrong equipment. If all you want to do is lose 5 pounds, then you don't need one of the expensive machines that promise to build a buff body. You also need to consider any health factors that could prohibit the use of certain equipment. If you have poor joints, then some of these machines may actually harm you. It's always good to talk to your physician before investing in equipment that may be harmful to your body.

Fitness Equipment is an important part of a weight loss schedule for many people. During the summer we always get a chance to get out and exercise but in the winter we really have to rely on our home or gym fitness equipment. I have dealt with joining extensively in the past so now I will just assume that you are interested in doing weights and cardio at home with your own fitness equipment.

Cardio Equipment

I thought I would start with Cardio equipment as that is the most common equipment that someone thinks twice about before trying. The first piece of fitness equipment that I bought years ago was a stair machine, actually it was a stepper. When the fad in the late 80’s for stair machine started that is exactly what I got and to be perfectly frank the think sucked. A good quality stair machine should be smooth to use and this stepper was not very good, it was clunky and uncomfortable. After a few weeks out stepper turned into a clothes hangar and just collected dust.

About five years ago my wife and I bought a good quality stair machine and treadmill as our first pieces of fitness equipment! We found a great place that sold new and used fitness equipment and we bought the first two pieces of one year old cardio equipment for about 1600 dollars! (I know this is a bit much for most people) and then each year for the next two years we traded one in and bought a different piece of fitness equipment we would lose about 100 dollars a year on the equipment this way. We now have a good 3 year old stationary bike and a good three year old elliptical trainer. To us this has been the best way to buy fitness equipment that we would actually use. No matter what your budget it is a real treat to have tow pieces of fitness equipment in the house that changes every year.

Weight equipment

Weights and weight equipment is a pretty easy purchase. You need the following:

Weight Bench
Weights
Barbell
Dumbbells

My weight bench inclines so that I can have it flat to do my flat bench exercises and then I can angle the back up to do incline bench presses and incline flyes. My bench is pretty stable which is important because the weight exercises are hard enough that you do not want to worry about your fitness equipment falling over while you are using it.

The way that I have done this is that I have two short bars with screw ends to put the weights on and a old barbell that has slip collars that screw in (the generic ones you see everywhere). I bought weights that I could add at any time to either the dumbbells or barbells and in addition to this I have a few rubber dumbbells of 15, 20, 25 and 30 pounds. With these rubber dumbbells I have most of the common weights that I need so that I am not constantly having to set up the bars.

OK, the buying part of the weights is where you can really save money on fitness equipment. Look in your local buy and sell or bargain finder or newspaper and also try garage sales. Remember the last thing that people want to move when the move are weights that they never use. New weights cost almost a dollar a pound so never buy weight new but instead buy them used.

If you're buying a home elliptical trainer, you'll probably want to make several elliptical trainer comparisons before you buy. With ellipticals skyrocketing in popularity, there are more and more new models out each year which can make choosing the right machine a challenge.

This article will give you 3 easy tips when making an elliptical trainer comparison. You'll learn what you need to look for and how to find the best machine for your personal workout needs.

Follow these tips and you're guaranteed to choose the best elliptical for you!

#1 Compare Apples To Apples

There are 2 places to buy a crosstrainer - online and at a store. It's not fair to compare ellipticals sold online to ellipticals sold at a store. They are two different animals.

For example, at a store, you get to try out the elliptical trainer before buying. However the disadvantage is that you'll also pay more for that elliptical. Stores usually sell a limited number of brands as well, which will limit the models you can compare. If you want to compare more machines you have to locate and drive to the various stores around your neighbourhood.

When you buy online you can compare a large selection of ellipticals from the comfort of your own home. You can also save money. For example, there are several elliptical wholesalers that sell directly to the consumer and can save you up to 45% off retail prices. You can often find deals on shipping and sales tax as well.

So for example, an elliptical machine that runs approximately $1500 in a store might cost you $999 online. So to be accurate, make sure you compare online to online and store to store ellipticals.

#2 Know the Key Ingredients to a Quality Machine

Lots of features make a great elliptical. (For example number of programs, construction, availability of arm bars, forward and backward motions, etc.) However there are 3 essential features to any high quality elliptical. They are:

Brand Name

Smoothness of Ride

Warranty

Excellent brand names build great machines (the majority of the time). They have the experience, reputation and know-how that you're looking for when you buy. When you research look for names that keep coming up over and over again which will give you a sense of which brands are best.

Smoothness of the elliptical ride encompasses everything from stride length to properly aligned armbars to the proper alignment of footpads. Cheaper elliptical trainers don't always have the alignment right which can cause a jerky ride and result in a less efficient workout.

The warranty gives you a good idea of the quality of construction. Look for a lengthy warranty as that tells you that the elliptical was built to last and to stand up under fairly frequent use. Try to steer clear of the 90 day warranties you get with most department store brands if you can. (Unless you like returning a 200 pound piece of equipment to the store).

#3) Know What You Need When You Compare Machines

It's always great to get a bargain but also try to think in terms of your workout goals. For example, are you planning to exercise regularly? You'll need a medium or high end crosstrainer built to withstand freqent use.

Do you like to pick up the pace when working out? You may want to select a highly stable piece of equipment with a higher user weight capacity.

What about other people who will be using the machine? Do they have height, weight or workout considerations?

By knowing these things when comparing ellipticals, you'll be able to choose a machine that best fits your needs (instead of just choosing the trainer that's on sale this week). You'll get more out of your investment and be much happier with your elliptical.

That's it - now you're way ahead of 99% of people buying an elliptical trainer! Just remember that with elliptical trainers, you do get what you pay for - so don't skimp when it comes to your health!

When we talk about life in general, "being on a treadmill" implies monotony. But while in the outside world "going nowhere" is a negative, for a cardio workout not having to go anywhere is treadmills' advantage you can run without dealing with weather or traffic - and, if you're one of the many who have treadmills in their homes, without even getting dressed.

For those who find working out on treadmills boring, there are plenty of things that will help the time pass more quickly. If you want distraction from your workout to make it go more quickly, you can read - but only if you're walking at a reasonably slow pace.

Watching TV or movies is a good choice - that's why you see many health club treadmills facing a TV screen. If you want the illusion of being outdoors, try one of the many available videotapes that are made for simulating running or walking indoors.

Listening to music is another good distraction for treadmills. If you need help keeping your pace, you can buy CDs or audiocassettes that keep specific beats. Books on tape are another good choice for making the time go by when using treadmills. If you set aside an audio book, or movie, to only use when it's treadmill time, it will give you an added incentive to jump back on.

If you are a home-treadmill user, how you situate your treadmill can also make your treadmill time more pleasant. If you don't want to face a video screen, face a window and watch the world go by. If that's not possible, surround yourself with plants, art, or family photos to create a pleasant setting.

Elliptical trainers can provide much the same aerobic and cardiovascular benefits as treadmills, and burn as many calories. Elliptical trainers are also lower-impact than treadmills, and many people prefer them for that reason.

Elliptical machines don't directly train your body for any specific sport, although the motion can be similar to cross-country skiing. If you're training to run a road race, you'll want to train on a treadmill when you can't be outdoors. If you're training for a triathlon, elliptical trainers will help your endurance and cardiovascular fitness, but you'll need to use a stationary bike to get in shape for the cycling portion. If you're going Mountain climbing, stair climbers can help build the leg and glute muscles you need more specifically than elliptical trainers will.

A particularly nice thing about elliptical machines is the reversible motion that helps work your lower body in a unique way. You won't go as fast, and thus it will be less of a cardio workout, but using elliptical trainers in reverse is a great way to exercise your quads and other lower body muscles.

Elliptical machines have become extremely popular in the last few years precisely because they do things differently. And studies continue to show that you can burn just as many calories on elliptical trainers as you can on treadmills. For lower impact, involvement of the upper body, variability and the ability to work different muscles, elliptical trainers are hard to beat.

A personal trainer at the gym can help you explore the options for working out on elliptical trainers, and manufacturers often provide extensive workout guides and suggestions if you are considering buying an elliptical trainer machine of your own.

My waist line was slowly growing larger year after year. I always put off getting that gym membership or buying that piece of fitness equipment. Then one day I after seeing a family friend die before his son (whom he thought the world of) graduate high school. I then knew I had to do something.

I went out to the local fitness stores and was surprised by the sheer volume of fitness equipment that was possible to buy. Not to mention the 50 different prices of equpiment that appeared to be the same, at least from my novice perspective.

Then I ran into the store associate who helped me make my decision. Like any good sales person he defined my problem, and presented solutions to my problem.

After hearing what I was looking to do and how much I was looking to spend we settled in on an elliptical trainer.

After taking the elliptical trainer home I began using it daily. The first thing I noticed was how easy it was on my knees, being rather large that was my primary conern, was I actually going to be able to use it long enough to get results.

The second thing I noticed was the quality of the machine, again being rather large I was worried that mid range elliptical I bought may not hold up with daily use.

Finally all my worries were put to rest after six months of continued use. My waist line has deminished considerably and with slight changes in my diet I feel so much better and have so much more self confidence.

Treadmills are an excellent way to lose excess weight and stay in shape. Walking has long been known for the great health benefits it provides. Heart disease, some cancers and everyday illness are less likely to occur in healthy adults who make exercise a part of their daily activities.

Unfortunately walking on a treadmill is often thought to be extremely boring, so people tend to give it up sooner than anticipated. That doesn't have to be the case though. With a little creativity and thought your workout on the treadmill can be fun again, and you can bring back the enthusiasm you had when you purchased the treadmill.

If you are finding excuses to avoid using your treadmill, it is possible you are simply bored and need a little help to get going again. One simple way to keep you walking is to set your mind on other things. For example walking on the treadmill is a good time to think over decisions you have been putting off. By sending your mind to work on other issues you will forget you are even exercising. The exercise will provide more oxygen to your brain therefore giving you better, clearer thoughts to work out pending decisions.

Another way to rev up your walking workout is to put on fast paced music, and then try to keep walking with the beat. The speeding up and slowing down is good for your workout because then you will develop more endurance.

Watching television is another good way to distract your mind while walking on a treadmill. Turn on your favorite show and start walking. Chances are you will forget once again you are exercising at all. To challenge yourself, on the commercials pick up the pace and jog until your show returns then slow back down to a fast paced walk. This change will be easy to remember and you may find yourself able to jog longer and longer each time you try this approach.

Another way to enhance your workout is to use the incline adjustments. You can program these in on certain machines. This will allow you to work harder and increase weight loss and build muscle tone. Finally if you want to build more muscle in your arms but think there isn't much chance while walking, think again. By carrying dumbbells or even cans of soup in your hands while you walk the arms can get a workout also.

Treadmills are an excellent way to lose weight, maintain weight loss and a healthy body. Although treadmills have gotten a bad rap for being boring, a little creative thinking and your entire workout can be restored, excitement and all.

In today’s society, more and more people are not only leading rather sedentary life’s but are also finding that the job they do is not only boring, but can be very stressful and they often do little or no exercise to help maintain their body’s fitness.

However, if you want to improve your body fitness then you should look at doing a full body work out and the fitness equipment you need will become essential to you carrying out the proper exercise to be able to do this. There are many benefits associated with exercising and this includes weight loss, increased vitality, increased strength, flexibility as well as improved looks. But really it also provides the person who is exercising with a sense of well being as well as boosting their confidence levels. A recent study conducted by some doctors has shown that those who only do 60 days of proper exercise and eat a well balanced diet will inevitably look almost 10 years younger.

Today you will find that there is a lot of fitness equipment available, from used to home fitness equipment and all at affordable prices. Certainly the fitness equipment which seems to be most popular with many people is either multi gyms, dumb bells, bar bells, skipping ropes, rowing machines, treadmills, exercise bikes, balance boards, Swiss balls, resistance bands and punch bags along with heart monitors and electronic counters.

As a multi gym suggests it is made up of a number of different exercise equipments in one where incremented plates are used to provide the person exercise with variable loads for strengthening the chest, shoulders, arms, thighs, calves and pectorals.

Whilst you will find that the favoured equipment of a weight lifter in training will be dumb bells and bar bells. These pieces of equipment have weights attached to either a short or long bar and are generally used to exercise the weight lifters biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, thigh and calf muscles.

However, if you were to look in many gyms and households you would find that more and more people are turning to treadmills which can be used for either running or walking exercise. Also to be found in many gyms and some households is the rowing machine which helps to exercise the pecs and the lower back, and then you will find that the exercise bike can be especially effective for improving the muscles etc., of the legs.

A new innovation in the exercise market over the last few years has been the Swiss ball which has been specifically designed to help develop a person’s balance as well as providing exercises particularly effective for the improvement of the abdomen and back muscles of a body.

Other pieces of equipment you may be interested in are the balance board which is been designed to help with developing the exercisers balance and punch bags (normally used by boxers when working out) but are great for helping with cardiovascular exercise. Then if you wish to look at providing some improvement to your quadriceps or deltoids then look no further than a resistance band.

In the beginning you may find that you are looking to purchase just the basic types of fitness equipment that you require and as your fitness improves you can look at purchasing equipment which is of a higher caliber. However, I would suggest that when initially looking to purchase some fitness equipment go for second hand and if you are some one who is short on time and can not either afford a gym’s fees or have the time to visit one then look at purchasing a multi gym along with some bar bells.