Elliptical trainers are probably the best deal in home fitness equipment. They are true cross trainers that work the upper and lower body. If you purchase a top of the line model that allows you to change the incline and shape of the stride you add a whole different set of muscles that are exercised in your workout. All this means purchasing an elliptical trainer is a very good investment. You save by buying only one fitness machine that does a complete body workout and you also save by not having to travel to the local fitness center hoping that a machine is available for use. If you have young children at home you also save not having to find a baby sitter as well.

When buying an elliptical trainer you can afford to spend more due to the savings. It is generally understood that buying a cheap elliptical machine is a poor investment. Low and mid level elliptical trainers that cost less than $1000.00 will have fewer features and have less reliability. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting for parts and repairs to fix your trainer. All the time you lose fitness and you lose money traveling to the local YMCA or fitness center to do your normal workouts. Even if you have a good extended warranty you still lose time and money. Many times it may take weeks to get the parts and then schedule the repair technician to fix your elliptical trainer.

Elliptical trainers costing $1200.00 or are better constructed and are more reliable. If you think this is a lot of money for an elliptical machine then you should consider the cost of membership at the local fitness center and the cost of travel to and from your gym. A good quality machine will pay for itself in about a year with these savings. It is easy to see why so many home owners are making the investment into a quality elliptical machine.

When adding an elliptical trainer to your home you should spend the time to fully research each model you are considering. Take the opportunity to test ride each machine at the dealers. Conduct a complete and intense workout for at least 30 minutes. Listen for rubbing, rattling or other unusual noise. Make sure the pedals are large enough to allow you to place your feet in a comfortable position. Probably even more important make sure the stride length fits you. A quality machine will have a relatively quiet and smooth operation. If the machine is shaky or feels even the slightest bit unstable you should cross it off your list. Talk to the technicians that fix and service elliptical trainers at your fitness center. Ask them what machine has the least amount of problems. They will know what works and what does not. Be sure to check on line customer reviews when doing your research. Always consider purchasing an extended warranty whenever purchasing a piece of fitness equipment. Most top of the line elliptical machines have good one year warranties but we recommend an extended warranty of at least a two and preferably 3 years.

Adding an elliptical trainer to your home is a good investment in your fitness and health. Buying quality will assure that you will have a long term return on that investment. Just like any other investment you must do a good job of researching your options.