Diet fads and fitness crazes come and go. Health and exercise buffs jump at the chance to try new work out videos as well as new exercise equipment. Manufacturers of exercise equipment continuously vie with each other to produce the best machines.

A recent invention that is gaining popularity among exercise enthusiasts is the elliptical trainer. This is one invention that has developed staying power. This machine had even surpassed the popularity of the treadmill and the stationary bike. This maybe due to the fact that an elliptical trainer is a treadmill, a stair climber, and a stationary bike all rolled into one. An elliptical trainer is a stationary exercise machine that imitates walking or running. Running is a good exercise. Aside from burning calories, the runner gets to increase his stamina. But of course you can not run in inclement weather. Moreover if you are suffering or recovering from joint problems, running would be difficult for you.

The solution for this is to make use of elliptical trainers. With this machine the user will burn the same amount of calories as jogging but with less impact on the feet and joints. Running exercise is similar to running in midair because of the very low impact. This is the reason why this machine is recommended for the use of the elderly or for people recovering from back, ankle and joint injuries. Elliptical trainers are designed to work the upper and the lower body. The whole lower body is worked by the elliptical motion of the feet and the legs, while the rotating motion of the handlebars is toning arm muscles and the upper body. Because of its low impact the user will not really notice that emphasis is given to working the hip and thigh area.

Users of the elliptical trainers are known to burn more calories in the same span of time as they could through use of other kinds of exercise machines. Another feature of the elliptical trainer is adjustable resistance level. Setting the resistance level to what is best for you will give you maximum chance to tone the body. So good bye flabby arms and thighs!

Aside from intense work out resulting in high caloric burn and the very low impact, an elliptical trainer can be rolled in front of the TV. Watching your favorite sitcom is a good way to take your mind off the monotony of exercise.

Elliptical cross trainers are undoubtedly the most popular exercise equipment today. Is this just a fitness craze or do they really have what it takes to be on top of the fitness machine chart? The cross trainer's popularity however, has existed quite sometime and appears to be here to stay. So perhaps we should take a closer look, and find out why this machine is causing such a fuss among fitness and health buffs.

An ideal workout is one that would involve the upper and the lower body with the least disturbance or impact on the feet, legs and joints. This is what an elliptical cross trainer gives you. Being a combination of tread mill, stationary bike, step machine and a ski machine, this exercise machine gives the user a total body workout which as we all know has the effect of burning lots of calories as well as increasing metabolic rate.

A very unique feature of an elliptical cross trainer is its very low impact on the joints of the user. The elliptical (flattened circle) rhythmic motion of the feet while exercising is comparable to natural walking. You won't get this if you are using an ordinary treadmill because of the jarring on the feet and the joints. This feature makes an elliptical cross trainer ideal for people who have joint problems. The ease of using this machine is ideal for the older people who are following doctor's orders to exercise daily to prevent age related diseases. The resistance level of the machine can be adjusted to fit the user. Higher resistance levels will assist in increasing bone density thus decreasing the likelihood of osteoporosis.

Elliptical cross trainers claim to have a pretty high "perceived rate of exertion". Because the user feels less pain and fatigue while exercising, the perceived period of time spent while working out is lessened, thus increasing the intensity and duration of the workout. Because this exercise machine can be rolled in front the television set, the user will be able to watch their favorite show making their workout less tedious. The standard elliptical cross trainer is more compact and smaller than a treadmill making cleaning and storage easier as well.

Elliptical cross trainers are certainly worth considering if you want to buy an exercise machine because of the benefits it can give you. However, choosing the best machine that will suit you and most importantly your budget can be intimidating. As with any other invention, knock-offs are major snags. There are low end imitation products that might tempt you. You just have to remember that you are paying for the quality and durability of the product when you buy. Owning a cross trainer is an investment in your health so take care to choose the right one for you.