Elliptical Cardio Machine.....

Mudflap

Mudflap

Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
306
I've been looking at treadmills, exercise bikes and the elliptical machines for the in-house gym. Don't have much room and I need something low impact for the knees. The elliptical style machine would probably fit in the area I'm looking at so is there a quality mid-level bang for your buck machine that someone likes? I don't need commercial gym level quality, but I'd like something that won't fall apart in a year. Suggestions? Thanks.
 
Mudflap said:
I've been looking at treadmills, exercise bikes and the elliptical machines for the in-house gym. Don't have much room and I need something low impact for the knees. The elliptical style machine would probably fit in the area I'm looking at so is there a quality mid-level bang for your buck machine that someone likes? I don't need commercial gym level quality, but I'd like something that won't fall apart in a year. Suggestions? Thanks.
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The elliptical machines are supposed to be easier on your joints, but have you actually tried one?

My wife's friend gave us one, so I set it up and gave it a try. Don't like it. The up/down/roll-all-around motion feels weird and uncomfortable to me, and I couldn't make myself stay on it more than about 10 minutes. Haven't been back on.

You may do just fine with one, but I'd recommend that you try one out before spending money and using up space on one.
 
Mountainman38 said:
My wife's friend gave us one, so I set it up and gave it a try. Don't like it. The up/down/roll-all-around motion feels weird and uncomfortable to me, and I couldn't make myself stay on it more than about 10 minutes. Haven't been back on.
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A lot will depend on how well the machine fits you. I have no idea how they are sized or marketed or sold: I just know that I have two completely different experiences. When I was in college our gym had really nice ellipticals that I used to spend a lot of time on. They were very comfortable to use and the motion didn't feel much different from running (minus the impact, of course).
After college I moved into an apartment building that had a basement gym and they had a set of ellipticals as well. I couldn't use the things at all: they had way too short of a stride and if I tried to use it any faster than snail-slow it felt like I was spinning my legs in teeny circles like a madman. It was awful: like the machine was made for a kid. I tried looking for an adjustment of some kind but the stride was permanently set that way. I think it must have been a smaller machine to fit into the smaller available gym space (I'd assume some home units would also have this problem). Judging by that building, it was also probably a much cheaper machine as well.

Sorry to the OP that I can't offer brand advice, but there can definitely be a huge difference from machine to machine in terms of user experience. The full-sized model at college was great but I couldn't use the one in my old apartment building for more than very short periods of time.
 
Thanks for the replies. I actually went out and tried a few of these machines last night and found similar results. The stride was odd on most of them and I just couldn't get into it. Price and quality was across the board. Still looking at this stuff.
 
Mudflap said:
Thanks for the replies. I actually went out and tried a few of these machines last night and found similar results. The stride was odd on most of them and I just couldn't get into it. Price and quality was across the board. Still looking at this stuff.
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Mudflap,

Glad you went out and tried a few. It sounds like, from Thinkofthechildren, that there is a need to find one that fits. I hope you're able to get one that works for you.

If that doesn't work out, you might just get a treadmill. I know they're not exciting, but I set mine up so I could watch tv while using it, and it's not bad. I've set up my exercise bike in the garage the same way -- right in front of a tv -- or I'd never sit and pedal for a half hour or so.

Gotta stay fit in the wintertime, when light is too short and temperatures and conditions too ugly to spend a lot of time outside. Plus, it's a lot quicker to just go jump on the treadmill or bike in your garage for 1/2 hour, than to get all geared/suited up for heading out somewhere.
 
We are happy with a "Fitline 100", which was purchased from a Schwinn dealer - though its not a Schwinn product. It is big and expensive, but I know its going to last too.

Its good for low impact cardio, and the chiropractor advised that the elliptical motion was good for my low back. Easy on the knees and others joints, as you know.

Sticking a tv/dvd in front of it helps the time go by too.
 
Have you considered getting a used Nordic Track Skier? Great low impact exercise and they can be found for free on Craigslist.
 
I just bought a Bowflex TreadClimber® TC3000. This combines the stepping of a tread climber with a treadmill. It is actually pretty easy on my knees and back. (I have had several surgeries there) It has a small footprint for a treadmill taking up only a 46"L x 28.5"W space.

bowflex_treadclimber_tc3000.jpg
 
Grouch said:
Have you considered getting a used Nordic Track Skier? Great low impact exercise and they can be found for free on Craigslist.
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This was going to be my suggestion with the following explanation:

We bought a NT in the '90's and were pleased; I think that it may be good for knees, gliding motion. After many years one small part wore out. By that point the company had switched hands and the replacement part was not available. After going through the same types of questions of space, type of exercise, cost, etc. that you describe we decided to purchase a new NordicTrak. The new product (made in China?) is inferior in its materials and construction. I've swapped in most of the good bits from the original.

How much you might like it may depend on your exact problem and exercise goals. This is also one I would suggest you try for feel.

My preferred exercise is shoveling snow, but can't do that year round in my neighborhood. :( After that I like walking up and down the hills. Anything that restricts my gait to one pattern is not as useful or interesting to me; I just get a better work-out shoveling for one hour than I could doing the NT for a week. Feel no pain the next day after shoveling either. I mention this because I don't know how repetitive motion is for tricky knees. Stationary bike, might be better for knees? (not weight bearing, keep joint in certain range of motion and parallel and perpendicular to other bits...) I saw my brother do this in a gym (one of those low to the floor bikes) after he had ligament surgery on his knee.
 
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I went out and looked again and as would be expected, the machines I really liked were the ones that were just a little out of my price/size range. I ended up getting a re-branded Schwinn stationary bike that I think will work out fine. I wish I had just a little more room for a couple of different machines. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Annr, I lived near Columbus, Ohio for several years and remember those days of shoveling snow very well. It was work!
 
The only one I found with good reviews was $799 at Sears. I don't remember the brand or model. Beyond that, the good ones were $3000 plus.
I love ellipticals, but couldn't deal with a cheap one that breaks down.
One reason I have a gym membership in spite of a basement full of weights.
 
I bit the bullet and paid for a Precor Gym quality. 5 years later and many many miles and the thing still runs like a champ.
 
Mudflap said:
I ended up getting a re-branded Schwinn stationary bike that I think will work out fine.

Annr, I lived near Columbus, Ohio for several years and remember those days of shoveling snow very well. It was work!
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Do you happen to remember the blizzard of '78? ( I spent that January in a small town outside Cleveland. Grew up in the desert. What a shocker.) I really hate cold and snow, just the shoveling that does me good.:)

Good luck with your new contraption!!:thumbup:
 
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Save your money, get a couple kettlebells from these guys:

www.dragondoor.com

They're cheaper, smaller, more effective and far more versatile than any long, slow distance cardio machine. The high-intensity interval cardio you'll get doing sets of swings and snatches blows the doors off any hamster cardio machine, in less time. As an added bonus, they're short and they sit on the floor, so your wife won't end up hanging clothes on them.

I also recommend skipping rope over any other piece of cardio equipment. Lifeline USA consistently makes the best ones, they cost around ten bones. I have knee problems as well (from being a former serial runner), and skipping rope doesn't bother them. Squatting down to initiate kettlebell snatches has also strengthened them.
 
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