Elliptical trainers are a convenient and safe way to get exercise from your home.
No doubt, exercising outdoors is a great experience, but it exposes you to various risk factors that can lead you to exercise related injuries that can take you off your exercise regimen for a significant period. Likewise, other factors such as the weather, traffic and location should be considered, and that’s the reason why more and more people are switching to indoor cardio workouts, particularly from an elliptical trainer.

There are hundreds of cardio exercise machines available in the market, so how do you really tell a good elliptical from another that will simply gather dust in your home? Most, if not all fitness buffs will agree that low-cost ellipticals will never hold well over time and you will have to pay for quality and durability if you want a good one.   You need not get the most expensive model there is – rather you first need to know your exercise needs and targets, so you can determine which class of elliptical trainers you should go for. There are great elliptical trainers for the average home user for under a thousand, and they come from the trusted brand names in the exercise equipment industry.

We suggest you first consider how much you weigh, as well as all others who will be using your elliptical trainer. User weight is a major factor to consider as well as the frequency with which the equipment will be used.

Space will be a major consideration to your selection, and you can choose between folding and non-folding models depending on your available space.  We suggest you go for the non-folding version if you have ample space to dedicate in your home since fixed elliptical trainers have lesser moving parts, which mean lesser malfunctions and need for maintenance.

Next, check out the features that come with an elliptical trainer. Resistance and incline adjustments are important so you can work on the intensity of your workout routines.  Pedal action and stride length are also major considerations since they are the core of this machine. Remember, shorter stride lengths mean less fluid elliptical motions when pedaling, so choose at elliptical that has at the very least an 18-inch stride.

Lastly, we suggest you get one from a trusted brand name. Although lesser known or newer brands can give you a lower price, ellipticals from renowned manufacturers are usually built with durable materials. A lot of research on engineering and design are conducted by these manufacturers, so you’re assured of top quality elliptical for your home. Likewise, trusted manufacturers back up their products with a solid warranty, so be sure to check this out when you make your purchase.

Schwinn and Sole Elliptical Trainers are among the best trainers available today. They range from about $500 to $2000, depending on the capacity and features you are looking for in an elliptical.  Again, know what you need since there’s an elliptical trainer specifically designed to deliver them among the different models under the Schwinn and Sole brand names.