Getting the best value that your money can buy is the most important thing
whenever you make a significant purchase. Of course, nothing beats top-of-the line products, be it a pair of shoes, a handbag, a car, sports equipment, or just about anything. But when you’re limited by a budget, you can actually find reliable products that will serve your purpose well.

When I first encountered the elliptical trainer in a local health club just months after it was released in the market, I immediately fell in love with the machine. I was so fascinated about how it builds up a great cardio workout with the least impact I’ve ever experienced in an exercise routine.  I never thought of getting one for myself, knowing it would cost me an arm and a leg just to own one.

Oh well I thought so until I came across the Schwinn 430 elliptical trainer. Of course it didn’t have all the bells and whistles that came with the commercial grade model I used in the gym, but it’s a pretty decent and reliable elliptical you can have in your home.  The manufacturers has to compromise on the features a bit, but the Schwinn 430 elliptical comes with the basics you’d look for in an elliptical trainer – sturdy construction, smooth elliptical motion and very fluid and stable strides. Best of all, you can get it for under a thousand dollars!

The Schwinn 430 is a standout in its class of budget elliptical machines. It comes with a comfortable 18-inch stride, which eliminates the short, bumpy strides that usually come with smaller elliptical’s.  Elliptical’s are designed and engineered to make you feel like you’re walking on air, so every stride has to be fluid. With an 18-inch stride, that’s actually long enough to give you consistent elliptical stride with lesser up and down motion that can probably cause jarring to the joints.

Reduced impact is important in an exercise workout – this is the main reason why the elliptical came to being. The Schwinn 430 elliptical trainer ensures this with its articulating foot pedals that conform to the angle of your strides to reduce stress and strain on your legs. Numbness or dull pain on the calves is a common complaint after an intense leg workout and the articulating pedals on the Schwinn 430 is designed to eliminate all these.

All these features are housed in the sturdy construction of the Schwinn 430. Although you may be attracted to lightweight and portable home exercise equipments, elliptical’s need to be a little heavier to provide stability. You don’t want to be bouncing or wobbling around! The machine weights a little over 150 lbs which assures of this.

For a budget home elliptical, the Schwinn 430 will be a very good buy. Consider getting an extended warranty on this though, so you get reliable servicing all throughout its life.