Elliptical Trainers An elliptical trainer or cross trainer is a cardiovascular piece of equipment designed to simulate walking or running, while decreasing the impact on the joints. They offer a low impact workout that can vary from light to high intensity depending on the speed and resistance set by the user. For those who want variety in their exercise program or who become injured, cross training allows them to continue a program while in rehabilitation. There are basically two styles of elliptical trainers. Front “wheel” drive and rear “wheel” drive. The “wheel” refers to the large flywheel situated on the unit. In general one is not necessarily better than the other in regards to the actual exercise, however, most will find that with a front “wheel” driven unit is; 1. Easier for the user to mount (there are not obstacles to climb over). 2. The foot pedals are generally closer together, ensuring that the users hips, knees and feet all stay in proper alignment, which is important for posture while exercising. 3. The unit will take up less space.
Elliptical Trainers also typically have an upper body workout as well. The action between the arms and legs is a dependent action, meaning that the arms follow the action of the legs. One might think that there is no benefit then to the arm action. However, if you were to do a workout one day using your arms and follow that with a workout on another day without the arms, you will notice a difference in the acceleration of the heart rate as well as the muscles in the chest, arms and back. With the leg and arm action in play, we can now classify this as a total body exercise. Elliptical trainers will be self powered (user-generated motion) or will need to be plugged in, either way there are usually options for programs and resistance changes. On some units there is the ability to also change the stride length. The ability to change the stride length can be a very valuable tool for those using their elliptical trainer as a serious cross-training portion of their program. A person has a different stride length when they walk, jog or run. This can be simulated on some units and most notably on the Octane Fitness Q47ci where they have a program “add-on” called Smartstride where the unit will actually adjust the length of stride based on the speed in which the user is going. In choosing the elliptical that is right for you, it is important for you to “test drive” the equipment to assess your comfort and body position while on the machine. Get It Now! For More Information Visit: http://www.fitnessequipmentcalgary.com/