Buying advice Elliptical exercisers
Look for well-designed handles. If you choose to hold on to the nonmoving hand grips instead of the back-and-forth handles, watch out that the handles don't whack you in the arms. Wide pedals are preferable to narrow ones. Also be sure to look for a model with a safety rim around both sides of the pedals.
Most models have exercise programs that adjust pedaling difficulty automatically as you work out, but some have programs that are easier to operate. Adjustable incline, available on some models, lets you change the elliptical profile and the exercise intensity.
A heart-rate monitor is normally included, but sometimes is only available at an extra cost. Models that use a chest-strap tend to be more accurate and convenient than those with a handgrip or thumb-sensor monitor.
A safety pin on some models goes through the pedal arm to keep unsupervised children from using the machine. Among the reasons to keep kids away are pinch points on some models.
Look for well-designed handles. If you choose to hold on to the nonmoving hand grips instead of the back-and-forth handles, watch out that the handles don't whack you in the arms. Wide pedals are preferable to narrow ones. Also be sure to look for a model with a safety rim around both sides of the pedals.
Most models have exercise programs that adjust pedaling difficulty automatically as you work out, but some have programs that are easier to operate. Adjustable incline, available on some models, lets you change the elliptical profile and the exercise intensity.
A heart-rate monitor is normally included, but sometimes is only available at an extra cost. Models that use a chest-strap tend to be more accurate and convenient than those with a handgrip or thumb-sensor monitor.
A safety pin on some models goes through the pedal arm to keep unsupervised children from using the machine. Among the reasons to keep kids away are pinch points on some models.
