The most effective way of burning calories and losing weight, is through aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise… and one of the most efficient and best exercise machines you can buy for your home, is an elliptical crosstrainer. Providing a low-impact, full-body workout, almost anyone can use a crosstrainer to improve their health, regardless of their age, weight or level of fitness.
What is a crosstrainer?
When using a crosstrainer you’ll be adopting a position similar to cross-country skiing. There’s a footplate either side for you to stand, and two handlebars in front for you to hold. Crosstrainers are sometimes known as elliptical crosstrainers, because of the elliptical movement your feet will be making. A controlled motion ensures that there’s no jarring of your joints, as you will get from running on a treadmill, so crosstrainers provide a low-impact workout. They protect from shear, strain and compression injuries, and as such they’re ideally suited to people who are troubled by sore joints either through injury or conditions such as arthritis.
What parts of my body will it exercise?
As you use the crosstrainer you’ll be exercising a wide variety of muscle groups. From your calves, up your legs, your stomach through your sides, across your chest and along your arms… you’ll be getting an all over body workout. Because it’s an aerobic workout machine you’ll also be increasing your heart rate, and your oxygen intake. Regular aerobic exercise, three times a week for 20-30 minutes each session, will help your body to burn calories and help you to lose weight.
Crosstrainers provide a relative gentle exercise, much more so than other forms of fitness equipment such as treadmills and exercise bikes- you should always protect your feet and ankles, though, by wearing the correct type of cross training footwear.
What should I look for when buying a crosstrainer?
There’s a huge variety of crosstrainers for sale, suiting a wide range of budgets. Here are a few points to look out for:
- Breaking/resistance system – nearly all crosstrainers these days use a magnetic breaking/resistance system, and if you want to by a unit that will have pre-programmed exercise routines then it’ll need to be magnetic. Magnetic breaking systems are generally quieter in operation than their belt controlled counterparts.
- Movement & feel – the movement of the crosstrainer should be very smooth as it works through it’s motion, at all resistance levels. The footplates should be sturdy and secure, and the handle grips comfortable and wobble-free.
- Stride length – as you’ll be performing a running like motion, you should match the crosstrainer to your stride length. This will ensure that your workout feels as natural as possible. Some crosstrainers are adjustable, allowing you to lengthen or shorten the stride.
- Display console – most crosstrainers come with a comprehensive display console, where you can select your pre-programmed workout, or make manual adjustments to the resistance settings. Many also feature a heart rate monitor, taking a reading from sensors in the hand grips.
- Pre-programed workout – Most crosstrainers will be pre-programmed with a selection of routines that will vary the intensity of your workout as you go along. These are a great way of minimising monotony, by making every workout different.
- Power – some crosstrainers need to be plugged into the mains, some are self-powered.
Buying a crosstrainer online
There are a huge number of reputable retailers selling cheap crosstrainers online, many of which can be accessed through our advertising links. Buying online will often ensure you get the best price possible, and the crosstrainer will be delivered to your door.
As with any piece of exercise equipment, it should be built to withstand the rigours of the job – should anything go wrong, you’ll want to make sure you’ve covered by a comprehensive warranty. Try and make sure the warranty covers you for “at home” repairs, or at the very least includes a “collect and return” service – crosstrainers are heavy, you don’t want to have to carry them back to the store for repair.