I tried the elliptical again (only for a much shorter period of time) and I think I could get hooked. My balance is much better (off the machine, too I think).

I also fell in love with a new machine - the SciFit Rex Recumbent Elliptical. I didn't even realize it was an elliptical (though I had suspicions) until I looked it up online when I got home from the gym (it's like the lovechild of a stationery/recumbent bike and elliptical).

It's as easy on the joints as the regular elliptical, and the seat is stable and comfortable (more like sitting on a nice office chair than a bicycle).

I'm still going to use the regular elliptical, because I really like that it seems to be improving my balance (and balance is an issue for me - I trip and fall very easily), but I can do more on the recumbent elliptical (and more safely).

The elliptical is my favorite favorite thing! I love it.....I was walking and interval walk jogging and my knees and shins hurt all the time. I do the elliptical because it really gives me an awesome work out without the pain. If you are new to it find one at your gym that does NOT have the arm movement with it. That way you only have to concentrate on just getting the grove of moving your legs, and as silly as it sounds when you first start just tell yourself forward forward forward......It can be easy at first to slow down and start going backwards before you know it and could make you feel off balance.

I had lost 30 pounds dieting and walking/walk jog and once I finally joined the gym and started doing the elliptical I have gotten more than 10 lbs under my original goal. I make it a game, by doing so many minutes super hard fast, slower for a couple minutes, backwards with increased resistance for 2 min, etc and I have seen results and actually enjoy it and by changing it up with different speeds/weights it makes the 45 minutes fly by for me.

It is actually kind of funny I seem to always have these really fit guys that are always doing weights downstairs that have quite nice bodies end up on the elliptical and they can’t go as long as me or as fast......and will look over when I start going backward or kick it up in high gear not holding on the whole time moving my arms so it does make me fill good I can do that well on it now and TRUST me I was a total dork on it when I first started but am very glad I stuck with it.