I am thinking of getting an elliptical trainer as I have bad knees. I would like imput from someone who actually has one. My husband of course says I wont use it and it will become a coat rack. I am very motivated and walk an hour a day so I think I will use it a lot. Does it really get your heart rate up? Do you feel like it really burns calories? Do yoiu enjoy it? What brand do you have? Thank you so much for you impact.

I don't own one, but I've used them in the gym. I prefer it to a treadmill cuz a treadmill is generally too short for my stride length...I always feel like I'm gonna fall off of it.

I also find the workout harder than a treadmill cuz you have to work on your balance as well as moving your legs. It's also cool that you can go backwards on it. The brand that I use at the gym is a precor...other ones seem to be of lesser quality and less fluid.

Try going to a gym and getting a free trial membership...lots of gyms do that....use the eliptical trainers there, and then do the same at the stores. Find a model that fits you, because what works well for my body, isn't necessarily good for your body.

Good luck,
andrea

I have one, and I love it. I use mine 3 morning a week, and it gives a great workout. Mine is a PRO-FORM, and was about 350-400 dollars. I wouldn't buy a cheaper model than that, because they can be pretty laim. Mine is great, and I love it. Look around the net for the brand you want to buy, since there are so many different kinds.
IslandMama

I'm a BIG Precor fan!!
 

My apartment is TINY - don't have room for a EFX machine...I do have a wind trainer that I use to train on my bike (it attaches to the rear of the bike). The nice thing about wind trainers is that they take up very little space.

Luckily, the gym I work out at is less than 2 blocks away from my home, so unless the weather is really bad it's a simple matter to go there. I'm spoiled - but I would rather have the big expensive machines (I know they are well over $1,000 - maybe over $2,000) than the 'home use' ones. Besides, I don't have to worry about dusting or maintaining them!

I really love the Precor but in Miami I used a brand used by Stairmaster which I also really enjoyed using! This one does the arms and legs. I had my heart rate monitor on of course, and I assure you that it DOES really give you a fantastic cardio workout!

Ellipticals
 

I don't have one, but I use one in the gym too.
I think they're really great...I use a Precor also. What
I like about them is that you can do say, 30 minutes each
time, but you can try to out do yourself as far as rotations
or 'calories' burned....so if you don't have time to do maybe your
typical 30 minutes, you can do 15 at a different intensity, etc.

And yes, they are good on your joints. Plus, if you use it without
holding on the the handles, makes for a good arm/
shoulder workout too!

I love Ellipticals
 

I own an Orbitrek and I love it. For the price it's a very sturdy machine and I've had mine for a year now with no problems. You really do get a great workout on it and it raises your heart rate rather quickly. At least mine goes up fast;)! The thing I like about my Orbitrek is that it's small enough for my very tiny apartment but gives me a workout like a bigger machine. It also has a lifetime warranty on it so that's another plus. The Precor is an awesome machine and I've read great reviews on it. It was too large for me and too expensive so I opted for the Orbitrek. Good luck on whatever you decide to do but I would suggest you try an elliptical out before you buy one because the motion is a little different and you should see if you will like it before investing in home equipment. By the way we have a thread on here for those who walk, use treadmills or ellipticals and if you would like to join us it would be great. That's an open invite to all of you on here:)! Keep moving.