[christineu]

I hope someone can help me here- I need information on Nordic Track skier for home use. Here are my questions:

Does anyone have any recomendation on the different models?

What features are 'essential' and which are just 'convenent'?

Anyone used them longterm? How do you like it after a year, 2 years....?

I will be looking for a used one- has anyone had any luck getting one off from E-bay or other any other on-line places? Other places to get them used?

What is the price range for used one? ANything to watch for in particular on used ones?

Can you give me an idea on the footprint size when not in use versus when in use?

Noise level?


Anything else I need to be aware of with them?


I am getting one on the recomendation of one of my doctors- due to a complicated knee problem I am pretty limited when it comes to aerobic exercise- I have severe arthritis on the back of my kneecap, frequent partial kneecap dislocations, and the inner part of my quadrecep is badly damaged from being torn over 11 years before being properly diagnosed and repaired (if I had a dollar for everytime I heard from one of my doctors over those years that my knee hurt because I was FAT I would be rich now...none of them every thought I might actually have a 'real' problem, let alone a ruptured muscle). I have had a total of 5 surgeries on the left knee, 2 on the right (first 3 in teh late 1980's, the remianing 4 since May 1999). On top of my usual knee problem, I also just broke my foot during one of my many daily partial kneecap dislocations so I am not able to do much of anything for the next month or so while I am on crutches until it heals...and going crazy at the thought of it

Here are the list on things I am not able to do or that I am limited in as far as aerobic exercise-
~no hiking/jogging/running- I use a cane just to walk as it is
~no stairsteppers- can't use regular stairs either
~no treadmill- to much impact combined with repetative
~no aerobics/step aerobics- I guess it is time to give up my Richard Simmon's tapes
~no outdoor skiing
~no jump rope or trampoline
~no cutting sports- basketball, tennis, volleyball and the like
~no walking- I can't walk fast enough to get my heart rate up and my physical therparist jokes about not worrying about me walking somewhere- he is more concerned about me being able to get back after I get there
~no roller blading- have a great pair with hardly any wear
~no outdoor biking- to many variables (and I am not sure I can really peddle fast enough to keep the bike upright )
~exercise bike limited to 15-20 minutes 3 times per week on light to medium resistance at a slow rate- every time I bend my knee to peddle I am stressing the back of my kneecap- it is not enough to be a 'real' workout for me- great to keep my knee moving as much as I can, as a warm up/cool down and to give me time to do my upper body hand weight stuff
~limit swiming/water aerobics- have to do deep water stuff do to jarring, limit repetative knee bending- which seems to the the only thing many instructors know how to do
~eliptical trainer- limited use due to weight bearing on the knee while bending it
~I have an Air Glider but even though it has the most resistance setting I could find, I still cannot get much of a sweat going well I am on. It is great when I am early on in my knee rehabs but further out it is not enough work to be aerobic for me personally
~I can't think of any other common aerobic exercises to do, especially at home


I also like to use the weight machines at my gym, hand weights at home, Pilates performer at home, light swiming/water aerobics, stretchign routine, and my knee rehab to focus on toning, strengthening, and stretching overall. I really hope that the Nordic Track works out for me so that I can have some sort of aerobic exercise to add to my fitness routine to help me loss more weight. So far in the past year or so, even with 3 major knee surgery on my worst knee I have lost nearly 50 pounds- think what I can do if I can actually really sweat when I exercise!

[Rupertsmom]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear how constrained you are with your aerobic choices. My first instinct for you was swimming, but even that has its apparent limitations.

The reason that I'm replying to you is that I heard a rumor that Nordic Track was in bankruptcy (?). If you do end up buying a skier (or any piece of equipment), it's good to know that you'll be able to get spare parts in case you need a repair.

Good luck in finding the activity/activities that you can manage.

[christineu]

Ruperts mom-


As far as I know, Nordic Track was having a lot of problems a few years back and then they got bought out by someone else so now there are not a freestandign company but rather a division of a bigger company.

I really hope I can find a decent one cheaply enough. I am tempted to call my local GoodWill and explain the situation since I need it on doctors advice and I am not working at this time due to my knee problem- I really cannot afford the $500+ for a new one. I am back in school working on my PhD- not to far from you if I remember right- I am at MSU in East Lansing. Aren't you on the East side of the state?

Swimming is a great supplement to my routine, but I know I have to have something I can do at home at any time of the day or night. Part of my problem is that I can plan to exercise at x-time but hten if the inner part of my quadrecep shuts down from pain or fatigue there is not much sense of going through with a lower body workout- I would end up with more damage then help. I really need to be able to get up an exercise in the morning or on days I am at home all day- the 30 minute one way commute to the university is to much for just a workout.

Thanks,
Christine

[MILLIEB]

I have a nordic track - not sure of the model - we bought it about 7 years ago, and it was the "middle of the price range" version. It's still going strong. What I like about it is that I can get an upper and lower body workout at the same time. I think it would be good for someone whith knee problems - I had a little problem with my wrist of all things when I started because of the pulling action with my hands and my muscles not being quite strong enough. It is a great workout, lbut ike all pieces of in-home exercise equipment, it gets boring after awhile. Now I mainly use it on the weekends to augment my other workouts - with the music cranked up! Oh, I forgot, I think the heart rate monitor, calorie indicator, etc. stuff is pretty useless, but I like that I can adjust the elevation and tension.

[ageoldie]

ChristineuI hope I'm not being the devils advocate here, but How heavy are you? If you are heavy like I am you need to be careful that you buy a nordic track that will withstand your weight. I bout one several years ago when the first came out and I loved it, but after only a few weeks it colapsed under my weight. I forget now exactly what happend with it, but I was terribly disappointed, and couldn't aford another one, so just be careful that you buy one that is sturdy enough. Lots of luck.

Also, I have just bought a book about water exercises called Water Dancer and It's very enlightening. You might check it out. I think there's a website about it . Let me know if you're interested and I'll see if I can find the URL.

[REC]

Christineu--

I have Nortic Track that I bought 12 years ago and paid about $600 for. The model is Pro. It's a well made machine that I did use for quite awhile, but it is really boring (just like treadmill and bike, but at least I could read while walking or biking), so I don't use it much nowadays, but every year or so, I do start back on it for 4 or 5 weeks. I really prefer walking or biking outside. The reason I bought a ski machine over other indoor equipement is that you could get the most full body workout on this than the other options. A rowing machine would come in a close second, in my book.

However, I do believe of all the ski machines available, I still made the best ski machine choice. There was one at our gym and it was used a lot and I never saw it broken. I did invest in a book rack for it and although hard to read while skiing (your body is moving a bit), I thought that was a good idea.

It is a great workout and I don't even use the upper body part, as the lower body movement is enough to raise my heart level. It's easy on the knees and fairly quiet. The footprint folded up and leaning against the wall is about 24" wide, 17" deep, and about 4 1/2 feet tall. Sometimes, I just put it in my closet (bad choice--out of sight, out of mind). I find that I'm more likely to use it if I place a fan nearly to cool me down and a TV to keep me entertained (but I don't like TV, which is why I'd rather read). Or, a good CD is nice.

If you do buy a ski machine, I'd say the important things(besides the obvious) to look for are independant skis, where each ski moves independently of the other. Also make sure the skiis and the upper body each have adjustable tension. If you think you'll be getting very strong and aerobic, an elevation option is a good idea. Like Millie, I don't use the speed monitor.

REC

[christineu]

Thanks everyone-

I did check the weight limit on a Precor one and it was listed as 250 which is pretty standard for home equipment. I am under that and at about the same weight I was when I used my roommates year ago though with a broken foot it is hard to weight myself with all the swelling and balancing on one leg.

Rec & Millieb- thanks for the info- I know it is not the most exciting form of exercise but when it is the only thing I can do regularly for the rest of my life I don't have much of a choice. I will still do a little on the bike though it would would be more of a warm up then anything with the low resistance I have to use and I will go to the pool a few times per month to varry what I can do. It is amazing when they start talking about not being able to do anything at all how attractive any type of exercise becomes. I figure it will be a good time to listen to a CD with relaxing music since reading is going to be pretty much out- with my knee I have to think a lot about how to fire the muscles so I can't do anything else that distracts me too much-lol- no walking and chewing gum for me without using my cane is my new joke.

Chris

[MILLIEB]

I read on line on his web site that Richard Simmons is coming out with a new sit and exercise video - you may want to check out some chair aerobics tapes also to mix things up. Collagevideo.com has a section of chair aerobics - Richard Simmons said a couple of weeks ago that they had just finished filming his, so it should be coming out soon. Just another thought -

[REC]

Christine,

I have bad knees also, but not as bad as your knee problems. (Sorry to hear about them.) The nordic track never bothered my knees. You mentioned Pilates. It's a great exercise and easy on the knees, but not aerobic. Great to use in combo with a nordic track, though.

You may also want to look into oxysize, a breathing exercise which is very aerobic. I have the tapes and have done them once, but it did get my heart racing. (When I do yoga, I know I can also get my heart going faster by deep breathing with my poses. ) The body flex system is also a similar breathing system.

Perhaps there is a gym that has a ski machine that you can join for a month, so you can try the machine out "in real life".

[MrsJim]

Can't believe that no one has suggested checking ebay - you can probably get a sweet deal on a used Nordic Track - just do your research - the company does exist at http://www.nordictrack.com/ - there's a retail locator on the site.

I'd suggest finding a retailer near you, trying a machine out and seeing whether it's what you want to do. THEN hit the web and find a super deal on a used NordicTrack!

There is so much lightly used exercise equipment on eBay you should be able to get a terrific deal!

[christineu]

I checked out EBay since there were none for sale locally to me. The model I want- the Pro- was going for about $150-200+ with shiping. I was starting to think that I was going to have to get a cheaper one to start with since I could not even find a local retailer with them availible to try. I needed the Pro or higher as it has the elevation/grade/front height adjustmetn thingy- certain angle my knee does better at then others and it allow me to make it more difficult over time by increasing the grade- nothing like skiing uphill for a workout!

Then today I remembered that Play It Again Sports locations in Indiana carried used exercise equipment- the ones in Michigan do not for some reason. I ended up driving 300 miles rounds trip but I was able to buy one there for $50- much less then EBay and I got to try it first- though it was interesting with my broken foot-lol. I figure this one may not be the best one overall but it is good enough to get me started and the price is low enough that if it doesn't work I am not out a lot of money. Heck, I could shine it up and sell it on EBay if I have to-lol! The ohter idea is that if I want a newer one having the older Pro for spare parts may come in handy over time too.

Now I have 3-4 weeks to clean it up and polish until I am actually allowed to really try it <sigh>- how can I be good that long?!? Not being able to exercise actually make me want to do it that much more- never in a million years did I think I would become an 'exercise junkie'

Christine

[MILLIEB]

Congratulations! Let us know how it goes and if you want any ideas on making the workout more interesting after the "new" has worn off, let me know. I play all kinds of games on mine!

[gsc4]

Glad you found your Nordictrac. It sounds like the best option for you. Have you considered using it arms only until your foot heals? It might not be the best form of aerobic exercise, but you could do it at home and anything is better then nothing.

Years ago I belonged to a big health club that had an upper-body only aerobic exercise machine. You sat on it like a chair and it had arm things you pushed around in circles. Kind of like an upside down exercise cycle powered by your arms only. It had variable resistance also. It was designed specifically for people with mobility problems. I tried it once and it did get my heart rate elevated. It was a weird feeling, but you can get used to anything. So keep your eyes open and maybe ask a physical therapist. It might be your only option if the Nordictrac doesn't work out.

Good Luck. I admire your determination to keep searching until you find something you can manage.

[MILLIEB]

gsc4 - I remember my dad used to do that to build up his arms - he'd sit on the floor behind his exercise bike and pedal with his arms. Of course, his arms were longer than mine are, I'm not sure I could reach the pedals. But I do remember he used to sweat up a storm! Richard Simmons said in his article on taping his "arms only" aerobics tapes that he got quite a workout! And let's not forget those armchair basketball players and marathon wheelchair guys! I know I've seen a man pedaling a recumbunt arm bike around town, so the stuff is out there if you can find it. We're lucky now to live in a time where there are fitness options for everyone, no matter what the difficulty and it makes me grateful everyday that I can get up and move!

[MrsJim]

...Jim and I go to cycling events quite a lot, and we have seen some of those wheelchair athletes - they are amazing! They have such amazing strength - not to mention total guts.

Millie's post also reminded me of Mark Wellman, who is also truly amazing - he's paralyzed from the chest down - yet climbed the face of El Capitan in Yosemite using the strength of his arms! We saw him at a lecture in Yosemite Park. What a guy!