To expand on my brief post earlier I hope some of my research last year on the net and asking friends who exercise might help.
I wanted modest exercise as advised by the doctor to keep myself a bit more tuned up (heart, weight, joints etc) as I headed closer to mid 50s and beyond. Too much hassle to drive to a gym from our rural location and cycling or pounding the roads in the cold/dark/wet of winter didn’t appeal.
So looked at all types of home machines.
Didn’t fancy a treadmill and also they’re said to be harder on the knees… as SWMBO has issues in this area already and may want to use machine they were discounted.
Exercise bike was my first thought but I have a back prone to problems and the way they make you bend over may not have suited. Also the way they concentrate the workout to the legs wasn’t what I wanted.
I didn’t consider the recumbent machines as I couldn’t get to grips with exercising sitting down but they are said to be kind to ankles, knees and back.
So it was the cross-trainer for me.
Regarding makes and price level I found many folks unhappy with the light feel, lack of stability and frequently squeaky/noisy operation of the cheaper brands like the V-Fit. Anyone who’d used pro gym machines seemed to think most sub £400 machines felt like this.
Hence I went to EBay and paid under £200 for a cross-trainer that was £550 new.
So many folks give up after a few weeks (or days!) the used ones for sale are often virtually new…. as mentioned above they then clutter the hallway or spare room with clothes hanging on them. Another advantage to buying used is they will be pre-built (check they will fit in the car though if collecting). There is a significant amount of work to make one up out of its box from Argos.
Bear in mind these machines have a fair amount of electronics to control the resistance levels from the screen/controls. The better ones have more extensive workout routines and informative displays… also when asking around I did hear grumbles about failed screen/control units on the V-fit range.
I have my cross-trainer in a converted outbuilding so I can go in there with some music on and not interfere with the family. Because I like music and rarely get the chance to listen to my own unmolested in the house this is my motivation to get out on the trainer. Depending on your home circumstance where to use it can be an issue…. they do take up a fair bit of floor space.
HTH
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 4 Mar 10 at 09:12
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