Elliptical machines, also commonly known as elliptical trainers, maximize exercise potential by eliminating impact injuries.

No exercise equipment today is better for your health and the health of your joints than an elliptical machine. This machine is intended to provide a quality cardiovascular exercise for its users. It is the closest that you will probably ever get to exercising without gravity.

Elliptical trainers are not intended for building muscle but for maintaining health.  Running or jogging on cement is detrimental to your total joint health, especially to the legs. Cartilage depletion is a very serious problem and can cause severe pain. Cartilage is a dense connective tissue, and when it is damaged, it repairs very slowly, if at all. Prevention is the best method of preservation of this vital tissue.

Treadmills are a popular alternative to outside exercise; however, these machines can induce the same injuries to your body as cement. Although the treadmill itself was actually created to have a softer surface, the act of jogging or walking heavily, in conjunction with your body weight and gravity, still damages joints. Knees are especially victims of this good-intention form of exercise.

The patella, known more commonly as the knee cap, is compressed between the thigh bone (femur) and the tibia and fibula. Imagine the abuse jogging inflicts on this vital joint. Cartilage is nature’s first and only set of break pads for our joints, and once they are damaged or gone, our mobility is gone.

We must preserve these precious joints for as long as possible. With life expectancy continually increasing well into the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, it is vital that we protect our joints so that they will function well into later years of life.

Provide yourself with the highest quality of cardiovascular exercise by purchasing an elliptical machine. Most users compare the feel of an elliptical to walking on sand, and you’ll experience no impact exercise with all the aerobic benefits you need during an elliptical workout.

No other exercise equipment is available to you with such impact injury protection outside of a swimming pool. It is a smart investment for your wallet and for your body.

If you have yet to experience the feel of an elliptical, try a one-day gym membership so you can get the feel for one before you make your purchase. Once you start, you won’t want to stop this amazing exercise that is sure to leave your joints pain-free.

We are conducting and publishing elliptical trainers reviews to help you in your search for real information and feedback from actual users.  We intend to do reviews on all the major brands including Schwinn, Horizon, Sole, Ironman and more.

Depending on when you are reading this there may already be a button right here in this article that will take you directly to the elliptical trainer reviews that we currently have available.

Our reviews of elliptical trainers will be clearly organized into sections to give you a common format when comparing your options.  They will start with a product image and overall description of the particular elliptical trainer.

The next level will have a 5 star rating system based on our research and feedback from actual users of the elliptical trainer. We will include direct quotes from real users of the products found from reputable sources, not from sites that are raving about the product just because they want to sell you something!

Next we will provide information about the manufacturer of the product, and like any good elliptical trainer review, there will of course be a review of the product specifications.

Lastly we will of course include the price at time of writing, and the return policy and warranty information.

We hope these unbiased elliptical trainer reviews will help you get organized with side by side comparisons that will help you decide which brand and model of elliptical trainer is right for you.

An elliptical exercise machine is similar to a treadmill in some ways, they both provide you with a cardiovascular workout. However, this machine, also known as an elliptical cross trainer, provides it with less impact which is easier on your joints.

This makes it safer to use for people of all ages and in particular for people with joint problems to use an elliptical exercise machine.  They can be somewhat more expensive than other cardio machines, but they offer a full body workout with very little strain on your joints.

An elliptical machine looks like a hybrid between a stationary bike, a stair master, and a treadmill.  There is a central wheel with a belt around it that can be adjusted to provide more or less resistance.  The resistance bands can be adjusted during your workout to simulate hills and other obstacles.

An elliptical exercise machine works on your entire body and all major muscle groups at the same time.  It makes sense then that you will burn more fat per minute on an elliptical machine than with a machine where the majority of work is done by your legs.  This is yet another reason for the recent increase in their popularity.

To summarize, Elliptical exercise machines are easier on your joints and tend to burn more fat than many of their cardio machine counterparts per minute of exercise. These advantages are difficult to ignore and are likely to convert many more people to believers in this technology now and in the future.

It can be quite a challenge sorting through all the different elliptical machines on the market. How then to find the best home elliptical machine?

We will be adding product reviews to this site over time that will attempt to be unbiased and based on real feedback from real users. In addition to these reviews of specific elliptical machines, here are some general guidelines to keep in mind:

The first consideration of course is how much you want to pay. The price for the best elliptical machines can range between $1000 and $3000 dollars, so you will have to decide if you are really looking for the best elliptical machine, or for the best deal for the money you have available.

How tall is the tallest person that will be using your elliptical trainer? Knowing this will help you determine if a particular machine has a large enough stride size for your needs.

What kind of extras are you looking for.  Elliptical trainers with a built in heart rate monitor are very popular.  This ensures you will not be tempted to cheat or slack off during your workout. The heart rate monitor does not lie, targeting an appropriate heart rate for your age and condition will ensure you are working hard enough to get the results you are looking for.

Yet another consideration is the types of programs built into the machine, and whether or not you can customize them to your own preferences. This will help you to achieve workouts that fit your level and will help you to vary your workouts somewhat to keep your body guessing and progressing.

You should consider the warranty period, does the company stand behind its product? Look for at least a 3 year warranty and see if you can find information on the companies track record both in honoring its warranties and in the overall reliability of their products.

Keep all these things in mind and you will be well on your way to finding the best home elliptical machine for you. That is to say one that includes all of your must have features, is from a reliable company, and fits into your price range.

An elliptical cross trainer is a piece of equipment that focuses on providing a great cardio workout but also gives you a great upper and lower body workout along the way.  The low impact nature of these workouts make them quite safe to use even for those of you that often have sore tendons and joints after using more conventional exercise machines.

If you are purchasing an elliptical cross trainer for use in your home, then the size of the machine may be a factor. Make sure you have a place in your home to use and store your new machine that will accommodate the size of the machine you are considering.

Speaking of size, you also need to be sure that your stride will fit into the specifications of your new elliptical cross trainer.  A very tall person may need to consider a larger machine to accommodate their larger stride length.

The pedals should also be comfortable for your shoe size and have non-slip pads to avoid slipping during your work out. Also check the maximum weight the machine is rated for. Some machines are not designed to accommodate a person over 200 pounds.

Another thing to consider when buying an elliptical cross trainer is the noise that the machine makes as you use it. Some elliptical cardio machine models are relatively quiet but others may operate with an annoying humming sound, which may or may not be an issue depending on where you live and your general sensitivity to sounds.  If you are a person that generally will be listening to music loud enough to drown out any other sounds, then this is unlikely to be major consideration for you.

Lastly be clear on what features you want on your machine.  Some elliptical cross trainers come with built in heart rate monitors, which is a great feature to keep you focused and on track.  There are also differences in the flexibility offered in programming the machine to go through different resistance routines, simulating hilly countryside for instance.

Many doctors recommend elliptical cross trainers to their patients because of the low impact nature of the workout.  The full body nature of the workout is also a major benefit that can lead to more efficient use of your time and better overall results.

Keep these elliptical cross trainer buying tips in mind when conducting your research and you are well on your way to enjoying all of these health benefits for years to come.