Nordic Track Elliptical Machine Review

By now almost everyone interested in staying healthy and fit is familiar with Nordic Track fitness equipment. While Nordic Track first became world famous in the 1980s for its portable, indoor cross-country skiing experience replication machine, it was highly touted because it mimicked the action of one of the hardest natural total body workouts known. Nordic Track elliptical machines would soon follow in an attempt to come closer to the perfect one-machine home workout.

Nordic Track elliptical machines now come in a variety of models in response to the needs of different customers. Because Nordic Track specializes in home equipment, nearly all of these models will fit in well in the home environment and provide a safe home workout. In fact, much like the cross-country skiing machine made by Nordic Track in the 1980s, the Nordic Track elliptical builds on the the benefits of cross-country skiing movements, while providing a much safer machine to work on that those of the past. You are safely positioned as you slide your feet on the pedals and work out your arms.

Among the most popular Nordic Track elliptical machines are the Autostrider series machines, “A” series machines, Space Saver, and Ellipse. The “A” series is particularly popular as it integrates a video gaming experience into your workout. The Space Saver folds up to save space. Because these Nordic Track elliptical machines are all available for order directly from Nordic Track, you can save a lot of money on an elliptical machine by ordering it directly from Nordic Track.

The Science Behind the Nordic Track Elliptical

There is plenty of evidence regarding the benefits of working out on a Nordic Track elliptical machine. A joint study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) done by the University of Missouri and the University of Wisconsin tested out ellipticals from four of the top elliptical manufacturers. Of the ellipticals studied, the Nordic Track Ellipse far exceeded the other units in effectiveness, safety, and value.

You probably know there are many joint dangers to running. What many people don’t realize is that some exercise machines such as treadmills present some of the same risks to the joints. When your body is bouncing up and down while you run on hard surfaces such as a treadmill, your knees and other joints suffer trauma with each step. This trauma can be avoided when you use the Nordic Track elliptical.

The Nordic Track elliptical comes with all of the essential features for tracking your health and fitness, such as a heart monitor and variable workout levels. You can also adjust your stride to change the muscle groups you work out and how many calories you burn. For example, a moderate stride makes for a good cardio exercise, while a long stride helps you burn calories.

Looking for High Quality Elliptical Equipment

While most elliptical equipment work in a roughly similar fashion, they come in a variety of quality and durability levels. Some of the cheaper elliptical equipment maybe isn’t worth the money or time as you may not get would the workout required, and you definitely won’t get the best value for your money. At the same time, getting the top of the line piece of equipment will not make you more fit or healthy than a well-made moderate piece of elliptical equipment.

The first thing you must decide is whether you really will use this exercise equipment or whether it is a good intentioned, short-lived fad in your life. Also, you ought to talk to your doctor first about whether it is even safe for you to undergo such a fitness program. Most of us have heard the gaudy testimonials for elliptical equipment by fitness trainers and fitness enthusiasts. But these machines only work if you use them consistently.

When you do decide that this training equipment is right for you, a balance of durability and cost should be considered. You probably don’t need a commercial model made to be used by dozens of people each and every day for years. But you do need consumer elliptical that can handle years of personal use. At the very least, you should get machine with a good warranty.

With this type of training equipment, motion fluidity is of particular importance. The higher quality equipment uses magnetic resistance to keep things moving in a very fluid motion. Lower-end models simply use flywheel bands to attempt to keep some fluidity, but not all of them succeed in this. When in doubt, the best chance is always to test equipment you are considering prior to purchase.

Other things you may want to test on a machine before purchasing are the stride length and resistance settings. Nearly all of the higher end equipment make these completely adjustable. But many of the home elliptical equipment models work best for people in certain sizes, so testing is highly recommended.

Of course, the only thing better than having the option to try an elliptical machine first is having a free return if not completely satisfied policy. But this can be difficult to take advantage of if you purchase the machine by mail order or have to assemble the machine yourself. If you have tried the equipment yourself and believe it to be very high quality, you have the advantage of being able to shop online for the model you want at a much lower price.