Ask any doctor and he will tell you that treadmills are not great for your body. Jogging outside or on a treadmill will cause impact to your feet, legs and joints and over time it can cause serious damage. Elliptical machines are the far superior alternative to jogging as you get the same aerobic workout without all the impact.
Health clubs have started to make the switch from treadmills to ellipticals as many of them now have about the same number of each machine. A good elliptical machine will give you much the same workout as running on a treadmill but with much less stress on the legs. Elliptical machines give you an aerobic workout with a smooth gliding motion instead of the pounding you get while running.
Elliptical machines are expensive and can run anywhere from around a $1000 to well over $5000 for the higher end machines. If you buy one of the more expensive machines though, they are of high enough quality that they should last for many years.
Anyone looking to buy an elliptical machine would do best to do some research first. When you go into a store that sells them, they will all be lined up one after another and it will become hard to differentiate between all the small differences they have. If you do some research before you go in, you will at least have a starting point from which to make a decision.
When you try out the machines, you will be able to notice a big difference between ones that costs $1000 and ones that costs $3000 to $5000. The cheaper ones will feel just that: cheaper. They will not feel as solid under you and will be lighter as well. The more expensive ellipticals will give you a real solid feel with a fluid motion unmatched by the less expensive models. Add to that the more advanced controls and options and you have a machine that might last you the rest of your life.
Depending on how much you want to spend, you can get a basic machine or one with a few bells and whistles. The extra programming on my machine is nice but I havent really used half of it as I am just too lazy to learn. It seems easier to set up a fixed routine and stick to it rather than fooling around with all the extra unnecessary workout variations.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for checking out my site dedicated to health, weight loss and muscle building. I created this site to document my progress and to tell you what has worked best for me.