Glider or Elliptical, anybody?

[NightOwl]

The thing is--our old faithful treadmill of 12 years has died after a few thousand miles of pounding and we are going to have to replace it with something else.

One thing we are considering is an Elliptical Machine or a Glider type which is similar.. Both  feature some of the advantages of a stepper but  apparently use more muscles.  

The reading I have done about these types of machines claims that they are as good a source of cardio and  muscle-building excercise as a treadmill and are a bit easier on your knees and hips.

 So has anyone here ever owned or used one?

[mike4947]

Funny you should mention that. Going through cardiac rehab you end up on just about every type of exercise equipment there is.
Since I've got the knees of a 80 year old from a motorcycle accident I've tried them all to see what I could take over the long haul.
What I came up with was the Areo bike. Not as expensive as most of the others and since your ride it like  bike there's little or no weight pressure on the knees that you get with any standing apperatus and a whole lot less than pounding on a treadmill.
It also rather than regular handle bars uses arms with handgrips that rocipracate back and forth and both the pedal and the arms turn the areo wheel (big fan mounted on the front) so you can use both arms and legs, just the legs on the pedals or just the arms on the bars.

[B-flat]

NiteyOwl, those things make a great place to hang damp laundry up to dry.  Just the same, I hope you find one that is best for you.  I gave up the machines a long time ago and I just prefer normal walking instead of knocking myself out for 30 minutes on a machine.  The fresh air suits me better, too.  Of course, if you live in a climate where it is too, too cold, then some indoor exercise is better than none.

[Y-Guy]

I've purchased many of the commercial grade fitness machines, and have had all the major companies test their equipment.  Try them before you buy, wear comfortable clothes and shoes go in and give them a good 5-10 spin.  Don't rush to buy one.  You may find some will cause joint stress and others won't.  The Ellipticals generally give you a bit of a better work out, but really depends on which one you buy.  Look in your phone book for fitness equipment supply, they usually have some better equipment than you would find at Big 5 or other general sporting good stores.  Sears has a pretty good selection of home equipment too, at least worth checking on.  In the next month or so most stores other than the fitness supply ones will begin to clear out their fitness equipment - good time to buy generally.

Steve

[TG1956]

I work out on an elliptical trainer just about every day - as recommended by my personal trainer. I read an article in Backpacker Magazine that stated elliptical trainers are best for getting into shape for backpacking because of the motion.

I was a devoted stationary bike user, but find the motion of the elliptical trainer is a better workout than the bike and is probably better than the glider, although I'm not an expert.

I suggest that if you can, go to a local gym and use their equipment a few times before you make a final decision. Many times you need to get used to the motion of a machine to get a real feel for it. Equipment that at first feels clumsy, might become your favorite after you get used to it.

Good Luck!!