A Beginner’s Guide To Choosing The Right Elliptical Trainer For Your Home Gym

Elliptical Trainer For Your Home Gym – Do you prefer to work out at home and have a spot in your house you’ve turned into a home gym? Working out at home is a great way to save time and money and can be ideal for parents of young children or those who live far away from the nearest gym.

The best home gyms have a combination of cardio and weight equipment to deliver a full-body workout. While cardio can be done without specific equipment, some prefer to get their heart rate up with treadmills, bikes, or elliptical machines.

If an elliptical trainer is on your radar for enhancing your home gym this year, keep the following in mind so you can make the best choice.

Know Your Budget

An elliptical trainer can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand. Before you start shopping around—either in a brick-and-mortar store or online—you need to have a good idea of your budget. You don’t want to fall in love with a high-end machine only to be disappointed when you find out you can’t afford it.

Understand Your Fitness Goals

Do you simply want to get a little more cardio in your daily routine or are you training for a specific event such as a marathon or sports competition? Knowing what your fitness goals are—and how your elliptical trainer fits into them—is important to know before you narrow down your list of options.

Decide If You Are the Only User

Will you be the only one using your elliptical trainer or will your partner, children, or other people in the household also use it? If you are going to share your machine, make sure you bring those who will also be using it into the decision-making process. You may need to take fitness levels, height and weight differences, and other factors into consideration if this is the case.

Measure Your Space

Not all elliptical trainers are the same size. You need to make sure you don’t choose a machine that takes up too much space, making it difficult to get on or off it or making it impossible to have other equipment in your gym. Make sure to measure not only the length and width of your gym space but also the height. No one wants to bump their head on the ceiling when working out!

Know What Type You Want

Though there are seemingly endless varieties of ellipticals, they all fall into one of three categories: front-drive, center-drive, and rear-drive. Front-drive machines mimic running or walking up a hill, rear-drive resemble walking or running on a flat surface, and center-drive allow you to stand more upright and walk or run on a slight incline.

Buying the Best Elliptical Trainer for Your Gym

Still not sure what type of elliptical trainer is right for you? No problem! There are plenty of home gym workout experts who can walk you through the different options and help you decide which would fit best in your home gym environment. Visit a store online or in person to talk with a pro and find out more.