Elliptical Horror Story
It’s difficult making a selection among all the elliptical machines available and finding one
a) where the elliptical movement is good
b) which fits your budget
c) that feels sturdy enough for the amount of punishment it’s going to take
But anyway, you visit stores, you look online and finally you make a choice. You get your elliptical trainer delivered and it appears just fine. Your fitness program begins in earnest – you don’t use the machine as much as you expected but you ARE using it… and then within a few months things start to go wrong.
The elliptical movement is not as smooth as before, there are noises coming from the machine, and then after a little while you can’t use it at all.
Then you’d expect warranty and customer service to take over when you have problems with a purchase as large as an elliptical trainer wouldn’t you – I mean these things are not cheap – over $1000?
Well, you might be wrong.
Read the problems one reader encountered with his NordicTrack elliptical.
What should you do if you’re thinking of buying an elliptical?
- Read our independent free elliptical buying guide
- Take a look at our reviews of ellipticals and best buys
There was a fair warning of problems in our review of the NordicTrack but unless you happened to see it before a purchase how would you know?
I have to say that NO machine is guaranteed to be error-free but with purchases of large fitness equipment like an elliptical trainer you do want to see the backup of great customer service who will look after you if you hit problems.
Fitness Tip 6: Don’t Rely Only on Machines
You know fitness is for real bodies which have to do real tasks The machines at the gym are created to help you but they are rarely as effective as doing things under your own steam.
Anyone who has ever run a 5K or 10K distance outside will tell you that it’s a very different experience from going the same distance on a treadmill – even if you use a program designed to add variety.
Outside you have to contend with the weather, uneven road surfaces, hills, pedestrians, dogs and traffic so an indoor run is often more appealing.But the very fact that you are dealing with all those things gives you a better, more natural workout.
Fair enough, don’t run in conditions or areas which are actually dangerous but whenever you can safely do so, take your workout outside the gym and experience the real thing. There’s no workout like it.
And the same goes for weights at the gym.
Don’t always use those machines which are designed to isolate one muscle group – you know the kind that are meant for those of us who can’t be trusted to deal with real weights – the kind with stacked weights and a pin that varies the amount of resistance.
You get much better exercise which will make you fitter for the world we live in by doing real movements such as squats and lunges for your lower body and barbell or dumbbell presses for your upper body. With these kinds of movements you develop better functional strength and stability in your key muscles and that helps prevent injury during sport and everyday life.
27 Ways to Get Fit for FREE
If you’d love to get fit but don’t have any funds just now to join a gym or buy the latest fitness equipment, don’t despair – you can get fit without spending money at all.
(For those with a little cash to splash out on a few bits and pieces take a look at our $100 home gym project page where we review some of the best equipment for getting in shape that you can get for very little indeed. )
Cardio Fitness
1. Walk
Actually save money by walking everywhere within a reasonable distance. You save wear and tear on your car. And you’ll save gas costs and parking charges and/or cab, bus or subway fares. All you need are comfortable shoes (take your dressier shoes with you if necessary) and walk, walk, walk.
Pick up the pace as you get fitter to make those short journeys even quicker and smile at all the traffic travelling bumper to bumper in the rush hour. If there’s nowhere suitable to walk in your area try mall walking (but don’t get tempted to buy stuff!)
2. Cycle
If you have a little further to go and access to a bike, try cycling – it’s a great way to get about – just make sure you have all the safety gear you need and take care on the road.
Of course, if you have to buy a bike and safety gear this one isn’t free for you but how many of us have these things at home and rarely use them?
If you use a bike instead of forking out for transport costs then you might find this way of getting fit actually works out as better than free – it will save you money. (Might even be worth buying a reasonably priced or used bike for those savings)
3. Run
If you already have good running shoes you can start a running program – you’ll find a great free program to take you right from beginner level over at Cool Running. I used this one to train for a 5K race from a standing start this year. If you don’t have (or can’t afford) good shoes, give this one a miss as you’ll damage your joints running without them.
4. Play
Take the kids to run around in the park (or a game of football or baseball) and JOIN IN instead of watching them. If you don’t have any kids then you probably know a parent or two who would welcome a break while you take their kids to run off steam. Flying a kite is great fun too and good exercise especially if you climb a hill to reach the best spot.
You’ll find more active play ideas over at this site such as Obstacle courses, Den building, Apple bobbing, Leap frog, Puddle jumping, treasure hunts and welly wanging.
Of course if you are lucky enough to have snow in winter the possibilities for play are endless.
5. Man’s (and Woman’s) Best Friend
Take the dog out for exercise twice a day and run about too instead of just throwing a ball to fetch. If you don’t have a dog offer to walk your neighbor’s dog for free. For more great activities you can enjoy with your dog, take a look at this Dog Play website. Who knew Fido could offer all these opportunities for exercise?
6. Step it Up
Use the bottom stair of a flight of stairs in your house as a step and step up and down to music. Or run up and down the whole flight. You can try this in an appartment or office building too (as long as your neighbors/coworkers don’t mind). For more about using stairs for free exercise take a look at this article on Fit Sugar.
7. Fitness DVD
Borrow a selection of fitness DVDs from you local library or a friend and follow them at home (or get out those you have lurking in the closet, basement or garage from the days when leg warmers were in fashion the first time). If you’re already a member of one of those DVD clubs you can always choose a fitness DVD as one of your selections and change it each month when you get bored with it.
8. Skip
Jump rope in your lounge or back yard using an old piece of rope or clothesline. For inspiration take a look at this rope jumping video on You Tube by a Ford Fitness model
You can also get a free rope jumping workout at ivillage.
9. Dance
Play music and dance the night (or day) away – around your bedroom – you can try out your best moves with nobody watching and pretend you’re Madonna.
10. Clean Up
Clean your place from top to bottom once a week for a vigorous workout. In fact you can burn 50,000 calories a year (that’s 14lbs of fat) just from cleaning up according to this article
11. Dig for Victory
If you have a yard get your garden in shape while you get in shape yourself. Here is a whole free plan for using your garden to get fit at Gardenfitness.com
12. Community
Get fit while making a contribution – you’ll feel great in more ways than one. Join a conservation project where there are usually plenty of activities to get involved in such as cleaning beaches, clearing overgrown beauty spots, planting trees, building walls etc Or join a volunteer project for a disadvantaged group where there’s always something to be done. A great way of making friends too. Do a search on Google for volunteering in your local area.
Strength Training
13. Isometric Exercises
You can tone up and build strength without any equipment at all – just using the weight of your body. Here is a whole series of exercises you can print for free (select those which don’t require any equipment)
And here is a complete 15 minute multi-sequence routine you can print out and use anywhere without equipment
14. Callanetics
Callanetics has been around a long time though it is not that well known but I know it works! It tones up your muscles at a very deep level using tiny ultra-slow motion pulsing movements without using equipment (other than a chair or makeshift barre). See if you can borrow one of these Callanetics books or DVDs
15. Pilates
Pilates is another great exercise system which you can do without equipment to tone and strengthen your muscles and which is highly respected. You might have more luck with getting your hands on information about this because it is a bit better known and there are free sources of information about this on the web.
Here is a FREE Pilates ebook to download. (Right click on the link and choose “Save target as” or “Save Link as). The accompanying Easy Vigour site is also useful.
And here is a series of free beginners pilates videos
16. From the Kitchen
Use the equipment you already have at home as small hand-weights. You can use soup cans (still with contents intact!) or water bottles (filled with water or sand). You can use these for any exercises where you would usually use small hand weights.
If you use water bottles start with water and then as you get stronger you can progress to sand and then maybe to small pebbles or coins. Another alternative for kitchen hand-weights are those plastic milk or orange juice jugs filled with water. They are great because they have a handle to hold.
17. Improve your Grip
Don’t buy an expensive hand grip trainer – squeeze a rubber ball or tennis ball as hard as you can instead.
Flexibility
18. Yoga
Borrow a yoga DVD from your library or use information available for free online and practice the movements every day. You’ll build strength along with getting more flexible. Download a free 73 minute yoga DVD from yoga.org.nz to get started.
19. Simple Stretching
If you prefer classic stretching exercises, you’ll find a selection of simple stretching exercises (along with some to build strength) in this illustrated stretching guide.
General
20. Make Exercise Your Entertainment
Although not exactly free it’s often cheaper (and therefore free in a way) than meeting a friend for a coffee or a meal. Why not meet up and go swimming or ice skating instead? Or take a class together such as belly dancing or tai-chi?
21. Use Local Facilities
Make use of what you can find locally and save travel costs too. You can walk in local beauty spots such as hills and beaches – you’ll often find nature trails already marked out for you. And some local authorities offer free classes and program to help promote health in the local community.
22. Free Gym
Take advantage of open days at local gyms – as long as you’re strong willed enough (or poor enough) to avoid signing up for membership.
23. Websites
You will often get a free selection of exercises of every type at membership sites which provide online fitness guidance. For example, the Workout Pass site which offers specific training suited for every kind of sport and situation imaginable offers a sample of 15 exercises you can download without joining the site including the best 4 exercises for a rock-solid abs, a fat-blasting workout and a 15 minute workout you can do anywhere.
You could build up a whole routine with a little searching.
Also check out government advice on the websites such as http://www.healthierus.gov/. Though the information is generally targeted at beginners you might find a suitable routine.
24. TV
You’ll find many exercise programs on TV these days – find a few that suit your schedule in the listings – or record for later use.
25. Charity
Charities often use fun activities (and sometimes really tough ones) as fund-raisers. Although it normally costs money to join you may be able persuade a whole lot of people to sponsor you and cover your entry fee for a good cause.
26. Freecycle
If you ask or keep an eye out you may find exercise equipment or a set of weights that someone is glad to get rid of on Freecycle.org – they are the kind of things which people buy with high hopes and then the the equipment lies around gathering dust ready for you to happilly take it off their hands.
27. Become an Opportunist
Find opportunities for exercise throughout your day. Use the stairs instead of the elevator (“That old chestnut”, you say, but do you do it?). Park a little further away than you normally would. Stretch at your desk. Hold your tummy in when waiting in line. It all counts. Do whatever you can to be more active wherever you are. It costs nothing.
28. Flat Abs fast – 5 Easy Ways to a Washboard Stomach
Bonus No 28 just added – my easy abs exercises course – no crunches required. Pick up Flat Abs Fast for free.
If you can think of more ways then please share here in the comments. Thanks
$100 Home Gym Project
Fitness equipment can run to thousands of dollars. And for some kinds of equipment, it’s true, the more you spend the better experience you have with it – and therefore the more likely you are to use it.
But what if you don’t have thousands of dollars (or even hundreds) to spend on home gym equipment? What if funds are too tight to afford a quality treadmill or elliptical trainer or even to join a gym? What can you do then?
The $100 Home Gym Project is for you – because you CAN get all the equipment you need to shape up and gain stamina and strength at home without shelling out a fortune. And the beauty of this equipment is that it
- takes up less space – a shelf in the closet may be enough to hold your home gym
- is often portable enough to slip into your suitcase and take with you wherever you go
If money is a bit tight at this time of year but you want to get in shape, think about taking a budget of just $100 and investing it in a small kit for yourself that you will use over and over again.
See the $100 Home Gym Project page for more details about putting together your ideal $100 home gym kit.
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