I’m finding that most people have very little knowledge on how to choose or what to look for when purchasing cardio equipment. They want one just like their relatives, neighbors, or better, or cheaper. What they need to do is figure out why they want the unit and work at meeting the machine with their mandate. This should help make it easier.

Treadmills:
The most asked question here is: How big is the motor? Most today are measured in continuous power. You’ll see anywhere from a low 1.75 hp to as high as 3.5 hp for residential use. Horsepower is subjective to the quality of the treadmill as the number may not be accurate. That’s why I suggest a higher quality brand. For a heavy person, weighing over 225 to over 300 lbs, I suggest at least a 3 to a 3.5 hp motor. If you’re a runner and over 200 lbs, I suggest the same. If you’re a small framed person, and weight about 120 or under, you can get a 2 hp and do well.
Another spec is the length of the track. Most common is 55″ long x 20″ wide. Good for walkers. If you run and are over 6′ tall, I suggest a 60″ track. A longer track provides safety in case your stance on the treadmill fluctuates back and forth. Wider rollers, front and back turn at slower speeds, making them last longer and make it easier for the motor to pull, creating less heat in the motor, adding to it’s life. Most will come with chest straps. They are not used much, but are more accurate than the pulse grip. Where you want your heart rate to be for a specific program is very important to know. This was talked about in a previous article.

Better quality treadmills come with a thick 2 ply running belt that will last a few years longer than a really cheap one. Don’t rely on the amount of programs to decide your purchase. Most people use a manual program, allowing themselves to change the speed or elevation at will.

Ellipticals:

The same can be said about ellipticals and programs. Most will use the manual program, and chest straps are used from time to time, but not often. The biggest question I get is “What is the stride length?” It’s not the stride length that counts, it’s the comfort level of the movement. A tall man may want a 20″ stride, but his wife who is 5′1″ tall may not. It’s too long for her. A good average is from 16″ to 18″. Some ellipticals have the flywheel in front, others at the back. The front wheel ellitpticals usually have a front to back stride, similar to cross country skiing. The back wheel ellipticals have a more up and down motion, great for people who are looking to increase the resistance and endurance, as you get more bend in the knees and use leg muscles more. Again, look at the weight capacity. Look for something that can give you a capacity of 300 lbs. The frame will be warrantied for life and the elliptical will not wobble. Some come with adjustments for height and the pedals can move back and forth to accommodate
someone with long arms.

Bikes:

There are two types of bikes to choose from. Recumbent and upright. The recumbent bike has a back rest for those who have a weak lower back, but still want to pedal. Again, most people will use a manual resistance program. Look for a very comfortable seat, good stitching and lumbar support if the bike has it. The upright bike is about the same other than the back rest. The upright bike is great for someone that’s lacking the funds to purchase a treadmill or elliptical, but still wants the cardio. Make sure the seat can move front to back as well as up and down.

Rowers:

Rowers are designed for muscle contraction, targeting mostly the back and biceps. Legs are used a little. With a lot of resistance, one can do interval training, or row with a high resistance over a long period of time to increase endurance. Calories are burned, but mostly from glycogen, energy in the muscle cells. But the heart rate should climb to over 160 bpm.

Steppers:

Steppers are not as popular as they once were. They are similar to a rower in that they demand glycogen from muscle contractions for energy. the legs do all the work. This helps to increase endurance, but does not burn fat like a treadmill or low resistance elliptical and bike would. They don’t take up much room.

For endurance, do short, high resistance intervals lasting from 10 to 20 minutes. For fat burn, low sugar levels are a must and low resistance, long duration are needed for fat to be metabolized as energy. All in all, any piece of cardio equipment has it’s weight in gold and if used properly, will yield the desired effects.

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