Recumbent Elliptical Cross Trainers have become very popular pieces of home gym equipment.
Every year, winter is the time when people tend to slack on maintaining their fitness levels, with the change in the weather and the holiday season accounting for most people’s change in routine.
Quite often, the colder and wetter weather makes us think twice about heading out in the evening to go to the gym, as we tend to like staying at home where it is warm instead.
It gets darker much earlier in the evenings, and this can sometimes lead to people feeling less safe when out running on the streets of our towns and cities so they hang up their running shoes and look for other ways to workout instead.
Best Way To Maintain Your Fitness In The Winter
One of the best ways to maintain your fitness levels during this time is to buy a piece of gym equipment to use at home.
It’s a good idea to choose a machine that will work on your overall fitness, and both elliptical cross trainers and treadmills are among the best at this as they will exercise practically every muscle group in your body while also giving you a great cardiovascular workout.
Both machines are simple to use and it is easy to vary the intensity of the workout that you get, which makes them perfect for use by the whole family who will all have different starting levels of fitness. A home indoor rowing machine makes a great choice as well.
Why A Cross Trainer May Be Better
Cross trainers might gain a slight edge on treadmills here, as they give a much gentler overall workout. When you run on a treadmill you are constantly pounding into the running track and this can cause soreness in your ankles, shins and knees – using the cross trainer is a far more controlled motion, which will be better for anyone who is troubled by painful joints.
Most local sports stores should have a select range of cross trainers and treadmills for sale, and these can be great places to help you figure out how each machine works, and to decide which one is best for you.
Buy Online or Locally?
While you will certainly get a wider selection to choose from and perhaps even a cheaper price by shopping online, there are a few advantages to visiting and buying from your local sporting goods store.
In these current turbulent economic times, many store owners are open to a bit of negotiation – particularly if you visit an independently run store rather than a chain.
Even if you are not be able to negotiate much off the price, you might be able to get a couple of extras thrown in – if you can arrange free delivery, an extended warranty, or for the store to come and put together the machine for you, you’ll be doing well.
Oftentimes you can find good prices on used treadmills by watching the newspaper or visiting your local Craigslist.com listings. If you don’t see anything on the Craigslist site it is real easy to post your own listing under the “items wanted” section. You should get plenty of response in no time at all. Many people have reported offers of free home gym equipment if they will just come and take it away!
More Thoughts On Home Fitness and Equipment
Most modern home fitness machines are made to a very high standard these days, and the quality of workout that you get from using them will be comparable to that from the professional machines at your local gym.
You can buy a relatively inexpensive set of adjustable dumbbells that won’t take up much room or a smaller exercise bike if you don’t have a lot of space for specialized gym equipment like the larger stepper machines or fancy treadmills.
As a matter of fact there are resistance training programs that don’t require any sort of equipment at all. You just use your body’s own weight and do different kinds of pushups, crunches, and other exercises. This can really help you to stay in shape and even lose weight if you maintain consistency in your routine.
It’s not unusual for people to enjoy the ease and convenience of getting a great workout at home so much over the winter, that come the better weather they choose to stick with it rather than going back to their old routines at the gym instead.
