Not Your Typical Elliptical

Exercise is an extremely important part of my life.  I try and make time for it every day.  But if you’re anything like me, responsibilities with work often take up all my time, 15 hours a day sometimes.  By the time I’m through, the last thing I want to do is head to the gym.  I want what everyone wants after a long day at the office:  to head home.

How great would it be if I could bring the gym to me?  So as a gift to myself for my 32nd birthday, I decided to do that very thing:  I bought an elliptical.  Not just any elliptical, though.  The Precor EFX 5.33.

Everyone has their favorite gym machine.  Some are treadmill mavens, others are bicycle buffs.  I like elliptical machines.  Ellipticals have the best of both worlds:  the ability to stand as if you were on a treadmill, and pedal as if you were on a bicycle.  Even better, ellipticals don’t have the minuses that treadmills and bicycles have.  The pounding from treadmills irritates the joints; the sitting on bicycles blocks the bone-building benefits.  Ellipticals allow for standing without pounding.

But an ability to stand and not pound your joints is what you’ll get from any elliptical.  Let me tell you what makes the Precor EFX stand above the rest:

For starters, it’s whisper quiet.  As anyone who frequents a gym knows, elliptical machines can make a real racket.  That’s not an issue with this machine.

Secondly, it’s ergonomically-designed, which is just a fancy way of saying that it’s designed to ensure a total body workout, without feeling uncomfortable in the process.  For example, I don’t have good arch support, so running can be really painful for my feet.  Past elliptical machines I’ve used have hurt as well. Once again, that’s not an issue with this machine.

Another thing I love about it is its versatility.  Unlike many elliptical machines, it has moving arms, so I truly get a total body workout; it’s equipped with 10 different programs, from the heart-pumping aerobic program, to the muscle-burning hill program; it has just about every vital readout known to man, from calories burned, to heart rate, average heart rate, time in heart rate zone, total strides, strides per minute, time remaining, and many, many others.

And whether you’re a novice or an expert, this machine adjusts to your experience, with 20 resistance levels and the Precor CrossRamp that can move from 15, all the way up to 30 degrees.

Finally, it’s designed with your home in mind:  not too bulky and finely crafted in an unobtrusive, sleek sort of way.

I’m in no way affiliated with Precor or paid to promote their product.  I promote it because it boasts features that other elliptical don’t; it’s simply the best elliptical that money can buy.

Speaking of money, the Precor EFX 5.33 is a bit pricey.  At over $4,000, it may be cost prohibitive.  But if you can afford it, you’ll never regret it.  In fact, when it comes to your health, it’s the best $4,000 you’ll ever spend!

Sources
precor.com
msnbc.msn.com