You're not alone - this is the most popular time of year when people set new goals and seek to get healthier overall.
What you may not know is that the elliptical trainer market is always changing, with new models and innovations coming out every year or two.
And today's elliptical trainers offer you a lot more benefits that older machines from years ago - including a more comfortable feeling stride and more ways to burn calories.
So with that in mind here are my top 3 picks for the best elliptical trainers (or elliptical-type of machines) for this year:
 |
| Elliptical Trainers |
1 Max Trainer
This is a new hybrid elliptical from Bowflex. It's actually a cross between an elliptical and a stair climber - with added elliptical arm bars for upper body toning.
The main benefit is that you can burn up to 2.5 times the calories of other exercise equipment like a treadmill, stairclimber or elliptical.
The Max Trainer was also shown in the lab to engage up to 80% more muscles - including upper body arms - than other machines. So you're getting some great upper body toning as well.
And it's also great for people who don't have a lot of time. According to the manufacturers, you can get great results just by using the Max trainer for 14 minutes a day.
There is a specific 14 minute high intensity interval program built into the Max that will have you burning a lot of calories - including post workout.
2 Freestride Trainer
This is a new type of elliptical from Nordictrack that improves on an old crosstrainer problem - a set stride length (which can suit one person but not another - or can be uncomfortable).
Instead of running in a set stride pattern as you do with most elliptical machines, the Freestride Trainer lets you choose and set your own stride. You can actually get strides of up to 38 inches!
It's an adaptable machine that you can fit to your body - not the other way around.
You can also use various strides throughout your workout (you don't have to get off the machine to change the stride length every time).
So you can do short stair-climbing motions, regular jogging motions or even long, hurdling strides.
This really changes the game as your body will never be able to adapt to one set stride (and thus get more efficient at burning less calories). So you're always challenging your system - and burning maximum calories.
Another great thing about the Freestrider is that the impact is almost nothing on this trainer. So if you're prone to shin splints or knee problems, you can still get a great workout without aggravating the problem.
3 Intelligent Weight Ellipticals
Yowza recently introduced what they call an "intelligent weight management" system to some of their crosstrainers. This basically means you get an intelligent scale with your elliptical.
The intelligent scale works in tandem with the crosstrainer to keep you at a target weight.
So if you step on the scale before your workout and you've gone up slightly, the scale will communicate to the trainer. The trainer will then automatically increase your workout intensity to account for that extra increase in weight.
While this system might not be right for everyone - if you're looking for a way to stay on track with your weight loss goals, these trainers may be worth considering.
So those are 3 of the best elliptical trainers that are designed to get you faster results and help you slim down.
The great news is that there's never been a better time to get an elliptical trainer - you have some incredible options that will have you feeling amazing in just a few workouts!
