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WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A STEPPER.
MAIN BENEFITS.
In recent years steppers have lost popularity and only a few models are now
available. They have been in the main superseded by cross trainers due to the
fact they cause less stress on the knees. People looking for a demanding workout
may opt for a stepper. They are suitable for moderate to high levels of fitness
but not really beginners. I would say they are probably not the best choice
for older people as they maybe a little to taxing even on the easiest level.
Steppers will improve general health in many ways. When used at a comfortable
level for 30 minutes 3 times per week they will reduce blood pressure, reduce
the risk of heart problems, reduce the risk of diabetes, and help lower body
fat levels. When used at a low to moderate level they are good for body fat
loss. This is due to the fact they are quite low impact so not much muscle tissue
will lost when training at low and medium levels. When used effectively steppers
are an excellent tool for cardiovascular fitness and fat loss. Many people however
either use too small a range of movement and/or lean their weight forward on
the machine. The first reduces the intensity of the workout, the second does
as well and can also cause back problems as the user is not keeping the spine
upright in an aligned position. Therefore if a stepper is the machine of your
choice make sure you keep upright and use a full range of movement. Steppers
would be a good choice as a second piece of fitness equipment to add variety.
Some models fold.
An item fairly new to the market is the mini stepper. These are very popular
possibly due to the fact they are very portable and can be stored in a cupboard
or under a bed. They are also popular due to the fact they work to tone the
inner and outer thighs. As they have no handles the user has to stay upright.
They are very effective but do require a moderate level of balance and fitness
to start with.
KEY FEATURES.
1. WARRANTY.
First of all it would be wise to decide how long you intend to keep the Elliptical.
If you think you will change it in a few years for an updated model or different
type of equipment then the length of warranty is not as critical. If however
you think you will keep for a long time then go for a model with a good warranty.
Also consider the parts and labour cover this usually ranges from 1 to 3 years.
2. RESISTANCE LEVELS.
This indicates the range of resistance levels the machine is capable of. The
lower the value the easier it is to move the stepper through the movement. The
higher the value the harder it is to move the stepper through the movement.
Obviously the more levels of resistance there are the more variety available.
You could use a low resistance level at high speed to increase the heart rate.
Or you could use a high resistance level at low speed to increase the heart
rate. The second option will also improve muscle tone in the lower parts of
the body, but will not increase stress impact.
3. MAXIMUM WEIGHT OF USER.
Quite explanatory just ensure you select a stepper or mini stepper with a heavy
enough weight limit. There is a little more to this though the more sturdy and
robust model’s tend to have heavier user weight limits. So even if you
are no where near the top limit it may be worth considering as an indication
of the robustness of the machine.
4. PROGRAMS.
Most machines except the very basic will have some form of program. Some have
as many as 22! I will describe below the different types. The main benefits
are variety, safety, effectiveness of training, detailed feedback of progress
and individual monitoring of progress. Some models offer a recovery mode; although
this is not a program it measures how quickly the heart rate decreases after
training and is a recognised measure of fitness level.
MANUAL. The user varies all the components. I.e. Speed, time and incline.
PRE-SET PROGRAMS. Set by the computer. For example Hill run or Weight Loss.
These are fixed in time length and the computer will vary the speed and incline.
On some models it is possible to increase or decrease the speed and incline.
HEART RATE PROGRAMS. These are probably the safest and also most effective method
of training. The user chooses a target heart rate zone and the machine will
increase or decrease speed or incline to ensure the heart rate is kept within
the zone.
USER PROGRAMS. This is the ability of the computer to store individual data
for people and store and retrieve the programs they have designed themselves.
Some models will only store 1 set of data, some will store 5.
RECOMMENDED MODELS.
BENY VULCAN STEPPER 124.99
REEBOK MINI STEPPER 49.99
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