Elliptical, Exercise & Fitness Articles

When it comes to finding the best elliptical under $1000, you want a machine that has the right combination of features and capabilities…everything you need to get a great workout and perhaps some extras to make your workout more enjoyable.

Fortunately, this price range gives you a wide selection to choose from, and there’s a number of really good elliptical machines out there. We’ve broken down the very best ellipticals in all price ranges here, but continue reading below to find out more about what you can expect to find.
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The Cubii Smart Under Desk elliptical is one of the newest “unconscious” trainers on the market, meaning something you can use while not having to actively concentrate on it. You can exercise while you work or read, burning calories without having to interrupt your work day.

It was invented by three University of Chicago graduates, who saw a need for more exercise options in the workplace. It’s advertised as the first and only digitally connected desk ellipticals, meaning you can track and share your workouts, compete with friends and family, set goals and connect with Fitbit through the Cubii app.

Although we are gym goers, and use elliptical trainers regularly at the health club, we always like to try new things. So we ordered up a Cubii to see what it was all about. Here’s our breakdown to help you decide if this is right for you.

Let’s start off with the pros…..

If you sit at a desk for hours on end, getting up only to go to the bathroom and grab lunch, then a Cubii Smart Under Desk elliptical is a nice way to add some exercise to your day without you having to leave the office. It’s very easy to put together, and you can be exercising within minutes of taking it out of the box.

It’s easy to use. Simply choose your resistance level on the dial (8 in all) and start walking. As you get used to it you can increase the resistance level.

The app works well. The Cubii App, available for Mac or Android, tracks your stride and total distance. You can set fitness goals for yourself, you can set up competitions with coworkers, you can sync your results. So for those of you who like to be on top of everything and see how you are progressing over time, it’s a nice option to have that you don’t find on other under desk trainers.

Let’s talk about some of the cons….

For starters, it’s a bit pricey for what it is. You can find it on sale at Amazon for about $279, more than double the price of under desk cycles and twice the price of its competitor, the FitDesk Under Desk elliptical (although that one does not have Bluetooth app syncing). You can get a full size ProForm 520E elliptical trainer for $579, with incline, workout apps, iFit and much more.

Also, if you are used to a regular elliptical motion, this probably won’t cut it for you. It’s a very limited range, so you might find it uncomfortable even though the impact is low. We didn’t love the motion, but we weren’t expecting to be wowed.

There have been numerous complaints about the quietness of the machine, and issues with the Bluetooth not working. There have also been customer service issues. It seems as if there has been some quality control. Our Cubii was relatively quiet, at least quiet enough not to disturb coworkers, and the App seemed to work just fine. So I think they just need to make sure the quality is consistent.

So what’s the bottom line?

Cubii does a nice job of providing a workout while you work, with the ability to track and share your results to keep you motivated. If you are looking for something to keep you active and help you burn some calories, and don’t have time for the gym, the Under Desk elliptical might be a good solution for you.

It’s definitely pricier than similar cardio “machines” but it does offer a little more. Still, we would recommend an extended warranty just in case you encounter problems down the road.

Incline capability used to be something you wouldn’t find often on elliptical trainers, especially those in the lower price ranges. But as more and more users are requesting the ability to ramp up their training (no pun intended), more manufacturers are incorporating incline on newer machines.

Let’s take a look at the current incline ellipticals on the market today… Read More

Although it’s always nice to have the latest model of anything, be it a computer, a car, a smart phone or an elliptical machine, you can oftentimes save a good deal of money by choosing an older model. Sure, it might not have the very latest technology, but as long as it is good quality and gives you what you are looking for, it’s worth buying, especially if it will save you a few hundred dollars.

Without a doubt the most popular brand of ellipticals is NordicTrack…they sell more exercise equipment than any other company in the world. Along with a nice selection of brand new machines, there are plenty from the past couple of years that you can buy at a significant discount.

Here we take a look as some of the older, popular NordicTrack ellipticals that you should consider if you don’t quite have the budget for a new model. Read More

What’s in store for 2017 as far as new ellipticals? Here are the 5 most exciting new model releases from some of the top names in the business. Read on to see what these new machines have to offer…
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Some of the very best deals on NordicTrack ellipticals, and many other brands for that matter, can be had during two special sale days that occur within days of each other: Black Friday, which falls on Friday November 29th and Cyber Monday, which falls on December 2nd. On these two days, you can find deals that you won’t find any other time of the year.

Although you can find discounts on many of the top brands, NordicTrack ellipticals and treadmills are always the most heavily discounted, and that amounts to big savings on the popular brands. Some models have appeared in the past for over 50% off, which is really amazing. Read More

A reader recently wrote to us and asked: What exactly is an elliptical bike and is this something worth buying or am I better off with a traditional cardio machine? This is a very good question and we decided it was a good idea to write an article about it on our site, as these hybrids are becoming more and more popular.

Now, an elliptical bike can mean one of two things, and people often get confused between the two. It can either be an outdoor bike or an indoor bike, two entirely different animals. Let’s take a closer look…

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A lot of visitors ask me to recommend a good elliptical under $500, and my response is always the same.It depends on what your idea of good is.If your idea of a good machine is one that you can get a decent workout on, lose some weight, get into shape and maybe get some built-in prgrams and resistance levels on, then the answer is yes.

However, if by good you mean a machine with loads of programs, comfort features, the latest technology and a touch screen display, then the answer is no…you can’t get a good elliptical under $500.
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In addition to a very impressive elliptical machine series (EFX Energy and Precision) you may have noticed that Precor has another line of similar models called Adaptive Motion Trainers, or AMTs for short. At first glance they look just like a traditional elliptical trainer…but a closer look reveals much more. Read More

Every year, most elliptical manufacturers come out with one or two new models, or at the very least, make improvements to previous year models to make them even better. 2016 is no exception.

This year there are a number of brand new ellipticals that have hit the market, and several have been redesigned and/or fitted with new features and capabilities.

Here we take a look at 5 new 2016 elliptical trainer that are definitely worth looking into…
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