Best Price Bowflex TC5000 Treadclimber

The Bowflex TC5000 Treadclimber, like the 3000, is the ideal blend of stepper machine and treadmill all in one. This power walking machine will combine a good cardio workout with a tough stepper workout for toning, improved leg strength and power and increased aerobic fitness.

On a stepper or step mill you vertically lift your body, on the treadclimber it will actually feel like you are walking up and down real hills and slopes.

The best thing about these exercise machines is that you can use them as separate machines, you get three machines in one! If you want pure stepping the equipment can be set up in stepper mode, if you want a treadmill for power walking you can set up in treadmill mode. If you want to combine workouts go for full low impact treadclimber mode.

All the impressive features of the TC3000 are retained, you have speed control ranging from 0.7 – 4mph, you have 12 resistance levels, and all the standard electronic features to monitor your workout such as speed, distance, time, calories per minute, total calorie burn, and total steps taken.

The TC5000 goes further, now you can monitor heart rate at a glance to get the best out of your interval training or if you are looking for max calorie burn. This model comes complete with a wireless heart rate monitor and chest strap.

You want extra motivation during your workout? The TC5000 provides that with a total climb indicator that measures your elevation gain in feet. Now you can push just that extra 100ft and get more out of your workout.

This machine will remember all your previous power and resistance settings so you don’t have to set up every time. Input your height and weight the machine will calculate your intensity inputs to give accurate calorie burn calculations, no more guess work!

Bowflex are renowned for high standards of build quality and the TC5000 is no exception. With the TC3000 you got 3 years warranty on the motor, 2 years on parts and electronics and one year on hydraulics, with the TC5000 you get 5 years on the motor, 3 years on parts and electronics and 2 years on hydraulics.

If you want to push the envelope get the Bowflex TC5000 Treadclimber. Check the link at the top for the best price.

Hydraulic Rowing Machines

If you are looking for a basic cheap home rower then the place to start is with the hydraulic rowers. You can get a hydraulic rower for as little as $80. One of the best sellers on the market at the moment is the stamina bodytrac glider 1050 rower which comes in at circa $150. This is a basic rower by a recognised brand that has had lots of good reviews in the past. If you are looking for a premier hydraulic model you could consider a Kettler model such as the Favorit, this comes in at circa $400. The hydraulic rowers are not as smooth as others but can be a great start point and will give you a good workout.

Magnetic Rowing Machines

If you are looking for a rower that is smoother and quieter than a hydraulic rower then a magnetic rower could be ideal for you. The basic magnetic rowing machines tend to be a little more expensive than most hydraulics but offer an altogether better rowing experience, additional they tend not to have moving parts that are liable to wear although these rowers need to be placed near a power socket for use.

Basic magnetic rowers tend to start at as little as $270 for a non branded model but most quality home magnetic rowers are likely to cost in the $400-600 price range.

Air And Water Rowing Machines

Air and water rowers offer the nearest experience to true, on water rowing you can get. Most top level rowers will use an air or combination air/magnetic rower during off season to maintain fitness levels. You can get inexpensive air rowers starting from $300 but there are no guarantees that they will give a long and durable life. What you will get is a rower that progressively gets harder to power as you increase speed just as you would on water. The top home rower in this class of machine is the Concept 2 Model D rower which is world renown for being one of the best rowing machines on the market and is used by olympians in training as well as club and amateur rowers the world over. The Concept rower comes in at $900.

Whichever type of rower you want or whatever your budget we have the best rowing machines for sale at the best prices on the net. Click the link at the top of the page for our latest prices.

Low Price Mini Stepper Twisters

If you want more than just a stepping action you could opt for a mini stepper twister. These models are similar to mini steppers but have additional resistance bands that allow you to carry out an upper body workout whilst you do your traditional step workout. If you are looking for all round body tone, want to develop you upper bodystrength or really want to improve your cardio workout these are the mini steppers that will really push you.

Cheap Mini Stepper With Handles

Many users worry that balancing on a mini stepper or twister is difficult. For those individuals we have a range of low price mini steppers with handles. On some models the handles are a rigid set up for balance although we have some models that have pole handles that can give an upper body workout.

We have a large range of cheap mini steppers and low price mini stepper twisters. You can expect to pay from $48 upwards depending on the brand and extra functions you require. The sunny health and fitness twister stepper is our best selling and most popular model and comes in at just over $50. You can view our full range of mini steppers by following the link at the top of the page.

As with any exercise equipment, the key is how you use it. You can get the best results from an inexpensive pedometer by recording your daily totals so you can set targets for improvement. Studies have shown that individuals that record daily output in steps often push on subsequently and show dramatic improvement over even short periods.

Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer

I like the Omron HJ-112 Pedometer. I like items that are simple, robust and well thought out and the low price Omron HJ-112 is just that. With a lot of pedometers you have to wear them on your belt throughout the day but the Omron is more straightforward, you can just put it in a pocket and it will accurately measure steps over a 24hr period returning to zero at midnight, if you want to clip to a belt this is possible but for me, it is not always convenient enough (and I don’t like wearing gadgets in plain view).

This cheap digital pocket pedometer is easy to use. It has a large read-out so it only takes a glance to note how many steps you have taken and it will record your steps over seven days so you don’t have to remember to make a note each day. Set up is easy and just requires you to input your stride length (however as stride length varies if you are jogging or running you can’t really use this pedometer for anything except general walking exercise). I also dropped mine on a couple of occasions without causing damage so the unit is reasonably robust.

It is not the cheapest on the market even though it only costs $20 or so, but you get the usual (generally inaccurate) calorie counter and total miles walked features that lower priced models don’t have.

Overall I found this to be a good little model for walking exercise, it isn’t ideal for advanced exercisers (it won’t be accurate whilst you are running or using an elliptical etc.) but then the price reflects what it is for. In the end I gave mine to my sixty year old mother as it was easy for her to use and read and an easy way to motivate her to do a little extra exercise. So far she seems most enthralled with it.

If you are looking for a robust, inexpensive pedometer that will keep note of your daily steps the Omron HJ 112 is a good choice. You can get one through the link at the top of the page.

How They Work

Although both machines look similar they actually work in fundamentally different ways. A mini elliptical is essentially the footplate only section of the traditional elliptical fitness machine. The users mounts the footplates and turns the elliptical footplates through an arc. The bodyweight is spread evenly over both feet throughout the exercise action and a walking action is produced.

With a mini stepper, the user mounts the footplates and depresses the plates to create an up and down stepping action. Essentially the users body weight is focussed through each leg during each step so more resistance to each leg occurs.

Impact

Both the machines are low impact machines. Essentially, high impact activities tend to involve periods where both the users feet are off the ground. When the user lands the shock of the users bodyweight slamming down through each foot causes stress on bones and joints which can lead to problems over time. Neither of these machines requires the user to leave the ground or leaves the user unsupported. Essentially neither machine should cause impact type injuries to joints.

In a direct comparison between the two machines it could be argued that the elliptical offers less impact than the mini stepper. The mini stepper requires you to lift your bodyweight and transfer it back down to the ground through different legs. This action probably incurs more impact than the elliptical where both feet are fully supported and bodyweight is spread evenly through out the exercise action.

Cardio

Both machines should offer a cardio aerobic workout as they use large muscle groups (thighs and glutes) during the exercise activity. Out of the two machines the mini elliptical is likely to offer the better cardiovascular exercise as there is no cheat option. The mini stepper, or any stepper other than a rolling staircase, can be cheated if the user does not use the correct technique. Many users have a tendancy to bounce on steppers and use bodyweight to displace the steps rather than using thigh power alone to move the steps.

A good cardio aerobic workout usually means getting your heart rate up between 60-80% of max heart rate (MHR = 220 – Age). At these levels the heart and lung muscles develop improved stamina . Fitter individuals find it takes high levels of exercise intensity and duration to reach these levels as their heart and lungs have better stamina. For a beginner these levels can be reached very quickly. If you are a beginner you are likely to get cardio aerobic benefits from both machines, although if aerobic benefits are the goal you might be better advised to opt for the elliptical. Fitter individuals may find these machines to be less effective.

Weight loss

If weight loss is your goal you want to choose the machine that is most effective at burning calories. We already investigated calorie burning in our post on mini exercise bikes where we gave formulas that could be used to calculate calorie burn. These formulas rely on a mixture of variables such as age and current weight, but heart rate plays a major role. Essentially the machine that allows the user to consistently maintain a higher rate is the machine that will burn more calories and therefore be better for weight loss.

We would expect the mini elliptical to be a better choice for weight loss bearing in mind our previous discussion on cardio aerobic workouts.

Muscle Toning

Although both machines use leg and lower torso muscle groups neither machine uses exactly the same muscle groups and furthermore the muscles used are not used in the same manner on each machine.

The mini elliptical will exercise the core muscles (mid torso muscles used for balance including abs, lats etc), the glutes, hamstrings (back of thighs), quadriceps(front/top of thigh) and calve muscles. The mini stepper places emphasis on the core muscles, calves, glutes, quadriceps and hip flexors.

The mini elliptical exercise action is a momentum action like walking or running. The muscles are used to propel the body rather than lift the body. The mini stepper action is a resistance action. Each leg is require to press through the action against resistance. Although both machines will tone legs, hips and butts, if your goal is a more shapely figure or improved leg shape and toning, the mini stepper is the better machine because of the resistance action.

In conclusion the mini elliptical is probably better for those individuals who are looking to concentrate on weight loss and improve general fitness levels. Check out the best selling mini elliptical on the market at our post on the stamina 55-1610 inmotion elliptical trainer. The mini stepper can contribute to weight loss and fitness but offers better results for leg and butt tone than an elliptical might.

Mini Exercise Bikes For Weight Loss

A large group of all the individuals looking for exercise equipment are primarily looking for a weight loss solution. Mini exercise bikes can be used to lose weight as part of a calorie controlled diet. Weight loss will usually involve an individual running a calorie deficit, essentially you can lose weight by eating less calories, burning excess calories via exercise or a combination of both exercise and diet. So the question of how much weight you can lose using a mini cycle will come down to how many calories you can burn using the bike.

How many calories an individual burns during exercise depends on a plethora of factors from age, weight, heart rate, gender etc. In fact getting an accurate calculation at home is impossible but using the following formulas can get you a rough probable calorie burn dependant on heart rate, age weight :

Men: C/min = ((-55.0969 + (0.6309 x HR) + (0.1988 x weight) + (0.2017 x age)) / 4.184

Women: C/min = ((-20.4022 + (0.4472 x HR) + (0.1263 x weight) + (0.074 x age) / 4.184

(weight is in kg)

So, for a male, 39 years of age, 188 pounds, at a heart rate of 90 beats per minute (not fast enough to be sweating or breathing any more heavily than normal) he would burn 6.3 calories per minute or 189 in a 30 minute pedal.

In terms of weight loss, the individual would need to burn about 3500 calories to lose one pound of body weight per week. This gives you an insight into how much diet and easy peddling would be required for weight loss and that a mini cycle exerciser could be used effectively under a desk to burn calories and lose weight through the day. Using a mini exercise cycle under a desk or in front of the TV could be as effective as a regular gentle stroll.

Mini Exercise Bike For Toning

Will a mini exercise bike improve your body tone? When you lose excess weight it generally comes off in a uniform manner until you get to the very last tough sections. Using a mini exercise bike will improve your tone through weight loss. It will also exercise muscle groups which should, through extra use, develop better tone and definition. In particular, the users leg muscles should show improvement over time. Calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexors should all show improved tone and definition through extra use.

The big difference between a standard stationary upright exercise bike and a mini exercise bike is the seating position. On an upright exercise bike the user is perched upright in the saddle so core muscles in the mid torso area used for balance are gently used in the workout. With a mini cycle you are less likely to get this benefit unless you choose a suitable chair to workout on.

It is possible to use a mini exercise bike to tone stomach muscles, but this requires the user to target the muscles by placing the pedals further away from the body than might be usual and adjusting the chair position for some incline.

You will also see these bikes described as table top exercise bikes inferring that you can place the unit on a table top and get an upper body, shoulder and arm workout from the unit. Whilst this is possible, you might be better off just doing a few standard push ups. You certainly shouldn’t consider buying one of these mini exercise bikes if toning and adding definition to your upper body is a main goal.

Cardiovascular And Aerobic Fitness

Depending on your current fitness levels you may get some cardio and aerobic improvements from a mini exercise bike workout. Bear in mind these bikes are not built for people like Lance Armstrong, rather they are best suited for individuals who want to simulate walking exercise. The reason you can’t use them for high intensity workouts is that they just aren’t stable enough. Having said that, if you have done no meaningful fitness work they can gently bring you to an improved level of fitness over time but unlike a machine like a treadmill or exercise bike you couldn’t train to be an Olympic athlete on them.

What these bikes are good for is low intensity work that helps most users burn calories, helps moderate blood sugar levels, helps combat cholesterol, provides gentle toning, keeps joints mobile through gentle use and improves general circulation.

Motorised Mini Exercise Bikes For The Elderly

A special note should be made with reference to elderly users. As you peruse the stores for the perfect mini exercise bike you will come across electric mini exercise bikes. These models actually turn the pedals on behalf of the user. These are not magnetic mini cycle exercise bikes where the bike is plugged in and the power feeds a magnet that creates resistance. The purpose of the electric mini cycle with turning pedals is to therapeutically encourage gentle leg movement to help joints remain supple in older age. By gently moving the legs, muscles are also stimulated and encouraging better circulation.

So do mini exercise bikes work? Are they effective and are there any benefits using a mini exercise bike? Absolutely, these bikes are great at simulating a level of exercise similar to walking which can improve overall fitness, burn calories, improve tone, maintain healthy joints and improve circulation. They can be used under a desk or in front of the TV so are convenient.

Are Elliptical Machines Easy To Use?

Most of the time ellipticals are easy to use, the actual action takes some time getting right and if you learn bad posture habits you may develop niggling injuries and have a less effective workout. However, the main problem with ellipticals is that they are made for the average individual.

Not everyone is average. Before you buy, or commit to a regular workout on a gym elliptical you need to make sure the machine is comfortable for you. Check the stride length of the machine, a short stride length may give you a choppy unsatisfactory workout if you are long legged. A long stride length machine may leave you overreaching and lead to muscle strains if you are shorter.

Be sure the hip width is a natural fit for you. The hip width is the distance between the two footplates. They are set up to average hip width sizes, but if you are narrow or wide in the hip the resulting stance whilst exercising may lead to knees and hip problems.

Elliptical Machine Foot Numbness

An often cited problem with elliptical users is foot numbness. Typically this problem sets in at about 30 minutes into the workout. The basic cause of the issue is that the user has planted feet throughout the exercise so the circulation in the feet slows down. You could expect the same type of issue standing on the spot for to long.

Often users do not use the correct technique on an elliptical. Many lead with the toes instead of planting the ankle initially and then rolling over the ball of the feet onto the toes as you should do and as you would do walking naturally. If you suffer from or are concerned about elliptical machine numb feet or numb toes make sure you use the correct technique, try to avoid wearing running shoes, use a decent cross trainer shoe, try wiggling the toes during the exercise action or lift the foot slightly at the end of the action and intersperse the routine with backward intervals to mix up muscle groups and shift weight off your toes.

You Won’t Get Ripped

If you are looking for a machine that will build muscle this is not it. An elliptical will tone muscle groups, especially lower torso muscles but it will not develop or increase muscle mass. As with treadmills the muscles provide momentum on an elliptical rather than lift so there is little resistance with which to develop muscle size. If you check our article on stair stepper workout benefits you can see the difference. On a stair stepper each leg lifts your entire bodyweight vertically each time a step is taken. This resistance builds muscle. This inability to develop muscle mass may mean the machine is not the right choice for you or it could be an advantage depending on your workout goals.

Low Impact Is Not Always Good

Low impact exercise is often viewed as a good thing especially to individuals with weak or damaged joints, but low impact is not always good. Some impact may be beneficial.

Recent studies have shown that weight bearing exercise can improve bone density and help reduce the incidence of osteoporosis in later life (Arthritis Foundation). Essentially as you stress your skeletal structure it reacts by strengthening bone density. As well as strengthening the bones the surrounding muscles are exercised and strengthen leading to improved support for joints which may reduce the wear of cartilage in joints.

Other studies have shown that cartilage, under moderate amounts of impact, actually repairs and rejuvenates quicker (American College Of Rheumatology, 2005).

Limited Upper Body Workout

We already touched on the limitations of muscle building with an elliptical but we should also touch on the aspect, often quoted, that you get a upper body workout from an elliptical.

To a degree you do get an upper body workout from an elliptical but only to the degree it contributes to the cardio workout and limited tone. Again, the issue is that there is no significant resistance. There is enough to contribute to toning but you are not going to get an increase in shoulder or chest sizes. If you are looking to develop these areas of the body use weights or a pull up bar. An elliptical will help with weight loss resulting in the muscle you already have becoming more defined but any increase in muscle size will be small.

Elliptical Machine Pros and Cons

Elliptical machine pros and cons are varied, but on balance with the correct machine for your body type and technique, this machine is great for a cardio workout that will help you lose weight. The disadvantages are minor and in some cases actually advantageous to some users. The worst elliptical machine negatives are dependant on choosing the correct machine. Pick a machine you are comfortable with and you can avoid injury.

Which Muscles Does An Elliptical Trainer Use

The muscles you use in exercise have a large impact on the amount of weight loss you experience. Bigger muscles and muscle groups require more calorific energy to operate, and when energy stored within the muscle is depleted it draws off large stocks of energy or fuel from your fat stocks or dietary intake to replenish. The best fat burning exercise machines tend to operate the larger muscle groups.

An elliptical fitness trainer mainly targets lower body muscle groups, but also works some upper body muscle groups to a lesser degree.

The lower body muscle groups include the gluteus maximus (buttocks), quadriceps (front of thigh), hamstrings (rear of thigh), calves and lower shin muscles. The thighs and buttock muscles are the big muscle groups that burn big energy, get the heart rate up, burn loads of calories and lead to big weight loss.

The upper body muscles used in an elliptical workout include the pecs(chest), triceps, biceps and core muscles.

The overall effect of using an elliptical is not to create muscle but to tone and provide cardiovascular exercise (improve heart and lung fitness). The use of big muscles gets the heart going and burn lots of calories, whilst the action of an elliptical also provides a toning workout to the other muscles. Using an elliptical, in conjunction with a calorie controlled diet will lead to weight loss across the whole body with a more toned upper and lower body.

How Many Calories Can I Burn On An Elliptical

It is widely acknowledged that to lose one pound of body fat you need to burn 3500 calories (Mayo Clinic). You can achieve this extra burn by counting your calorific intake via the food you eat and reducing your daily intake (check how many calories you need per day here), or you can eat as always and burn through the excess calories with exercise.

The exercise machines that work the larger muscle groups tend to be the best calorie burners. The treadmill used intensively can help you burn up to 930 calories per hour, an elliptical using arms will help you burn 837 calories per hour and an exercise bike will usually help you to burn 744 calories an hour(figures for 195lb male – check yours here). A rowing machine, used with proper technique and high intensity will burn up to 1000 calories an hour, but these machines are not suitable for the beginner or individuals who have low fitness and strength levels. Whichever machine you choose,to achieve these types of figures you have to work as intensively as you can ensuring you can last the duration of your workout.

Calorie expenditure varies from person to person with age, weight and height so to specifically workout your calorie expenditure you may need a decent heart rate monitor that will allow you to plug in these variables to give an accurate calorie burn figure whilst using these machines.

However specific you want to be with your calorie counting you can rest assured that an elliptical is one of the most effective machines for burning calories through exercise.

Perceived Rate Of Exertion On Elliptical Fitness Equipment

Perceived rate of exertion is how hard it feels you work whilst burning calories in exercise. Exercise machines such as stair steppers have a high perceived rate of exertion. The user feels they are putting in max effort at high intensity to complete the exercise. Treadmills are similar, using a treadmill can be strenuous. An elliptical has a lower perceived rate of exertion than many other machines.

When operating an elliptical a number of muscle groups are worked so they share the overall load. This means when you step off an elliptical your muscles are not as traumatised as they might be had you run for the same duration. In effect, you have burned large amounts of calories but haven’t felt so much burn as the load of exercise has been shared around muscles rather than concentrated on one group.

This lower perceived rate of exertion is a key benefit if you are looking to lose weight through exercise. Firstly, your workouts can be of longer calorie burning duration before you feel “all in” but more importantly it is easier to motivate yourself to carry out the next session.

The best exercise machines for losing weight are the ones that you the user can commit to long term use. A treadmill may burn lots of calories but if you can motivate yourself to only use the machine twice or three times a week your calorie burn won’t be as high as a machine you can use daily.

Elliptical exercise machines are great for weight loss because many people can use them daily for long periods and burn far more calories over the months than they might on machines that focus on fewer muscle groups.

Any Other Reasons To Use An Elliptical Fitness Machine For Weight Loss?

Apart from excellent calorie burn potential, low perceived rate of exertion and the use of various muscle groups, a good reason to use an elliptical is that it is a low impact machine. Essentially throughout the exercise all your body weight is supported and non of the bodies joints are jolted. Also because you are upright all your core muscles used for balance get a good workout.

For someone overweight low impact exercise is beneficial. If you are overweight and embark on high impact activities such as running on a treadmill there is a higher risk you can damage joints. It is calculated that when you run you land on each foot with a force greater than three times gravity. If you are piling extra weight down the impact on joints can be dramatic. It is estimated that 75% of individuals who embark on a running routine give up in the first two weeks through injury. That is not going to help you shift much weight.

An elliptical will support your joints while you exercise to lose weight and once you are lighter and your muscles more toned and supportive you can move onto higher impact activities that may burn even more calories without so much fear of injury.

How Much Weight Can You Lose On An Elliptical Machine

We have already discussed how many calories you need to burn to lose one pound of fat (3500 calories) and we have seen that using an elliptical for an hour can burn 650 calories. Simply put, if you only intake the calories you need and then operate at a deficit through exercise you can burn a pound of fat off in about 6 days. Of course, you could lose more weight through dietary controls whilst completing your elliptical workout routine but most dieticians only recommend loosing weight at the rate of a pound a week (Centers of Disease Control And Prevention).

However much weight you intend to loose an elliptical fitness machine can be a great piece of equipment to help you. High calorie burn, low impact, low perceived rate of exertion and all over toning make this machine one of the most popular machines to use to lose weight. If you have never tried an elliptical before check out the cheap stamina 55-1610 inmotion elliptical trainer. This is a small home trainer that can give you an idea of whether a larger elliptical may be suitable for you before you go spending big money. If you know an elliptical is for you and want a decent home elliptical that won’t cost thousands check out the Schwinn 420 elliptical machine.

Manual Treadmills Any Good For Walking?

These treadmills are really made for walking exercises. But before you consider buying one here are a few issues you should weigh up first.

The first issue to consider is that these treadmills require you the user to input the traction to turn the belt. The problem with this is that getting them moving is difficult. You end up putting a lot of effort into getting the belt moving. The consequence of this is that it is hard on your joints initially. You put extra stress through your ankles, knees and hips to get the belt moving and then once in use you continue to experience more stress on these joints than you might with a motorised treadmill or normal walking. If you are young and healthy this might not present a problem, but if you have a history of joint trouble you may suffer.

The second issue to consider is posture. Normal walking allows you to be upright with arms swinging for balance. This puts minimal stress on your back and exercises your core muscles used for balance as well as your leg muscles. Because of the belt drive system on these treadmills manufacturers have to include hand rails on the machine so the user can lean/get balance as they start and keep the belt rolling. The effect of this is that you the user is forever leaning over the machine bent double while exercising. You don’t get to work your core muscle and you can’t walk upright so you stress your lower back.

Manual Treadmills Any Good For Running?

Clearly, having already looked at posture and joint stresses, these exercise machines probably aren’t very good for running. But to emphasis the point just check out the length of the running deck on these treadmills.

Most of the models on the market have a running deck that is only 45 inches long. Whilst this is fine for walkers, for runners it just is not long enough. As you run your stride pattern opens up which means you need a longer running deck. Most people of average height will find they need a running deck that is 52 inches long or more. If you try running on a 45 inch deck you will either fall off the machine or have to run with baby steps!

The other concern with running on these machines is stability. Most modern home treadmills or gym treadmills are seriously heavy to provide stability and durability from the pounding they get. Lightweight manual treadmills just don’t offer much stability. They are fine for a gentle walk but any tougher workout and you run the risk of falling or damaging the machine.

So are manual treadmills any good? You should only consider these machines for walking exercises and even then if you are looking to use the treadmill every day you are probably better off getting a higher quality motorised model to both save your body from the extra stresses and to have a machine that will remain useful over time. If you are serious about your exercise routine you will be better advised to walk outdoors until you have saved the money for a motorised treadmill. Whatever you do don’t buy one of these machines thinking you can get a running workout done. The machine will be dangerous and you may injure yourself.

Good For Cardio

Both these machines are well known for offering a high intensity cardio workout. Simply upping the pace from walking to running on a treadmill will set most users heart rates rising. Similarly, stair steppers (particularly those that are never ending staircase) have the ability to raise the users heart rate. Few people would argue that running up or even walking up numerous flights of stairs will get a heart rate moving up. Both these machines offer great cardio workouts although stair steppers are so intensive beginners would be wise to improve general fitness before use by following a walking and running interval training programme on a treadmill before hitting a rolling staircase hard.

Muscles Used

Both these items of fitness equipment use lower torso muscles groups primarily. Glutes, quadriceps, calves and hamstrings are the major muscles used. Stair steppers place more emphasis on the glutes and quadriceps and the action of vertically lifting body weight onto each leg at a time generally means steppers are far more likely to tone and build muscle in these areas as opposed to treadmills where your muscles develop forward rather than upward momentum. It could be argued that treadmills are more effective at exercising core muscles used for balance as stair stepper users often used handrails to aid balance during the exercise.

Impact

Treadmills are known to be a form of high impact exercise, although some treadmills have cushioned decks to alleviate some of the impact you might get from road running. High impact means joints take a jarring during exercise. On a treadmill ankles, knees and hips joints are the worst areas affected. High impact exercise of itself may not be terribly bad for the participant, some studies have shown that high impact exercise improves cartilage health and regeneration over time, but for those who already have damaged or degenerating cartilage, high impact exercise should be limited in duration.

Stair steppers are not as high impact as treadmills. This is not to say stair steppers are truly low impact exercisers like an elliptical machine or rowing machine might be. Stair stepping does require some element of lifting off equipment and placing down but the action is far less jarring than on a treadmill. However, stair steppers are more likely to cause lower back strains than treadmill use might.

Calories Burned

Because both items offer high intensity cardio workouts you can be sure you can burn lots of calories on either machine. The Journal of the American Medical Association made a comparative study of the calorie burn that could be achieved on various types of exercise equipment in 1996. The study found that at a hard intensity the treadmill was the better calorie burner with users burning up to 700 calories per hour. Stair stepper users burned 625 calories, those using rowing machines burned 600 calories and users operating exercise bikes burned 500 calories.

Weight Loss

A key factor in weight loss is burning calories. As we can see from the above, both machines are effective calorie burners. Treadmills offer the quicker route to overall weight loss but steppers can achieve a similar result with lower impact to the joints.

The current thinking is that safe weight loss amounts to losing about 1lb per week. To achieve this weight loss you have to burn an extra 3500 calories per week or eat 3500 calories per week less than normal. Alternatively you can use a combination of exercise and diet to eliminate the 3500 calories.

Toning Or Stamina

Different forms of exercise achieve different results. Steppers are well known to tone and eventually build muscle in the legs, hips and rear. By using a stepper the operator is effectively weight lifting on each leg using body weight as resistance to tone and build muscle. This exercise is great for cardio, shaping and power but not conducive to increasing stamina.

The treadmill offers greater flexibility with regard to stamina. The action of the muscles is to push forward and develop momentum so shaping and toning is not as likely with a treadmill but improvements in stamina will be far more apparent.

The Final Word

These machines are complementary to a degree. Both offer high intensity cardio to improve heart fitness, burn calories and contribute to losing weight. If you are after tone and increasing muscle mass then stair steppers are ideal, if you are after stamina and a machine that offers greater flexibility in use the treadmill is for you. Using both together should develop strength and tone as well as improving stamina.