Getting the right elliptical for your body and budget!


What are the Best Shoes for Elliptical Exercise? 

ProForm Elliptical Adjustable PedalsAlthough there are no specific shoes that are required for working out on an elliptical, there are several high-quality shoes out there that will help in providing good support while you’re exercising. Experts recommend wearing flexible, cushioned, lightweight, running, or cross-training shoes when training on elliptical machines.

Good athletic shoes are important to prevent injury and improve performance. Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to find the best shoes for elliptical workouts. The right shoe will give you excellent arch sport, and protect your joints and muscles while using your elliptical machine. In this article, we’ll share a few tips of what to look for in the best shoes for an elliptical, as well as our top 6 picks. Continue reading


Hundreds of people stand waist-deep on the shores of Rancho Seco Lake, waiting for the starting signal. Emma stands nervously in the water – anxious to start her first triathlon. She adjusts her swim cap and goggles for the fifteenth time, and finally the countdown begins – ten…nine…eight… reviews her plan, remembering where her bike is, how she’s going to transition – five…four…three… She takes a deep breath – they sound the blowhorn – and Emma starts swimming. The first leg of her very first triathlon has begun.

Emma grew up running – she had played soccer competitively and also had run two half-marathons, so she was familiar with races. She also loved swimming – she was always in the water and swam the 50 free on the high school swim team. But biking – not so much. In fact, not at all. But despite her unfavorable history of bike accidents, Emma was ready for a new challenge. So, she signed up for a triathlon.

Unlike any other race, a triathlon combines three totally different exercises – and pushes your body to its absolute limit. For that reason, it’s one of the most challenging types of races – but also one of the most rewarding finish lines to cross.

You might be thinking – I’m a runner, but I’ve never swam or biked before – how am I supposed to do a triathlon? Where do I even start? Well, here’s everything you need to know for your first triathlon! We’ll cover everything from choosing the right distance for your first race to remembering to sight while you’re swimming. With all this triathlon advice, you’ll be more than ready to cross that finish line on race day – and you might even get hooked on triathlons! Continue reading


How To Keep Up with Your Fitness Goals While on Vacation

As travel restrictions are slowing going away, more and more people are packing their bags and traveling to new and exciting destinations. And while your vacation days are certainly meant for relaxing and re-charging, just because you’re away from home doesnexercise while traveling’t mean you have to put a hold on your fitness goals.

I’m not saying you should stick to an intense fitness regimen and make yourself miserable on vacation. However, planning to exercise, even if it is just for 15 minutes a day, will help keep your body healthy and make it easier to get back into your normal fitness routine when you get back home.

There’s a lot of great options for working out on vacation – whether you’re staying at a hotel, a vacation rental or even your friend’s house – you can easily incorporate exercise into your vacation plans. Here’s some exercise tips you can use if you’re planning on traveling soon. Continue reading


Make Your At-Home Workout the Highlight of Your Day 

It’s easy to just hop on your elliptical, set the time, and then just zone out until your workout is done. Sure, it’s simple and it gets the job done. But is this really making the most of your exercise time?  Do you actually ENJOY this type of workout or are you counting down the minutes until you can be done?

Your elliptical should be a whole lot more exciting than something that just “gets the job done.” That’s why we’ve put together this list of fun workouts that make your elliptical workout a highlight of your day!

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Don’t Pull the Plug on Your Fitness Goals

Many of us are being forced to stay at home for the first time in our lives.  Gone are the days when we can head off to the crowded gym for a lunch break or after-work sweat sessions.  Now, we need to substitute rows of weight machines and exercise equipment for the workout gear we have in our living room.

And yes, our staff here at Treadmill-Ratings-Reviews.com are feeling the pain just like you are.  In fact, our fearless leader, Brad Heath wanted to share his own story in the hopes that it will help inspire and motivate you as you adjust your own fitness routine.

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Unique Times Call for Unique Action 

You plan your fitness goals. You strategize a way to reach them. You imagine amazing results.

But, do you know what you’re NOT doing?  You aren’t actually getting started… Yup, when it comes to attaining your fitness goals, there are a lot of things that can derail us.

For most of us, we use the excuse that it’s not the right time. Work is really busy, there’s a lot going on with the family, it’s just too cold…or too hot. Or maybe you set your goal on January 1st and have already lost sight of the finish line.

And now, this COVID-19 situation has all of us in a bit of an odd situation.  Many of us are stuck working at home for the first time in our lives.  But when you take out a daily commute, kids’ soccer practice, and the need to dress for society, many of us are finding ourselves with a little (or a lot of) extra time on our hands.

So yes, NOW is the perfect time to finally get going with your fitness goals.  Not only will daily exercise help you, boost your immunity and manage your anxiety in regards to the pandemic, it will also help you look and feel great for the time when we’re finally allowed to go public again.

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No Pain No Gain?

 Soreness… stiffness… a tweak…a twinge here or there…

All of these things are part of the deal when you work out regularly.  For the most part, exercise enthusiasts have learned to just accept them and move on. 

You push through the end of your 7 mile run even though your lungs are burning and your feet feel like dead weights strapped to your ankles.  You go back for another lifting session even though the muscles in your arms are still tender from your session two days before.  You tell yourself that you need to be tough because “pain is just weakness leaving the body.”

But sometimes, this isn’t the case.  Sometimes that tweak or pull is actually a sign of a deeper problem or injury that needs rest and treatment. And – when this is the case – every bit of exercise you stubbornly perform risks making that injury worse with a longer recovery as a result.

The old adage “No pain, no gain” can sometimes do you a lot more harm than good. So, how do you know when to push through and when to pull back? 

Well, you need to listen to your body.  Some of us have a hard time understanding the signals we are receiving.  Your body might be sending you signals you don’t recognize as an injury.  So, you need to become a bit of a detective to understand the signs and symptoms of real injury. 

It’s with smart exercising that we can truly become stronger and fine tune our bodies to reach our fitness goals.  And smart athletes know the value of rest and recover when it’s warranted.

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So Many Fitness Apps…So Little Time!

Your phone’s app store has page-after-page of fitness and exercise apps.  It’s an endless supply really.  You can find apps for everything from motivation … to meal planning… to yoga … marathon training… and more!

We’ve talked before about how programming, like iFit found on NordicTrack and ProForm ellipticals, can help you boost your workouts.  But other fitness apps found on your smart device can also be great tools to help keep you interested and motivated in your daily workout.

Whether you want to up your cardio game, build and tone muscles, or learn to stretch properly, there’s something to fit every need.

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