<p>Ellipticals are by far the most popular machines in my gym. I cannot even walk on treadmill, but it is just me, I like to walk outside in any weather. I use elliptical to warm up for weights or actually use them when weather is way too severe to walk outside.</p>
<p>Well, I beg to differ about the compact elliptical not giving a decent workout. I use mine at the highest level, and get a great workout on it. I am fit, and a prior runner. My 20 year old super fit daughter loves using it when she’s home on breaks.
I admit that it is not nearly as great in terms of quality compared to gym ellipticals, but it really has served it’s purpose well for me.</p>
<p>An alternative for low impact is a high quality stationary bike. You can get a club quality non-electronic, plain vanilla mechanical stationary bike for $350 - $400, add a basic Polar heart Rate monitor, set it up in front of the TV and go to town. Even less stress on your joints than an elliptical.</p>
<p>At a well stocked gym, there should be better alternatives to a standard elliptical. The best machine now out is, IMHO, the Precor AMT - not available now for home. It comes closest to simulating a natural running motion without impact. Feels at first like you’re running in a swimming pool. I think the next best machine now out is the Cybex Arc. It is not nearly as natural a motion, but it allows your knees to rise much higher and doesn’t teach you to slide your feet back and forth.</p>
<p>I’m not a big fan of treadmills for people with injury / impact issues. That is, to be clear, I’m not a fan if you’re running faster than a jog and even then for some people the constant pulling back on your feet can cause knee or hip issues. Remember, there are 3 components to a stride - frequency, length and time the foot stays on the ground. (The last can be put into frequency but it turns out to be an important factor in speed.) Older runners leave their feet on the ground longer and that means more pulling from the treadmill.</p>