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ProForm Elliptical Trainer

The ProForm elliptical machine may not be to everyone's liking, but it is a handy piece of exercise equipment that that can do you a lot of good.

For that much needed cardio and strength training, the elliptical training machine is the preferred option to a treadmill. If you look at catalogs, confining yourself to the prices well within the reach of your budget, your attention can be caught by the ProForm elliptical machine. It looks fashionable and it gives a full-body workout without the abusive impact on the joints of the lower limbs. This is due to the fact that the elliptical machine is so designed that you plant your feet flat on the pedals and you go through the up-and-down motion without lifting and dropping your feet onto the hard ground. The ProForm elliptical trainer, like others of its sort, is kinder to your knees and other lower-limb joints.

You read some more about ProForm elliptical and find that it claims to give all the essential benefits of regular use. With it, you exercise your cardiovascular system and the unwanted calories stored in your body drop. It boasts of oversized pedals and extra-long stride length that ensure smooth and comfortable motion. Cardio and strength training are some of the benefits it gives. And it is cheap for anywhere under $1000--and that is good if that is just as far as your budget would go.

Of course, as all wise buyers do before lifting that phone or going downtown to make the purchase, you check out the reviews for this brand. Not all feedback for this machine is positive. In fact, the ProForm elliptical machine ranks among the poorly performing elliptical training machines, according to some. The negative reviews start with complaints about difficulty in assembling the unit, the pedals come loose and eventually falling off, the quality of plastic used is poor and wears of too soon so it does not really stand the test of regular use, the resistance mechanism cannot be adjusted, the hand grip that senses the heart-rate comes loose, and other such defects that would spoil your exercise.

It is very disappointing that a name as big as Icon Health and Fitness, the largest retail fitness company that is already a byword in middle-income households, would market a substandard product such as ProForm elliptical. This brand uses cheap plastic. The flaws in this brand's cheap materials and poor engineering are downplayed by its compatibility with iFit technology and other such downloadable interactive programs that regulate your workout while providing different levels of difficulty.

Despite these bad consumer reports, the ProForm elliptical machines continue to be popular, mainly because of its low price. After all, the weak components can be replaced, and defects could be repaired -- if you have the patience to wait for the after-sales support to respond, that is. Used properly, it will continue to give you the cardio and strength training that is vital for everyone.