Elliptical Trainers were originally developed by exercise scientists to provide a movement as free as possible from the impacts and stresses associated with the more conventional forms of exercise such as running, cycling and aerobics.

As well as protecting joints from strain, shear and compression type injuries, they also wanted to ensure that any movement required minimal co-ordination, and involved a maximum proportion of the lower body large muscle groups in order to help promote aerobic fi tness gains and effi cient fat burning.

What they came up with was an elliptical type movement, where the feet (viewed from the side on) describe an ellipse, whose long axis is aligned roughly parallel to the ground. The elliptical was born, and with the addition of upper body handles to work the chest back and arms, it quickly evolved into the elliptical cross-trainer! Today, home-use ellipticals are almost as popular as Treadmills, with an enormous choice of models…