AEROBIC RIDER

One of the biggest things on the market today is the aerobic rider. They are advertised in many places and are often toted as the best way to accelerate fat burning, lose weight and to seriously increase your metabolism. The advertising also claims to work all the large muscles at once.

Can the claims be true? What is the real deal with the aerobic rider and is it right for you? A few studies have been conducted that may have people rushing out to purchase their own aerobic rider while others keep looking.

The international association of fitness professionals compared the calorie burning capabilities of the aerobic rider with that of treadmills, stationary bikes and cross-country ski machines and the rider came in last. If calorie burning is your main objective in a workout then perhaps another system would be more effective for you.

The workout level plateaus in the aerobic rider as well forcing the workout enthusiast to have to move on to a different machine eventually. Once a certain level of physical fitness is reached the aerobic rider will no longer challenge you and you will no longer reach you peak workout capacity.

There are strength benefits of aerobic riders and the research that measured the muscle activity found that biceps and abdominals were worked harder on the E-Force rider while the HealthRider worked other muscles more. Overall; however, much of the results in the research varied with the individual’s size and how the machines were used. The muscle group that did win out over all individual sizes and machines were the hamstrings.

It should be cautioned as well that many test subjects and users of the aerobic rider machines reported tightness and fatigue in the forearms as well as some back discomfort and pain. If you have difficulties with back pain you may want to take this into consideration before purchasing an aerobic rider machine.

Essentially, the aerobic rider is beneficial to those just beginning an aerobic lifestyle. The rider will increase the beginner’s aerobic fitness; however, once you are at a better fitness level you will likely need to move on to a different type of equipment to continue to increase your fitness level.

As with all major purchases, try it out before buying. If the local gym or YMCA has aerobic riders you may want to try it out for a week or so to determine if the machine will work for you. You will be able to assess if you enjoy the movement and if you think the purchase is worth it. These machines certainly are great for some, particularly the beginner and it may be right for you, try it before you buy it and once you have it remember to use it!