Gazelle Exercise Machine Review
You probably know the gazelle exercise machine best because of its high energy inventor, Tony Little. If you have ever seen late night infomercials where Tony Little and his fellow fitness enthusiasts climb aboard various models of gazelle exercise equipment, you are probably wondering exactly how good of a workout these people are getting, and if the machine is really worth the money. We wondered the same things, and decided to indulge our curiosities by testing the gazelle exercise machine for ourselves.
How it works
Tony Little claims that the gazelle provides a quality cardio and strength workout while minimizing stress on joints. To operate the gazelle, the user stands with one foot on each foot plate, each hand grasping an arm lever. The person then swings his legs and arms back and forth in a scissoring motion. Some models of gazelle exercise equipment are fitted with pistons that can be used to vary the amount of resistance to increase aerobic intensity. The infomercial also explains that the user can do variations by leaning forward, leaning backward, bending knees, or releasing the arm levers.
Problems
Although the people on the infomercial appear to be getting a quality workout, most users (ourselves included) feel that the gazelle exercise machine does not live up to its promises due to these drawbacks:
 | Unnatural motion. Many people purchase gazelle exercise equipment expecting it to resemble an elliptical trainer – the gazelle’s motions, however, are not the same as an elliptical. The gazelle’s motion is unnatural, and it can be difficult just to balance on the plates. Who can focus on working out when they are worried about falling off of the machine? |
| Lack of results. Despite working out for an hour several times per week, many people did not lose weight or build muscle while using gazelle exercise equipment. Many people could not even reach their target heart rate on the gazelle. |
| Impractical design. The piston resistance mechanism is impractical and frustrating. In order to change resistance levels, the user must stop his workout, dismount the machine, change the pistons, then get back on the machine and resume his workout. Besides being a hassle, frequent stopping is counterproductive to aerobic conditioning. |
| Little variability. The “variations” do not really change up the basic action enough to truly provide variety or added benefit. |
| Foot pedal problems. Quite a few people noted foot numbness after 20 or 30 minutes on a gazelle exercise machine, and others reported that their feet frequently slid around on the foot plates. |
| Injury. The gazelle is not recommended for people who have had, or who do have, any knee or foot pain, as gazelle exercise equipment has been shown to aggravate these areas if they are already inflamed. |
Worth the money?
Although the gazelle exercise machine is priced to
sell, we feel that anyone who is serious about their health and fitness
would be much better served by a quality piece of home fitness equipment
like a treadmill or home gym. A quality treadmill or home gym will cost
a little more, but in the long run, it will be well worth it. With a
treadmill or home gym, you will be purchasing a versatile piece of
equipment that will help you reach your goals for many years instead of
a rather large, heavy contraption that does not give you results and
which may even injure you. To discover more about our top recommended
Smooth Treadmills
and
Bowflex Home Gyms,
please visit these websites where you can learn about various models and their benefits.
More than the gazelle exercise
machine on our benefits of exercise page