The Nordic Track Ski Machine For Equilibrium Training

According to Pete Egoscue, author of "Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method of Stopping Chronic Pain," keeping your body in a state of equilibrium is one of the most important keys to eliminating pain and maintaining an optimal fitness level. The Nordic Track Ski Machine provides a balanced workout because it works both your arms and legs in unison. Designed to simulate cross-country skiing, it can be used to obtain an efficient total body workout.

History

The Nordic Track Ski Machine was created in the mid-1970s by Ed Pauls. Frustrated by a wet and cold training season, Pauls created the machine in the garage of his Minneapolis home with the intent of helping cross-country skiers train year round. An avid cross-country skier himself, Pauls was intimately familiar with the sport. However, his daughter, Terri, a collegiate level cross-country national champion, also inspired him. Once Pauls finished the first skier, word of the machine quickly spread in cross-country circles. Subsequently, the company grew quickly and brought in $5 million in sales by 1986.

Benefits

Cross-country skiing works your legs, buttocks, abdomen, chest and back. Plus, according to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, it can burn up to 900 calories per hour. Although the Nordic Track Ski Machine cannot provide all the benefits of natural cross-country skiing, it is a low-impact workout that helps establish a strong and balanced core. Furthermore, as Andrew Pruitt, former Olympic trainer and clinical director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado, explains, "Core strength is crucial. The guy who does his core-strength routine regularly is the one who brushes twice and flosses every day."

Effects

The Nordic Track Ski Machine promotes positive equilibrium in three ways. First, it requires core strength to remain balanced on the machine's two skis while stretching each arm pulley against its resistance. Second, the machine demands coordination in order to effectively complete the intended exercise, which forces the entire body to work in harmony. Lastly, the cross-country motion emphasizes a fluid, ongoing movement, which works both sides of the body simultaneously.

Getting Started

It may take a little bit of practice to get used to the coordination that the Nordic Track Ski Machine demands. The NordicTrack Skier Manual recommends focusing on the leg movement first. Then, once you've mastered a fluid motion in your legs, you can incorporate the arms slowly by swinging them in a jogging motion. Start with a relatively low tension until you get used to the motion, then add resistance until it feels taut when you pull with your arms.

Misconceptions

Some websites and online videos claim that NordicTrack is out of business and that, as a result, the skier machine cannot be repaired or replaced. However, although the company did file for bankruptcy in 1997, it eventually recovered, and as of 2010, it still sells the original NordicTrack Skier. In addition, the company expanded in the late 1990s to offer treadmills, elliptical trainers, incline trainers and exercise bikes.