Elliptical machines provide a cardiovascular workout that is less stressful to the joints than a treadmill workout. The elliptical motion of the pedals creates a smooth, low-impact movement. Most elliptical machines also have arm levers that allow you to workout your upper body in tandem with your legs. It is more difficult to find elliptical machines without arms than with arms. The company who originally designed the elliptical machine, Precor, offers both types.
Precor EFX 5.23
The Precor EFX 5.23 does not have upper arm levers. There are stationary handrails you can use for balance. The 5.23 features an incline ramp that adjusts from 15 to 25 degrees. This is one way you can increase the intensity of your workout. It also has 16 pedal resistance levels as another option for making your workout more difficult. There are eight preset programs and an electronic console that displays information about your workout including calories burned, incline, distance, heart rate, strides per minute and time elapsed. In November 2010, the 5.23 sells for $3,000 on the Precor website.
Precor EFX 5.31
The EFX 5.31 is similar to the 5.23 but offers some advanced features, such as an incline ramp that adjusts up to 30 degrees and variable stride lengths. You can adjust the stride length from 21 to 23 inches. Like the 5.23, the 5.31 does not have upper body arms, but it does offer stationary handlebars for balance and correct posture. This model offers 10 preset programs and 20 pedal resistance levels. In November 2010, the EFX 5.31 sells for $4,000 on the Precor website.
Stamina InMotion Elliptical
Another option if you want an elliptical machine without arms is mini-ellipticals. These are bare bones machines, usually with no console, and often with no handlebars at all. Some mini-ellipticals consist of just the foot pedals. The Stamina InMotion Elliptical has stationary handlebars for a more stable workout. The pedal resistance is manually adjustable. A small monitor displays strides per minute, total number of strides, exercise time and approximate calories burned. In November 2010, the Stamina InMotion Elliptical sells for $200 on the Stamina website.
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