The Gazelle is an aerobic rider that does not put stress on the joints. It provides a cardiovascular workout without the pounding of a treadmill. The working design includes two suspended footpads connected to a frame with rotating arm handles. You pump your arms and legs as if in a walking or running motion. It comes with a workout computer that displays speed, distance, time and approximate calories burned. Some units also come with a heart-rate monitor and Gazelle personal trainer video.
Invention
Tony Little, a certified personal trainer and physical fitness specialist, is the creator of the Gazelle aerobic rider. After being hit by a school bus, Little struggled with weight gain and physical pain from two herniated discs, a cracked vertebra and a dislocated knee. In 1985, he began getting healthy, working out and developing a fitness system that would help other people regain control over their weight and lives. He created a non-impact resistance-exercise technique that would strengthen the body and shed pounds with minimal joint stress.
First Sales
Little used the medium of television to promote and sell his fitness program. In 1987, Little started selling on an infomercial using the Home Shopping Network. The infomercial was a sales pitch and fitness class rolled into one. It wasn't until 1997 that Little started selling the Gazelle on QVC. The aerobic rider was an instant hit, partly due to Little's pitch while demonstrating the machine. At midnight on New Year's Eve 1998, Little sold 13,000 Gazelles in 65 minutes, according to an interview published in the June 1997 issue of "Harbinger."
Innovation
With the success of the original Gazelle aerobic rider, new elite machines were produced in 1998. The Gazelle Freestyle line was created and included the Freestyle Elite, Freestyle Evolution, Freestyle with thumb pulse, Sprintmaster Elite and the Gazelle Edge. As of 2011, the Gazelle line includes the Gazelle Edge, Gazelle Freestyle with thumb pulse and the Gazelle Sprintmaster.
Future
The Gazelle aerobic rider has sold more than $1.5 billion over the years, according to Victoria Thompson and David Wright in a May 20, 2010 story published on the "ABC News Nightline" website.
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