Is The Nordictrack Ski Machine Good For Weight Loss?

Anyone who watches the Winter Olympics can't help but marvel at the slim, lean bodies of the international cross-country ski teams. The NordicTrack aerobic exercise machine simulates the large muscle movements of cross country skiing. When used on a regular basis, in conjunction with a healthy, low fat diet, the NordicTrack ski machine may stimulate weight loss.

History

NordicTrack ski machine creator Edward Pauls was not thinking of weight loss or aerobic exercise when he designed his product. Pauls, a Chaska, Minnesota, mechanical engineer and cross-country ski boot and binding designer, imagined a product that would help Nordic ski racers train indoors during the off-season or during inclement weather. Pauls designed the NordicTrack in his garage. Based on the product's success with the Nordic skiing community, he decided to market it to the mainstream public. He placed ads in "The Smithsonian" and "Scientific American," which marketed the NordicTrack as "The World's Best Aerobic Exerciser."

Features

Aerobic exercise equipment is most effective when it uses your large muscle groups in a rhythmic, continuous manner. The NordicTrack ski machine, like the outdoor sport it simulates, simultaneously uses your upper body and and lower body muscles. This type of equipment requires an exaggerated leg stride in conjunction with large, forward and back arm movements. Most NordicTrack ski machines have an incline adjustment, which helps you increase caloric expenditure. Information featured on the Calorielab website indicates that a 150-pound person burns between 408 to 571 calories per hour, depending on the intensity of the workout.

Benefits

Since the NordicTrack ski machine uses large, dynamic muscle movement, and since it has features that allow you to increase your lower and upper body resistance, it promotes muscle tone in conjunction with aerobic activity. Increasing your muscle mass raises your metabolic rate, which causes you to burn more calories at rest, says the American Council on Exercise. NordicTrack machines also provide low-impact aerobic exercise. Since the machine places less stress on your joints, you can exercise longer without pain or injury.

Caveats

Edward Pauls created the NordicTrack ski machine during the 1970s. It was one of the first aerobic machines to engage both the upper and lower body muscles. While the NordicTrack Company eventually evolved, and started manufacturing high-tech, state-of-the-art aerobic equipment, the original ski machine is still a simple device, without the usual bells and whistles or programs. If you are prone to boredom, you might experience burnout after the novelty of the machine wears off. In 1996, the Federal Trade Commission charged the NordicTrack company with making exaggerated claims about the weight-loss benefits of their equipment. The FTC claimed that the company's research studies had serious methodological flaws. The weight-loss results, for example, were self-reported by the participants, and did not take into account dietary habits and overall activity level. NordicTrack has since changed its marketing approach.

Bottom Line

The efficiency of an aerobic exercise machine depends on the dedication you put into using it. To lose one pound of body fat, you must create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. Since the NordicTrack machine can burn up to 471 calories an hour, making it an effective machine for weight loss. Combine NordicTrack exercise with other types of aerobic workouts to prevent boredom and burnout. Using the machine also teaches the coordination required for Nordic skiing. Take advantage of this increased skill-set, and plan some outdoor Nordic skiing in the winter. A 160-pound person can burn up to 511 calories an hour on an outdoor ski track, say specialists at the Mayo Clinic.