If you’re bored with running or you are finding it isn’t helping you to achieve your fitness goals (weight loss, muscle tone, core strength, aerobic and cardiovascular fitness, and so forth), it might be time to try a different form of exercise. Fortunately there is a wide range of fitness machines available that meet just about everyone’s budget and which can work particular areas of your body or help you to achieve particular health goals.

Cross Trainers (Elliptical Trainers)

Elliptical trainers are regarded as giving one of the best all-over work-outs of any fitness machine on the market. Their up-down foot-pedals exercise the muscles in the lower body, whilst the weighted-levers provide a work-out for the arms and back. Elliptical trainers were designed primarily to reduce the wear and tear to joints and muscles caused by the more traditional exercise machines, and are therefore great for people who suffer from previous sporting or muscular injuries. Look out for a trainer that has pedals and levers that work smoothly and which provide a bit of resistance for the arms and legs to push against. If they are too loose this suggests that the braking system in the machine is not properly designed – the muscles will not work hard to push the levers, and you could also cause damage to your joints.

Exercise Bikes

One of the most popular forms of exercise machine is the exercise bike, and it’s little wonder – it’s compact, easy to use, and improves cardiovascular fitness as well as overall muscle tone. Exercise bikes can be used in the normal way – you pedal at a programmed level of resistance – or can be used in what is referred to as a ’spin class’, a routine which calls for standing-pedalling, leaning forwards and backwards, and pedalling at different speeds for different periods of time. By changing the position of your body as you pedal (by leaning forwards or standing up, for instance), you work different muscle groups in the body, as well as increasing your heart rate.

Rowing Machines

Rowing machines are popular for giving a full-body work-out but also for improving cardiovascular fitness. Depending on the strength of the person using the machine and the level of resistance programmed into the machine, you could find yourself rowing at a speed fast enough to increase your heart-rate and thereby help to burn calories. The pull and release motion of the oar grip helps to strengthen and tone the muscles in the arms, shoulders, back and stomach, whilst the muscles in the legs are worked out as they push against the footplate. There are three main types of rowing machine – the magnetic rower, the water rower and the air rower. Each relies on a different form of resistance but ultimately achieve the same fitness goals.

Multi Gyms

A good option for those interested in weight training and increasing core body strength, multi gyms are larger than the standard exercise equipment but can come with several different settings, levers and features. Because multi gyms are built upon the premise of allowing people to lift weights without causing undue damage to their joints or muscles, they can be a great way for people with previous sporting injuries to reintroduce themselves to training. Look for a multi gym with a solid, sturdy frame and a safe cable system, as a wobbly frame or snapping cable can lead to injury.