Rhian Hunt's blog

Sole Ellipticals are designed by engineers and physical therapists. Their philosophy is that the machine is adjusted to you while you workout and not the other way around.

Resembling an intricate piece of modern sculpture in glossy black metal with a few stark white highlights, the Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer is a higher-end elliptical machine that offers lasting quality and a solid workout that will keep most users fit and well-toned for years.

by Rhian Hunt

The Lifespan Fitness RW1000 is a mid-price rowing machine that offers a good, solid workout and a few extras as well. It consists of a pale silver-colored steel rail with a seat mounted atop it and a somewhat aquiline frontal case that contains the 16.5-pound flywheel that provides resistance to the eager rowers who make use of it.

The Lifecore R100 is one of the best rowers in the market today. It is a commercial quality rowing machine which is also available for home use.

The R100 is a formidable-looking machine with a large frontal drum holding a solid steel magnetic flywheel, a tough extruded aluminum frame with steel supports, ergonomic design, and a sophisticated, high-quality computer monitor that offers a wide range of detailed and timely information to the exerciser.

Some rowing machines take up a lot of room, while others opt for a more compact approach, both to save space and to make them more affordable to customers who are looking for a workout a few times a week, rather than many bells and whistles. Among these smaller rowing machines, few can be more compact than the Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine, an entry in the market which is only a hair over four feet long.

Bicycling is often our first introduction to machine-based fitness, when we are given a childhood bicycle by our parents and build our youthful muscles pedaling through the streets in defiance of skinned knees, randomly speeding cars, and other hazards. I never had a childhood bicycle, but my teenage years witnessed major surgery whose follow-up rehabilitation included use of an exercise bicycle – my first foray into the world of exercise machines, and a demonstration of the effectiveness of indoor cycling exercise.